Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees : resolution / adopted by the General Assembly

The General Assembly,

Having considered the report of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees on the activities of his Office, as well as the report of the Executive Committee of the Programme of the High Commissioner on the work of its thirty-seventh session, and having heard the statements made by the High Commissioner on 7 and 11 November 1986,

Recalling its resolution 40/118 of 13 December 1985,

Reaffirming the purely humanitarian and non-political character of the activities of the Office of the High Commissioner,

Noting with satisfaction that, following recent accessions, one hundred and one States are now parties to the 1951 Convention and the 1967 Protocol relating to the Status of Refugees, and endorsing the Geneva Declaration thereon adopted by the Executive Committee of the Programme of the High Commissioner at its thirty-seventh session,

Deeply concerned that refugees and displaced persons of concern to the High Commissioner continue to face distressingly serious problems in all parts of the world,

Particularly concerned that in various regions the safety and welfare of refugees and asylum-seekers continue to be seriously jeopardized on account of military or armed attacks and other forms of brutality,

Stressing the fundamental importance of the High Commissioner's function to provide international protection and the need for States to co-operate with the High Commissioner in the exercise of this essential function, particularly in view of the continued and persistent violations of the basic rights of refugees and asylum-seekers,

Emphasizing that there is a need to assist, on as wide a basis as possible, the efforts of the High Commissioner to promote speedy and durable solutions to the problems of refugees,

Emphasizing also that voluntary repatriation or return remains the most desirable solution to the problems of refugees and displaced persons of concern to the High Commissioner,

Emphasizing further the importance for the international community to continue to provide assistance and resettlement opportunities for those refugees for whom no other durable solution may be in sight, particularly in regions where countries of first refuge continue generously to receive refugees arriving by land or by sea,

Commending States that, despite severe economic and development problems of their own, continue to admit large numbers of refugees and displaced persons into their territories,

Welcoming the valuable support extended by Governments to the High Commissioner in carrying out his humanitarian tasks,

Taking note of the observations of the Board of Auditors on financial management matters of the Office of the High Commissioner and the response to them by the High Commissioner,

Welcoming the continuing and increasing co-operation between the Office of the High Commissioner and other bodies of the United Nations system, as well as intergovernmental and non-governmental organizations,

1.         Commends the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees and his staff for the dedicated and efficient manner in which they discharge their responsibilities and pays tribute to the four staff members who lost their lives in the course of their duties during the past year;

2.         Strongly reaffirms the fundamental nature of the High Commissioner's function to provide international protection and the need for Governments to continue to co-operate fully with his Office in order to facilitate the effective exercise of this function, in particular by acceding to and implementing the relevant international and regional refugee instruments and by scrupulously observing the principles of asylum and non-refoulement;

3.         Appeals to all States that have not yet become parties to the 1951 Convention and the 1967 Protocol relating to the Status of Refugees to consider acceding to them in order to enhance their universal character;

4.         Condemns all violations of the rights and safety of refugees and asylum-seekers, in particular those perpetrated by military or armed attacks against refugee camps and settlements and other forms of brutality and the failure to rescue asylum-seekers in distress at sea;

5.         Welcomes the fact that arrangements introduced by the High Commissioner have increased significantly the rescue of asylum-seekers in distress at sea and that preventive measures have resulted in a decline in the number of refugee boats attacked by pirates;

6.         Urges all States, in co-operation with the Office of the High Commissioner and other competent international bodies, to take all measures necessary to ensure the safety of refugees and asylum-seekers;

7.         Notes with deep concern that large numbers of refugees and asylum-seekers in different areas of the world are currently in detention or subject to similar restrictive measures and welcomes the conclusions on this subject adopted by the Executive Committee of the Programme of the High Commissioner at its thirty-seventh session;

8.         Recognizes the importance of fair and expeditious procedures for determining refugee status or granting asylum in order, inter alia, to protect refugees and asylum-seekers from unjustified or unduly prolonged detention or stay in camps, and urges States to establish such procedures;

9.         Urges all States to support the High Commissioner in his efforts to achieve durable solutions to the problem of refugees and displaced persons of concern to his Office, primarily through voluntary repatriation or return, including assistance to returnees, as appropriate, or, wherever appropriate, through integration into countries of asylum or resettlement in third countries;

10.       Recognizes the importance of finding durable solutions to refugee problems and recognizes also that the search for durable solutions includes the need to address the causes of movements of refugees and asylum-seekers from their countries of origin, and takes note of the report of the Group of Governmental Experts on International Co-operation to Avert New Flows of Refugees;

11.       Expresses deep appreciation for the valuable material and humanitarian response of receiving countries, in particular those developing countries that, despite limited resources, continue to admit, on a permanent or temporary basis, large numbers of refugees and asylum-seekers, and, reaffirming the principle of international solidarity and burden-sharing, urges the international community to assist receiving countries in order to enable them to cope with the additional burden created by the presence of those refugees and asylum-seekers;

12.       Recognizes with appreciation the work done by the High Commissioner to put into practice the concept of development-oriented assistance to refugees and returnees, as initiated at the Second International Conference on Assistance to Refugees in Africa, and urges him to continue that process, wherever appropriate, in full co-operation with appropriate international agencies, and, further, urges Governments to support these efforts;

13.       Emphasizes the essential role of development-oriented organizations and agencies in the implementation of programmes that benefit refugees and returnees and urges the High Commissioner to strengthen his co-operation with those organizations and agencies;

14.       Commends all States, international agencies and non-governmental organizations that facilitate the attainment of durable solutions and contribute generously to the High Commissioner's programmes;

15.       Notes with satisfaction the efforts undertaken by the High Commissioner to identify and meet the special needs of refugee women and children and urges him to continue these efforts;

16.       Calls upon Governments to contribute, in a spirit of international burden-sharing, to the High Commissioner's programmes with the aim of ensuring that the needs of refugees, returnees and displaced persons of concern to the High Commissioner are met.