Professor N. Emel Ganapati, Major Professor Despite a growing body of research on gender and disaster, little is known regarding the long-term recovery priorities and participation of internally displaced women in the long-term recovery process. Focusing on this important scholarly gap in the public administration literature, the overall goal of this study is to understand the long-term recovery processes of populations displaced by the 2010 Haiti earthquake through a gendered lens. The study’s specific aims are to: (1) understand the rebuilding priorities of IDPs in Haiti through a gendered lens; (2) determine factors that enable or hinder IDP women’s participation in decision-making processes; and (3) assist policymakers, non-governmental organizations, and international aid agencies in addressing the priorities of women IDPs. The dissertation is based on a qualitative research study. Its data collection methods include semi-structured interviews (n=97), focus groups (n=63), participant observation, and a review of diverse secondary sources. Despite some similarities between the recovery priories of women and men IDPs in the short and long-term, women IDPs in Haiti had several additional priorities due to: (1) the traditional roles they play in the household; (2) their perception inside and outside the household as passive “victims” that needed help; and, (3) the location and conditions of IDP camps (e.g., increased risks of sexual assaults and violence) within which they lived. Their participation to voice their priorities were limited to participation in informal settings (e.g., camp committee meetings) in camps managed by the government or international aid agencies; and were affected by the following: (1) organizational factors (e.g., diverse range of organizations with diverse organizational cultures); (2) formal institutional factors (e.g., lack of participatory mechanisms customized for IDPs); (3) policymaker-related factors (e.g., stigma towards the IDPs); (4) IDP related factors (e.g., lack of trust); (5) place-related factors (e.g., lack of access to transportation); and (6) social capital-related factors (e.g., women’s groups). This study provides useful information to public administration scholars and policymakers who are working to support individuals living in the camps while those individuals rebuild their communities and livelihoods.

The purpose of this study was to investigate factors that influence resilience after trauma among internally displaced persons in Kiambaa village, Uasin Gishu County, Kenya. The rationale, the problem statement, the objectives as well as the research questions and the theoretical framework were presented in chapter one. The theoretical concepts of Richardson’s “meta-theory of resilience and resiliency” and Joseph and Linley “organism valuing theory” guided this study. The problem statement posited revealed that when people experience tragic events such as violence they get traumatized. Despite this, there are individuals who are able to adopt and bounce back with minimal disruptions to their lives, a factor referred to as resilience. Chapter two presented related literature by reviewing empirical research studies on the internal and external factors that contribute to resilience after trauma. Chapter three discussed the methodology of the study. The study adopted a mixed design approach. The target population for this study was 50. It comprised all individuals who were victims of the fire tragedy at Kiambaa village. Twenty two respondents for this study were selected from the target population using purposive and snow ball sampling techniques. Questionnaires and unstructured interview schedule were the main tools of data collection. The Big Five Inventory (BFI) by John, Donahue, & Kentle, (1991) personality were used to classify respondents’ personalities.The 25 item Connor-Davidson Resilience Scale 25 (CD-RISC-25) (used with permission) (Connor, & Davidson, 2003) was used to measure the resilience levels of the respondents. Means and Standard deviations were computed to quantify the amount of variation or dispersion of resilience among the respondents. Responses from research tools were cleaned, coded and entered into Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) for analysis. Descriptive data were organized into themes and categories and presented according to the objectives of the study. Pearson product moment correlation analysis, Chi square correlation analysis and Spearman rank correlation analysis were computed to establish the relationships between study variables. Chapter four presented findings in form of tables, cumulative frequency counts, graphs and charts. The major findings of the study were as follows: The internal factors that contribute to resilience in individuals were age, gender and personality. However, gender had a greater influence on individuals’ resilience levels. Other factors included personality and age. The main external factors that contributed to resilience in individuals of the fire tragedy at Kiambaa were spirituality and social support. The results of a Pearson correlation analysis confirmed a strong positive correlation between social support and resilience of individuals (r=0.835, p<0.05). Chapter five presented conclusions arising from the findings which indicated that age, gender, personality, spirituality and social support are significant internal and external factors that influence resilience levels of individuals. The study recommends that there is need for professionals working with traumatized individuals to be more familiar with these factors that contribute to resilience. The researcher also recommends that there is need to extend the present study by including other potentially important variables such as a wider range of psychosocial resources or health-related variables. Understanding the influence and importance of these variables may help to clarify the role of resilience in post-disaster adaptation. In addition, the researcher recommends that there is need to further extend the study to investigate the relationship between psychological resilience and another positive outcome, such as posttraumatic growth (PTG). / Psychology / Ph.D. (Psychology)

