The scale of actual and potential problems of displacement in the former Soviet Union has led to an important initiative, which seeks to address current problems of displacement and prevent their proliferation. Further to General Assembly resolution 49/173 of 23 December 1994, UNHCR is engaged in preparations for a conference that will establish a programme of action to address the problems of refugees, returnees and displaced persons in the CIS countries and relevant neighbouring States. It is expected that the programme of action will include measures to prevent unnecessary movements and address the consequences of past, present and future displacements.
Most frequently, however, the efforts of the Office have come into play in situations where large-scale human displacement has already occurred. In such situations, UNHCR has continued to promote and participate in strategies that may help contain fragile situations. It has attempted to address or attenuate, wherever possible, the causes of refugee flows or, failing that, to reduce the necessity for affected populations or individuals to seek asylum across international borders. As part of these efforts, UNHCR has, at my request, continued or expanded its involvement in assisting and seeking solutions for groups of the internally displaced. In addition to its programme of humanitarian assistance for over 1.5 million internally displaced persons in the former Yugoslavia, UNHCR has, for example, been engaged in activities on behalf of substantial numbers of internally displaced in Angola, Ghana, Sierra Leone, Rwanda, Afghanistan, the Caucasus and the Russian Federation. These activities are frequently carried out in cooperation with other concerned United Nations bodies in the context of comprehensive approaches to displacement and conflict resolution.
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