A Convention that establishes the most widely applicable framework for the protection of refugees. The Convention was adopted in July 1951 and entered into force in April 1954. Article 1 of the 1951 Convention limits its scope to "events occurring before 1 January 1951". This restriction is removed by the 1967 Protocol relating to the Status of Refugees. To date, there are 137 States who are parties to the 1951 Convention and/or the 1967 Protocol.