This research started as a quest to understand better the ethics of doing Theatre for Development/Applied Theatre with under-served, marginalized and vulnerable populations especially in post-conflict zones in the Global South. As a theatre practitioner-researcher from Africa who has lived and worked in post-conflict zones, I was interested in fostering appropriate ethical protocols for arts-based practices for social engagement, advocacy and social justice. Thus, in this dissertation, I focus on two concepts in applied theatre practice: participation and ethics. I examine how participation can be re-conceptualized in applied theatre practice and focus on the ethics around conducting research among vulnerable populations especially on refugees and internally displaced persons. On participation, I use existing case studies from various fields to argue that participation in community engagement and socially-engaged art practices can become a tool to reposition voices on the margin to the centre in order to unsettle centres of power. However, for this to happen, participation needs to engage a communicative action that is both epistemic and ontic in its approach. An epistemic discourse provides a way of seeing the world while an ontic discourse provides people with a way of being in the world. The former is a ‘theoretical’ discursive practice that is fundamentally epistemological, and the latter is an ‘embodied’ praxis that is fundamentally ontological. I examine the famous Ngugi wa Thiongo’s Kamiriithu Community Theatre project in Kenya and Michael Balfour et al’s refugee project in Australia to foreground this new thinking on verb-oriented and noun-oriented notions of participation. On ethics, I raise a series of critical questions around interventionist or humanitarian performances. It is hoped that these questions will deepen discourses in applied theatre practice and further challenge practitioners to rethink why we do what we do. Using narrative inquiry, I glean lessons from my field research facilitating drama workshop among secondary school students who have been internally displaced due to an ongoing socio-political crisis in Nigeria. I also reflect on my other applied theatre experiences in Canada and Sudan. I propose an ethical practice that is built on relational interaction. In the context of working in post-conflict zones or in places of war, I argue that precarity becomes a determining factor in framing the ethics of practice. The questions around ethics are raised to also draw attention to decolonizing ethical practices. Finally, I articulate the connection between participation and ethics in that participation becomes a tactic to ensure that applied theatre researchers/practitioners conduct their work in ethical ways. This is because through participation, concerned communities can challenge unethical practices and transform the research to create outcomes that are beneficial. Thus, as an example of reflective practitioner research, the projects in this dissertation offer opportunities to examine critically how participation has been conceptualized and the need for a decolonizing understanding towards ethics in applied theatre practice especially in post-conflict zones. / Graduate

The aim of this study was to identify and describe the viability of using cell phones to conduct rapid assessments, pass key health messages and conduct monitoring and evaluation in complex emergencies. The study setting was in a cholera outbreak response situation in Mogadishu, the capital of war torn Somalia. Qantitative, descriptive research was conducted to determine the feasibility. Data collection was done using structured questionnaires, self-response mailed questionnaires as well as follow-up telephone interviews. Three groups of respondents participated in the study. The respondent groups included 383 internally displaced persons (IDPs), 5 water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) specialists and 5 specialists from 5 mobile phone providers in Mogadishu. The study showed that there is good potential for an effective, cost efficient and scalable short message service (SMS) based public health education platform in Somalia. The study has also come up with recommendations on key considerations to ensure viability of the Public health education platform. It is envisaged that the recommended platform shall increase speed, access, spontaneity, coverage and reduced cost per capita, a combination of which form the hallmark of a good emergency health response. Ultimately this effort shall contribute to improved health, reduced suffering and reduced deaths in fragile humanitarian contexts. / Health Studies / M. (Public Health)

