Submitted Abstract
The proposal is to organise a symposium on the protection of people fleeing armed conflict and other situations of violence jointly with the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees. In particular, the intention is to examine the assessment of claims for international protection in such situations under, respectively, Article 1A(2) of the 1951 Refugee Convention and Article 15(c) of the EU Qualification Directive. This will permit an assessment of how the two regimes (one under international law, the other in EU law) interact, and the extent to which the two provisions conflict with or complement each other. Panels shall address: the UNHCR’s New Guidelines on International Protection; protection concepts associated with both refugee status and complementary or subsidiary forms of protection; and a case study (the situation of persons fleeing armed conflict and violence in Syria or Afghanistan); as well as a ‘wrap-up’ discussion session. As the symposium will address issues of both practical importance and theoretical interest, participants will come from legal practice, the judiciary, government, international organisations and NGOs as well as academia.