| United Nations | A/50/12/Add.1 |
General Assembly
Distr. GENERAL
1 November 1995
ORIGINAL:
ENGLISH
Fiftieth session
REPORT OF THE UNITED NATIONS HIGH COMMISSIONER FOR REFUGEES
Addendum
REPORT OF THE EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE OF THE PROGRAMME OF THE
UNITED NATIONS HIGH COMMISSIONER FOR REFUGEES ON THE WORK
OF ITS FORTY-SIXTH SESSION*
* The present document is a mimeographed version of the addendum to the
report of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees. The final
report will be issued as Official Records of the General Assembly, Fiftieth
Session, Supplement No. 12 A (A/50/12/Add.1).
95-32812 (E) 071195/...
*9532812*
CONTENTS
Paragraphs Page
I. INTRODUCTION .........................................1 - 174
A. Opening of the session ........................... 1 - 44
B. Election of officers ............................. 54
C. Representation on the Committee .................. 6 - 114
D. Adoption of the agenda and other organizational
matters .......................................... 125
E. Opening statement by the Chairman of the Executive
Committee ........................................ 13 - 176
II. WORK OF THE FORTY-SIXTH SESSION ...................... 188
III. DECISIONS AND CONCLUSIONS OF THE COMMITTEE ...........19 - 359
A. Conclusions on international protection .......... 19 - 209
1. General conclusion on international protection 199
2. Conclusion on the prevention and reduction of
statelessness and the protection of stateless
persons ...................................... 2011
B. Decisions on programme, administrative and
financial matters ................................ 21 - 2212
1. General decision on programme, administrative
and financial matters ........................ 2112
2. Decision on budget structure and governance .. 2214
C. Decision on the strengthening of the coordination
of emergency humanitarian assistance ............. 2317
D. Conclusion on refugee women ...................... 2417
E. Conclusion on refugees and the environment ....... 2518
F. Conclusion on the UNHCR-NGO Partnership in Action
process .......................................... 2619
G. Regional conclusions ............................. 27 - 3119
1. Conclusion on the situation of refugees,
returnees and displaced persons in Africa .... 2719
2. Conclusion on the Comprehensive Plan of
Action for Indo-Chinese Refugees ............. 2821
CONTENTS (continued)
Paragraphs Page
3.Conclusion on voluntary repatriation to
Afghanistan .................................. 2922
4. Conclusion on the CIS Conference Process ..... 3023
5. Conclusion on humanitarian issues in the
territory of the former Yugoslavia ........... 3123
H. Decisions on Executive Committee working methods 32 - 3424
1. Decision on Executive Committee working
methods ...................................... 3224
2. Decision on the introduction of Russian as an
official language of the Executive Committee . 3327
3. Decision on the programme of work of the
Standing Committee in 1996 ................... 3428
I. Government observer participation in 1995-1996 ... 3529
IV. PROVISIONAL AGENDA OF THE FORTY-SEVENTH SESSION ...... 3630
Annex. Opening statement by the United Nations High Commissioner for
Refugees to the Executive Committee of the High Commissioner's
Programme at its forty-sixth session ...........................32
I. INTRODUCTION
A. Opening of the session
1. The Executive Committee of the programme of the United Nations High
Commissioner for Refugees held its forty-sixth session at Geneva from 16 to
20 October 1995. The session was opened by the outgoing Chairman, Mr.
Ahmad Kamal (Pakistan), who began by welcoming Bangladesh, India and the
Russian Federation, the three new members of the Executive Committee.
2. Mr. Kamal noted that, while there were a number of positive
developments, particularly regarding solutions to certain long-standing
refugee problems, various crises, such as those in the Great Lakes region
and former Yugoslavia, persisted. He emphasized UNHCR's fundamental role
in helping refugees achieve sustainable reintegration in their country of
origin, particularly through the provision of protection and assistance in
post-conflict situations.