PROBLÉMATIQUE La violence collective, à travers les guerres civiles et autres conflits politiques violents, constitue un lourd fardeau pour la santé publique. Plus de la moitié des décès causés par l’ensemble des conflits dans le monde entier se trouvent en Afrique. L’une des conséquences est le déplacement massif des populations qui se réfugient vers l’extérieur du pays, mais aussi de plus en plus à l’intérieur des frontières nationales. Ceux qui ne traversent pas sont appelés déplacés internes. Leur état de santé est au moins aussi vulnérable que celui de réfugiés, mais est très peu documenté. De 1993 à 2005, le Burundi a plongé dans une crise politico-sociale sans précédent. En 2001, environ 10 % de la population vivaient dans des camps de déplacés. OBJECTIF Documenter l’état de santé des personnes déplacées par la guerre au Burundi et identifier ses déterminants. CADRE CONCEPTUEL Le cadre conceptuel est basé sur la modélisation de l’association entre les événements traumatiques, les facteurs de l’environnement post-traumatique et l’état de santé des déplacés internes burundais. MÉTHODE Une enquête transversale a été menée dans deux camps de déplacés au Burundi. Les données ont été obtenues de façon rétrospective sur l’exposition aux événements traumatiques et de manière transversale pour l’état de santé et les facteurs de l’environnement post-traumatique. Les participants ont été interrogés sur les événements traumatiques vécus personnellement ou par leurs proches selon une courte échelle élaborée à cet effet. De même, les facteurs de l’environnement post-traumatique ont été documentés. Pour la mesure de l’état de santé, un questionnaire comportant certains des 17 items du profil de santé de Duke a été utilisé. Deux traductions ont été réalisées et plusieurs items ont été adaptés. RÉSULTATS Les événements traumatiques vécus par les déplacés internes burundais sont négativement associés à l’état de santé physique, à l’état de santé sociale, à l’état de santé perçu et, positivement, avec l’incapacité. De même, plusieurs facteurs de l’environnement post-traumatique sont associés à l’état de santé. Par contre, certaines associations sont à interpréter selon leurs interactions avec les événements traumatiques. Celles-ci agissent parfois comme modificateurs d’effet, en amortissant ou en amplifiant le lien associatif initial entre certains événements traumatiques et l’état de santé des déplacés. CONCLUSION : Les résultats font ressortir un effet différentiel associé d’une part aux événements traumatiques vécus précédemment et d’autre part, en interaction avec ces derniers, à l’environnement post-traumatique. Notre thèse en arrive à la conclusion que les facteurs de l’environnement post-traumatique constituent des déterminants importants de l’état de santé des déplacés de guerre. / INTRODUCTION Collective violence in the form of civil war and other violent political conflict places a heavy burden on public health. More than half of all deaths caused by conflicts around the globe occur in Africa. One of the consequences of such conflict is the massive displacement of populations seeking refuge either outside their country or, increasingly, within their country’s borders. Those who remain within their country are called internally displaced persons. Although little documented, the health of these people is every bit as vulnerable as that of refugees. From 1993 to 2005, Burundi was plunged into a socio-political crisis of unprecedented proportions. In 2001, approximately 10% of the population was living in displaced person camps. OBJECTIVE To document the health status of persons displaced by the war in Burundi and identify its determinants. CONCEPTUAL FRAMEWORK The conceptual framework is based on a modelling of the association between traumatic events, factors in the post-trauma environment and the health status of internally displaced Burundians. METHOD This cross-sectional study was carried out in two displaced persons camps in Burundi. It uses retrospective data on exposure to traumatic events and cross-sectional data on health status and factors in the post-trauma environment. Using a short scale especially designed for this study, the participants answered questions about the traumatic events that they or those close to them had experienced. Factors in the post-trauma environment were also documented. To measure health status, a questionnaire containing some of the 17 items of the Duke Health Profile was used. Two translations were made, and several of the items were adapted to the particular context. RESULTS The traumatic events experienced by displaced persons in Burundi are negatively associated with physical health, social health and perceived health, and positively associated with disability. A number of factors in the post-trauma environment were also associated with health status. However, some of these associations are difficult to interpret because of their interactions with traumatic events. These interactions sometimes act as effect modifiers by diminishing or amplifying the initial association between certain traumatic events and the health status of displaced persons. CONCLUSION The results reveal a differential response associated with, on the one hand, previously experienced traumatic events and, on the other hand, the post-trauma environment in interaction with these traumatic events. This thesis concludes that factors in the post-trauma environment constitute important determinants of the health of persons displaced by war.

