1. The CAT convention does not address issues such as statelessness, gender-based persecution, and refugee protection. 2. There is no right of appeal or provision to challenge negative decisions made by the receiving state. 3. The convention does not protect refugees from illegal or arbitrary detention. 4. The convention does not provide refugees with the ability to access employment or higher education. 5. The limited nature of the convention’s definition of a refugee as well as its non-inclusion of other forms of persecution (such as discrimination based on gender or sexuality) could leave many people without the necessary protection. 6. The obligations of states under the convention are largely limited to those individuals that meet the definition of a refugee, leaving many others in a legal limbo. 7. The convention has been accepted by only a limited number of states, leaving a significant number of countries beyond its protective scope.