3. Alluding to the current financial difficulties of the United Nations,
the outgoing Chairman suggested that UNHCR pre-empt criticism by increasing
efficiency, adhering to good management practices and exploiting computer-
based information technologies to improve the information flow between
headquarters, field operations and Governments. The results, in terms of
speedier decisionmaking and decreased field-operation costs, could be far-
reaching.
4. Refugee crises were bound to increase; the solution to them, the
outgoing Chairman said, lay in resolving the factors, notably disputes,
that lead to such crises. While UNHCR cannot take a direct role in
resolving disputes, it could continue to prompt the international community
to take action. Mr. Kamal concluded by noting that progress in addressing
the root causes of refugee movements would ensure that the international
community would not be faced repeatedly with the sight of mass movements
across borders, an endless reproach to those who could have done more, but
did not.
B. Election of officers
5. Under rule 10 of the rules of procedure, the Committee elected the
following officers by acclamation:
Chairman: Mr. Jakob Esper Larsen (Denmark)
Vice-Chairman: Mr. Ali Said Mchumo (United Republic of Tanzania)
Rapporteur: Mr. Apichart Chinwanno (Thailand)
C. Representation on the Committee
6. The following members of the Committee were represented at the session:
Algeria, Argentina, Australia, Austria, Bangladesh, Belgium, Brazil,
Canada, China, Colombia, Denmark, Ethiopia, Finland, France, Germany,
Greece, Holy See, Hungary, India, Iran (Islamic Republic of), Israel,
Italy, Japan, Lebanon, Lesotho, Madagascar, Morocco, Namibia, Netherlands,
Nicaragua, Nigeria, Norway, Pakistan, Philippines, Russian Federation,
Spain, Sudan, Sweden, Switzerland, Thailand, Tunisia, Turkey, Uganda,
United Kingdom, United Republic of Tanzania, United States of America,
Venezuela, Zaire.
7. The Governments of the following States were present as observers:
Afghanistan, Albania, Angola, Armenia, Belarus, Benin, Bosnia and
Herzegovina, Botswana, Bulgaria, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Cameroon, Chile,
Costa Rica, Cote d'Ivoire, Croatia, Cuba, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Djibouti,
Ecuador, Egypt, El Salvador, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Gambia, Ghana,
Guatemala, Honduras, Iceland, Indonesia, Iraq, Ireland, Jamaica, Jordan,
Kazakstan, Kenya, Kuwait, Kyrgyzstan, Latvia, Liberia, Libyan Arab
Jamahiriya, Luxembourg, Malawi, Malaysia, Malta, Mauritania, Mexico,
Mozambique, Myanmar, Nepal, New Zealand, Oman, Panama, Peru, Poland,
Portugal, Republic of Korea, Romania, Rwanda, Saudi Arabia, Senegal, Sierra
Leone, Singapore, Slovakia, Slovenia, South Africa, Sri Lanka, Swaziland,
Syrian Arab Republic, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Ukraine, Uruguay,
Uzbekistan, Viet Nam, Yemen, Zambia, Zimbabwe.
8. The European Commission, the International Committee of the Red Cross
(ICRC), the Sovereign Order of Malta and the International Federation of
Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies were also represented as observers.
9. The United Nations system was represented as follows:
United Nations Office at Geneva, Centre for Human Rights, Department of
Humanitarian Affairs, United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF), United
Nations Development Programme (UNDP), United Nations Volunteers (UNV),
United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), World Food Programme (WFP), United
Nations Centre for Human Settlements (Habitat), United Nations Institute
for Training and Research (UNITAR), United Nations Research Institute for
Social Development (UNRISD), International Labour Organization (ILO), Food
and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), United Nations
Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), World Health
Organization (WHO) and United Nations Industrial Development Organization
(UNIDO).
10. The following intergovernmental organizations were represented by
observers:
The League of Arab States, the Organization of African Unity (OAU), the
Organization of the Islamic Conference (OIC), the Council of Europe and the
International Organization for Migration (IOM).