PROBLÉMATIQUE La violence collective, à travers les guerres civiles et autres conflits politiques violents, constitue un lourd fardeau pour la santé publique. Plus de la moitié des décès causés par l’ensemble des conflits dans le monde entier se trouvent en Afrique. L’une des conséquences est le déplacement massif des populations qui se réfugient vers l’extérieur du pays, mais aussi de plus en plus à l’intérieur des frontières nationales. Ceux qui ne traversent pas sont appelés déplacés internes. Leur état de santé est au moins aussi vulnérable que celui de réfugiés, mais est très peu documenté. De 1993 à 2005, le Burundi a plongé dans une crise politico-sociale sans précédent. En 2001, environ 10 % de la population vivaient dans des camps de déplacés. OBJECTIF Documenter l’état de santé des personnes déplacées par la guerre au Burundi et identifier ses déterminants. CADRE CONCEPTUEL Le cadre conceptuel est basé sur la modélisation de l’association entre les événements traumatiques, les facteurs de l’environnement post-traumatique et l’état de santé des déplacés internes burundais. MÉTHODE Une enquête transversale a été menée dans deux camps de déplacés au Burundi. Les données ont été obtenues de façon rétrospective sur l’exposition aux événements traumatiques et de manière transversale pour l’état de santé et les facteurs de l’environnement post-traumatique. Les participants ont été interrogés sur les événements traumatiques vécus personnellement ou par leurs proches selon une courte échelle élaborée à cet effet. De même, les facteurs de l’environnement post-traumatique ont été documentés. Pour la mesure de l’état de santé, un questionnaire comportant certains des 17 items du profil de santé de Duke a été utilisé. Deux traductions ont été réalisées et plusieurs items ont été adaptés. RÉSULTATS Les événements traumatiques vécus par les déplacés internes burundais sont négativement associés à l’état de santé physique, à l’état de santé sociale, à l’état de santé perçu et, positivement, avec l’incapacité. De même, plusieurs facteurs de l’environnement post-traumatique sont associés à l’état de santé. Par contre, certaines associations sont à interpréter selon leurs interactions avec les événements traumatiques. Celles-ci agissent parfois comme modificateurs d’effet, en amortissant ou en amplifiant le lien associatif initial entre certains événements traumatiques et l’état de santé des déplacés. CONCLUSION : Les résultats font ressortir un effet différentiel associé d’une part aux événements traumatiques vécus précédemment et d’autre part, en interaction avec ces derniers, à l’environnement post-traumatique. Notre thèse en arrive à la conclusion que les facteurs de l’environnement post-traumatique constituent des déterminants importants de l’état de santé des déplacés de guerre. / INTRODUCTION Collective violence in the form of civil war and other violent political conflict places a heavy burden on public health. More than half of all deaths caused by conflicts around the globe occur in Africa. One of the consequences of such conflict is the massive displacement of populations seeking refuge either outside their country or, increasingly, within their country’s borders. Those who remain within their country are called internally displaced persons. Although little documented, the health of these people is every bit as vulnerable as that of refugees. From 1993 to 2005, Burundi was plunged into a socio-political crisis of unprecedented proportions. In 2001, approximately 10% of the population was living in displaced person camps. OBJECTIVE To document the health status of persons displaced by the war in Burundi and identify its determinants. CONCEPTUAL FRAMEWORK The conceptual framework is based on a modelling of the association between traumatic events, factors in the post-trauma environment and the health status of internally displaced Burundians. METHOD This cross-sectional study was carried out in two displaced persons camps in Burundi. It uses retrospective data on exposure to traumatic events and cross-sectional data on health status and factors in the post-trauma environment. Using a short scale especially designed for this study, the participants answered questions about the traumatic events that they or those close to them had experienced. Factors in the post-trauma environment were also documented. To measure health status, a questionnaire containing some of the 17 items of the Duke Health Profile was used. Two translations were made, and several of the items were adapted to the particular context. RESULTS The traumatic events experienced by displaced persons in Burundi are negatively associated with physical health, social health and perceived health, and positively associated with disability. A number of factors in the post-trauma environment were also associated with health status. However, some of these associations are difficult to interpret because of their interactions with traumatic events. These interactions sometimes act as effect modifiers by diminishing or amplifying the initial association between certain traumatic events and the health status of displaced persons. CONCLUSION The results reveal a differential response associated with, on the one hand, previously experienced traumatic events and, on the other hand, the post-trauma environment in interaction with these traumatic events. This thesis concludes that factors in the post-trauma environment constitute important determinants of the health of persons displaced by war.