11. A total of 90 non-governmental organizations were represented by
observers.
D. Adoption of the agenda and other organizational matters
12. The Executive Committee adopted by consensus the following agenda:
1. Opening of the session;
2. Election of officers;
3. Adoption of the agenda and other organizational matters;
4. General debate;
5. Programme, administrative and financial matters:
(a)Review of UNHCR programmes financed by voluntary funds in 1994-1995
and of proposed programmes and budget for 1996;
(b)Status of contributions and overall financial requirements for 1994
and 1995;
(c) Administration and management;
(d) Adoption of 1996 General Programmes;
6. Participation of Government Observer delegations;
7.Consideration of the provisional agenda of the forty-seventh session of
the Executive Committee;
8. Any other business;
9. Adoption of the draft report of the forty-sixth session;
10. Closing of the session.
E. Opening statement by the Chairman of the Executive Committee
13. The incoming Chairman, Mr. J. Esper Larsen (Denmark), paid tribute to
the High Commissioner for her skill, perseverance and courage and commended
the dedicated work of the staff of UNHCR and of non-governmental
organizations, particularly those working in the field.
14. The Chairman drew attention to the ever-growing numbers of refugees,
displaced persons and others of concern to UNHCR who, at the end of 1994,
amounted to some 27.4 million persons. He stressed the responsibility of
the international community at large and of the Executive Committee in
particular, in the face of crises in the Great Lakes region and the former
Yugoslavia and in the many other situations of conflict around the world.
15. In responding to protection needs, most countries had demonstrated
their readiness to adopt pragmatic and flexible approaches to provide
temporary protection to persons fleeing conflict. The Executive Committee
would need, however, to give consideration to how far Member States would
be prepared to go beyond the existing international and regional
instruments in order to ensure international protection to all who need it.
16. The Chairman also highlighted the burden shouldered by refugee-hosting
countries, particularly the most impoverished among them, and expressed the
view that international solidarity with and support for those countries had
been insufficient. In the search for durable solutions through voluntary
repatriation, reintegration and reconstruction, he stressed the need for
development agencies to dovetail their efforts with those of UNHCR in the
reintegration process. In this context, he recalled the resolution adopted
by the Economic and Social Council at its 1995 substantive session on the
strengthening of the coordination of emergency humanitarian assistance (see
para. 23).
17. Mr. Larsen concluded by referring to the process of reforming the
working methods of the Executive Committee, which would extend the
possibilities for the Committee to exercise effective governance in
response to the desire of Member States for greater transparency,
accountability and oversight.
II. WORK OF THE FORTY-SIXTH SESSION
18. The High Commissioner delivered an opening statement to the Executive
Committee, the text of which is reproduced in the annex. Following this,
Mr. Salim Ahmed Salim, Secretary-General of the Organization of African
Unity, addressed the Committee. The full account of the deliberations of
the Committee, including the statements or other interventions made by
delegations on all the agenda items, as well as the closing statements by
the Chairman and the High Commissioner, are contained in the summary
records of the session.