The aim of this study was to identify and describe the viability of using cell phones to conduct rapid assessments, pass key health messages and conduct monitoring and evaluation in complex emergencies. The study setting was in a cholera outbreak response situation in Mogadishu, the capital of war torn Somalia. Qantitative, descriptive research was conducted to determine the feasibility. Data collection was done using structured questionnaires, self-response mailed questionnaires as well as follow-up telephone interviews. Three groups of respondents participated in the study. The respondent groups included 383 internally displaced persons (IDPs), 5 water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) specialists and 5 specialists from 5 mobile phone providers in Mogadishu. The study showed that there is good potential for an effective, cost efficient and scalable short message service (SMS) based public health education platform in Somalia. The study has also come up with recommendations on key considerations to ensure viability of the Public health education platform. It is envisaged that the recommended platform shall increase speed, access, spontaneity, coverage and reduced cost per capita, a combination of which form the hallmark of a good emergency health response. Ultimately this effort shall contribute to improved health, reduced suffering and reduced deaths in fragile humanitarian contexts. / Health Studies / M.A. (Public Health)

Includes bibliographical references (leaves 130-136) / The study focuses on the impact of the Boko Haram Muslim terrorist group on the socioeconomic well‐being and livelihood of the population in the north‐east of Nigeria. To research the social, economic, religious and political impact of attacks leading to the disruption of people in the north‐east who fled their homes for the safety of southern refugee camps, the study relies on three research questions to be answered, namely: Does the Boko Haram terrorist group pose a threat to the socio‐economic well‐being of people in north‐eastern Nigeria? How have Boko Haram terrorist attacks impacted on the livelihood of the population? What is a viable solution or intervention strategy to deal with the impact of and fight against terrorism in Nigeria in particular? The study adopts an in‐depth qualitative methodology. Different related research techniques are used in data collection and analysis. Focus group discussions, in‐depth interviews and documentary sources have different complementary strengths, which are more comprehensive when used together. Questionnaires will guide the discussions with groups of internally displaced people, who are the units of analysis. Data is gathered through snowball sampling of willing, available respondents to understand and explain their personal views and experiences, creating the meanings they have constructed around their disrupted livelihoods and well‐being in refugee camps. An overarching, broad conflict perspective is chosen, related to Dahrendorf’s views on power struggles of dominant interest groups, authority, inequality and marginalisation of opponents, which also includes complementary concepts of religiously inspired fundamentalist theory focusing on indoctrination, dominance, manipulation and marginalisation of interest groups. This broad conflict perspective will investigate the social, economic, political and religious impacts of Boko Haram in Nigeria. The findings indicate that the Boko Haram attacks had a negative effect on the livelihood of citizens and displaced persons in refugee camps, as well as on the social cohesion and development of the north‐eastern Nigerian state. Conflict resolution and intervention strategies will be implemented to curb the violence. Societal transformation is recommended for infrastructural development and job creation to solve poverty and gainfully cater for educated, unemployed youths, now recruited into the ranks of the Boko Haram Muslim sect. / Sociology / M.A. (Sociology)

La communauté internationale considère certaines personnes déplacées comme étant des migrants irréguliers. Cette étude démontre le caractère contraint du départ pour trois catégories de personnes, à savoir les personnes fuyant les conséquences aveugles d’un conflit armé international ou non international, les personnes fuyant les catastrophes environnementales de causes anthropiques ou naturelles et les personnes fuyant une situation économique ou sociale désastreuse. L’approche catégorielle classique du droit international public ne permet pas de garantir une protection à ces personnes. Aucun statut particulier ne leur étant attribué, ces personnes se trouvent dans une situation de vulnérabilité. De quelle manière est-il alors possible d’assurer une protection effective à ces personnes vulnérables déplacées ? Actuellement, la plupart des Etats s’inscrivent dans une démarche sécuritaire, contrôlant strictement la gestion des flux migratoires et appliquant peu ou prou les instruments juridiques internationaux protecteurs. Une complémentarité des différents régimes juridiques (droit international des réfugiés, droit international humanitaire, droit international des droits de l’homme) est par conséquent nécessaire et une interprétation extensive des textes existants est recommandée. Pour pallier les insuffisances du droit positif, le recours à la notion de vulnérabilité, transversale à ces diverses situations, est invoqué, permettant ainsi de dépasser l’approche catégorielle classique. Pas encore reconnue comme une source du droit international, la notion est devenue, depuis quelques années, incontournable sur la scène internationale. Elle apparaît ponctuellement dans les textes conventionnels et est fréquemment utilisée dans les instruments de droit mou. Prise en compte progressivement par les jurisprudences internationales et régionales, mais aussi par la doctrine, elle figure allègrement dans le discours des organisations humanitaires et des médias. Le développement de la notion de vulnérabilité en droit mou, précisément en des lignes directrices garantirait une meilleure protection des personnes déplacées vulnérables permettant de prévenir le déplacement, d’octroyer un statut temporaire ou définitif ou encore de fournir des conditions d’accueil dignes dans les Etats ou les régions hôtes. Ces lignes directrices servant de guide aux Etats laissent envisager par la suite l’adoption de règles contraignantes protectrices de ces personnes déplacées. La distinction entre personnes vulnérables déplacées et personnes particulièrement vulnérables doit également être prise en compte à ce stade. De surcroît, il convient d’engager la responsabilité des auteurs ayant contribué au déplacement contraint ou ayant commis des exactions sur ces personnes déplacées devant des instances judiciaires internationales, régionales ou encore nationales pour lutter contre l’impunité. En conséquence, une réparation juste pour le préjudice subi doit être garantie à ces personnes. / The international community considers some displaced persons as irregular migrants. This study demonstrates that the departure is undeniably forced concerning three groups of people : the persons fleeing blind violence and the collateral effects of an international or non international armed conflict, the persons fleeing man-made or natural environmental disasters, and the persons fleeing difficult economical or social situations. The classical approach of public international law based on distinct categories does not guarantee effective protection to these persons. As no particular international status is given to these persons, they are in a situation of vulnerability. In which way an effective protection could be a guarantee to these vulnerable displaced persons? Currently, most of the States defend a safe approach, strictly controlling the management of migration flows and applying more or less protective international legal instruments. Complementarity of different legal systems (international refugee law, international humanitarian law, international law of human rights) is therefore necessary and a broad interpretation of existing texts is recommended. To overcome the shortcomings of positive law, the use of the concept of vulnerability, crossing different situations, is invoked, in order to exceed the traditional categorical approach. Not yet recognised as a source of international law, the term “vulnerability” has become an essential notion on the international scene in recent years. It appears occasionally in conventional instruments and is frequently used in soft law. It has been gradually developed through the international and regional jurisprudence and also by the doctrine. The discourse of humanitarian organizations and the media often refers to the notion. The development of the concept of vulnerability in soft law, specifically in the shape of guidelines would ensure a better protection of vulnerable displaced persons. In this regard, guidelines could prevent people fleeing, grant a temporary or a permanent status and provide dignified reception conditions in the host States or regions. This instrument of soft law would be used as a guide for States subsequent to the adoption of protective binding rules. The distinction between vulnerable displaced persons and particularly vulnerable persons has to be taken into account at this stage. Furthermore, the responsibility of the authors who have contributed to the forced displacement or who have committed atrocities against the displaced persons should be brought before the international, regional or national judicial authorities, in order to fight against impunity. Consequently, a fair compensation for the damage suffered must be guaranteed to these persons.