III. DECISIONS AND CONCLUSIONS OF THE COMMITTEE
A. Conclusions on international protection
1. General conclusion on international protection
19. The Executive Committee,
(a) Distressed at the continued suffering of refugees for whom a
solution has yet to be found, reaffirms that respect for fundamental
humanitarian principles, including safeguarding the right to seek and enjoy
in other countries asylum from persecution, and full regard for the
principle of non-refoulement, are incumbent on all members of the
international community, and urges the continued commitment of States to
receive and host refugees and ensure their protection in accordance with
accepted legal principles;
(b) Notes that the search for solutions to refugee problems is an
integral part of the High Commissioner's mandate for international
protection, and that identifying and implementing solutions to the problems
of refugees requires the constant support of the international community so
that the will and capacity of individual States are reinforced in this
common pursuit;
(c) Emphasizes the primacy of the 1951 Convention relating to the Status
of Refugees and its 1967 Protocol as forming the international legal basis
for the protection of refugees, and underlines the value of regional
instruments, as applicable, notably the 1969 OAU Convention Governing the
Specific Aspect of Refugee Problems in Africa, as well as the 1984
Cartagena Declaration on Refugees and the 1994 San Jose Declaration on
Refugees and Displaced Persons;
(d) Welcomes the accession of Namibia, the Solomon Islands, Samoa, and
Antigua and Barbuda to the 1951 Convention and/or the 1967 Protocol,
bringing to 130 the number of States parties to one or both instruments,
and urges States which are not yet party to accede to those instruments,
and all States to implement them fully;
(e) Reaffirms the competence of the High Commissioner in supervising the
application of international instruments for the protection of refugees;
stresses the importance of their interpretation and application by States
in a manner consistent with their spirit and purpose; reminds States party
to the 1951 Convention relating to the Status of Refugees 1/ and/or the
1967 Protocol 2/ of the undertaking in article 35 of the Convention,
reiterated in Conclusion 57 of the fortieth session of the Executive
Committee, in 1989, to provide the High Commissioner with detailed
information on the implementation of the Convention, 3/ and urges those
States parties which have not yet complied with that undertaking to do so;
(f) Recalls conclusion 74 (XLV), on international protection, adopted at
its forty-fifth session, 4/ which encouraged the High Commissioner to
engage in consultations and discussions concerning measures to ensure
international protection to all who need it; reiterates its support for
UNHCR's role in exploring the development of guiding principles to this
end, consistent with fundamental protection principles reflected in
international instruments, and calls on UNHCR to organize informal
consultations on this subject;
(g) Calls upon the High Commissioner to support and promote efforts by
States towards the development and implementation of criteria and
guidelines on responses to persecution specifically aimed at women, by
sharing information on initiatives by States to develop such criteria and
guidelines, and by monitoring to ensure their fair and consistent
application. In accordance with the principle that women's rights are
human rights, those guidelines should recognize as refugees women whose
claim to refugee status is based upon well-founded fear of persecution for
reasons enumerated in the 1951 Convention and 1967 Protocol, including
persecution through sexual violence or other gender-related persecution;
(h) Condemns all forms of ethnic violence and intolerance, which are
among the major causes of forced displacements as well as an impediment to
durable solutions to refugee problems, and appeals to States to combat
intolerance, racism and xenophobia and to foster empathy and understanding
through public statements, appropriate legislation and social policies,
especially with regard to the special situation of refugees and asylum-
seekers;
(i) Recognizes that for States to fulfil their humanitarian
responsibilities in receiving refugees, reintegrating returning refugees
and addressing some of the causes of refugee movements, an effective human
rights regime is essential, including institutions which sustain the rule
of law, justice and accountability, and calls on UNHCR to strengthen its
activities in support of national legal and judicial capacity-building,
where necessary, in cooperation with the United Nations High Commissioner
for Human Rights;
(j) Calls on all States to promote conditions conducive to the return of
refugees and to support their sustainable reintegration by providing
countries of origin with necessary rehabilitation and development
assistance in conjunction, as appropriate, with UNHCR and relevant
development agencies;
(k) Reiterates the right of all persons to return to their country, and
emphasizes the prime responsibility of countries of origin for establishing
conditions which allow voluntary repatriation of refugees in safety and
with dignity, and, in recognition of the obligation of all States to accept
the return of their nationals, calls on all States to facilitate the return
of their nationals who are not refugees;
(l) Emphasizes the need to address problems pertaining to the return of
persons not in need of international protection, and encourages UNHCR to
cooperate with other international organizations in looking into ways in