Plus de soixante ans après son adoption, la Convention de Genève compte 145 États parties.Instrument juridique universel sur le statut des réfugiés, elle est la lex specialis du droit international desréfugiés. Qui est réfugié ? Quelle protection lui est accordée ? Ces deux questions se posent avec uneacuité certaine du fait de l’accroissement des flux migratoires, des crises multiples et de la lutte contre leterrorisme. Le contexte actuel de l’application de la Convention est différent de celui de son adoption.Rédigée par la voie de dispositions générales, elle doit être interprétée pour être appliquée. Cependant, iln’existe pas un interprète. Si les États, le Haut Commissariat des Nations Unies pour les réfugiés et laCour internationale de justice sont les interprètes officiels, ils ne sont pas les seuls. L’Office français deprotection des réfugiés et apatrides et la Cour nationale du droit d’asile jouent un rôle important et la Coureuropéenne des droits de l’homme et la Cour de justice de l’Union européenne jouent un rôle grandissant.Cette multiplicité d’interprètes peut causer une diversité d’interprétations. Or, les interprétationsdivergentes nuisent à la lisibilité et la visibilité de la Convention en tant qu’instrument de définition et deprotection des réfugiés. La présente étude est une analyse de la contribution des interprètes aux évolutionsde la Convention. Dans cette perspective, la prolifération des instruments du droit européen etinternational des droits de l’homme et la complexification des déplacements contraints de personnes sontdes paramètres incontournables, pris en compte par les interprètes, pour éclairer le sens et la portée de laConvention. / More than sixty years after its adoption, the Geneva Convention counts 145 States ascontracting Parties. This universal legal instrument on refugee’s status represents the lex specialis ofinternational refugee Law. Who can be a refugee? What can be his level of protection? These questionsare particularly relevant under the influence of the increasing population flows, the multiples crises andthe fight against terrorism. The current context of the Convention’s application is different than the one ofits adoption. And due to its general provisions, this Convention needs to be interpreted in order to beapplied. However, there is no sole interpreter. The States, the United Nations High Commissioner forRefugees and the International Court of Justice are indeed the official interpreters, but not the only onesensuring this mission. Not only the French Office for the Protection of Refugees and Stateless Persons andthe National Court of Asylum play an important role in this matter, but the European Court of HumanRights and the Court of Justice of the European Union also play an expanding role. This multiplicity ofinterpreters can induce a variety of interpretations. Nevertheless, a divergent interpretation can affect thereadability and the visibility of the Convention as a refugee defining and protective legal instrument. Thepresent study constitutes an analysis of the interpreters’ contribution to the Convention’s developments. Inthis perspective, the overgrowth of European and International Human Rights Law instrument and thecomplexity of forced migration are ineluctable feature, taken into account by the interpreters, to clarify themeaning and the scope of the Convention.