which the return process can be facilitated, and to inform the Standing
Committee;
(m) Calls upon the High Commissioner to continue to expand and
strengthen the Office's activities with regard to the promotion and
dissemination of refugee law and protection principles with the active
support of States and through increased cooperation with non-governmental
organizations, academic institutions and other relevant organizations;
further calls upon the High Commissioner to explore ways to integrate its
activities in the areas of documentation, research, publications and
electronic dissemination;
(n) Recognizes the role refugee community education can play in national
reconciliation, and encourages UNHCR, in cooperation with other
organizations, to strengthen its efforts in assisting host country
Governments to ensure the access of refugees to education, including the
introduction into such programmes of elements of education for peace and
human rights;
(o) Calls on all States to manifest their international solidarity and
burden-sharing with countries of asylum, in particular those with limited
resources, both politically and in other tangible ways which reinforce
their capacity to maintain generous asylum policies, through cooperation in
conjunction with UNHCR to support the maintenance of agreed standards in
respect of the rights of refugees; reiterates the critical importance of
development and rehabilitation assistance in addressing some of the causes
of refugee situations, as well as their solutions, including voluntary
repatriation when deemed appropriate, and also in the context of the
development of prevention strategies;
(p) Reiterates the continued importance of resettlement as an instrument
of protection and its use as a durable solution to refugee problems in
specific circumstances; welcomes the initiative in commissioning an
evaluation study and the UNHCR-sponsored consultation on resettlement; and
encourages UNHCR to continue the process of dialogue with interested
Governments and non-governmental organizations to strengthen its activities
in this connection, and to provide regular reports to the Executive
Committee;
(q) Reaffirms its Conclusion 48 (XXXVIII), on military or armed attacks
on refugee camps and settlements, adopted at its thirty-eighth session, 5/
and reiterates that, the grant of asylum or refuge being a peaceful and
humanitarian act, refugee camps and settlements must maintain their
exclusively civilian and humanitarian character, and all parties are
obliged to abstain from any activity likely to undermine this; condemns all
acts which pose a threat to the personal security of refugees and asylum-
seekers, and also those which may endanger the safety and stability of
States; calls on States of refuge to take all necessary measures to ensure
that the civilian and humanitarian character of refugee camps and
settlements is maintained and calls on all other States to assist them; and
further calls on States of refuge to take effective measures to prevent the
infiltration of armed elements, to provide effective physical protection to
refugees and asylum-seekers, and to afford UNHCR and other appropriate
organizations prompt and unhindered access to them.
2. Conclusion on the prevention and reduction of statelessness
and the protection of stateless persons
20. The Executive Committee,
Recognizing the right of everyone to a nationality and the right not to
be arbitrarily deprived of one's nationality,
Concerned that statelessness, including the inability to establish one's
nationality, may result in displacement,
Stressing that the prevention and reduction of statelessness and the
protection of stateless persons are important in the prevention of
potential refugee situations,
(a) Acknowledges the responsibilities already entrusted to the High
Commissioner for stateless refugees and with respect to the reduction of
statelessness, and encourages UNHCR to continue its activities on behalf of
stateless persons, as part of its statutory function of providing
international protection and of seeking preventive action, as well as its
responsibility, entrusted to it by the General Assembly, to undertake the
functions foreseen under article 11 of the Convention on the Reduction of
Statelessness; 6/
(b) Calls upon States to adopt nationality legislation with a view to
reducing statelessness, consistent with fundamental principles of
international law, in particular by preventing arbitrary deprivation of
nationality and by eliminating provisions which permit the renunciation of
a nationality without the prior possession or acquisition of another
nationality;
(c) Requests UNHCR actively to promote accession to the 1954 Convention
relating to the Status of Stateless Persons 7/ and the 1961 Convention on
the Reduction of Statelessness, in view of the limited number of States
parties to those instruments, as well as to provide to interested States
technical and advisory services pertaining to the preparation and
implementation of nationality legislation;
(d) Further requests UNHCR actively to promote the prevention and
reduction of statelessness through the dissemination of information, and
the training of staff and government officials; and to enhance cooperation
with other interested organizations;
(e) Invites UNHCR to provide it biennially, beginning at the forty-
seventh session of the Executive Committee, with information on activities
undertaken on behalf of stateless persons, particularly with regard to the
implementation of international instruments and principles relating to
statelessness, and including the magnitude of the problem of statelessness.
B. Decisions on programme, administrative and financial matters
1. General decision on programme, administrative and
financial matters
21. The Executive Committee,
(a) Confirms that the activities proposed under General and Special
Programmes as set out in the overview of UNHCR activities, 1994-1996, 8/
have been found, on review, to be consistent with the Statute of the Office
of the High Commissioner, annexed to General Assembly resolution 428 (V) of
14 December 1950; the High Commissioner's "Good Offices" functions, as
recognized, promoted or requested by the General Assembly, the Security
Council or the Secretary-General; and the relevant provisions of the
financial rules for voluntary funds administered by the High Commissioner
for Refugees; 9/
(b) Requests the High Commissioner, within the resources available, to
respond flexibly and efficiently to the needs currently indicated under
1996 General and Special Programmes which are tentatively estimated at $1.1
billion, and to any other new needs that might arise, bearing in mind the
Statute of the Office, the priority to be accorded to statutory activities
and the relevant provisions of the financial rules for voluntary funds;
(c) Approves the revised 1995 General Programmes budget amounting to
$428,732,500, 10/ and notes that the present estimates for 1995 General and
Special Programmes amount to some $1.3 billion;
(d) Also approves the country/area programmes, Other Programmes and the
headquarters budgets under the 1996 General Programmes, amounting to
$357,434,900, as well as $25 million for the Emergency Fund, $20 million
for the Voluntary Repatriation Fund and a Programme Reserve of $42,892,100,
10/ representing 12 per cent of programme activities and constituting a
1996 total General Programmes budget of $445,327,000, and authorizes the
High Commissioner, within this approved level, to effect adjustments in
project, country/area programmes, Other Programmes and the headquarters
budgets, as may be required by changes affecting the refugee/returnee
programmes for which they were planned;
(e) Requests UNHCR to allocate the financial and human resources
required for the implementation of the recommendations of the Working Group
on Refugee Women and Children adopted by the Executive Committee at its
forty-fifth session; 11/
(f) Requests the High Commissioner to keep the Executive Committee
regularly informed of developments under both General and Special
Programmes, including the uses made, in accord with their established
criteria, of the Emergency Fund, the General Allocation for Voluntary
Repatriation (henceforth to be known as the Voluntary Repatriation Fund)
and the Programme Reserve, and on progress in implementing UNHCR policies
under General and Special Programmes;
(g) Notes the report of the Board of Auditors to the General Assembly on
the accounts of the voluntary funds administered by the United Nations High
Commissioner for Refugees for the year ended 31 December 1994, 12/ the
report of the Advisory Committee on Administrative and Budgetary Questions
(ACABQ) on UNHCR activities financed by voluntary funds: report for 1994-
1995 and proposed programmes and budget for 1996, 13/ the report of the
High Commissioner on UNHCR's inspection and evaluation activities, 14/ and
requests to be kept regularly informed on the measures taken to address the
recommendations and the observations raised in these various oversight
documents;
(h) Expresses serious concern about the observations of the Board of
Auditors in its report, 12/ especially those on management issues and, in
particular, those relating to continuing problems in regard to the lack of
adequate managerial control by UNHCR of programmes implemented by its
partners, and asks that the matters raised in the report be reviewed in a
systematic fashion by the Standing Committee;
(i) Requests the High Commissioner to initiate a process of informal
technical consultations on the question of overhead costs for non-
governmental implementing partners, particularly headquarters costs, with a
view to having an initial progress review at the time of the first session
of the Standing Committee in 1996, and authorizes the Standing Committee,
if it sees fit, to decide on this issue in the course of its deliberations
during 1996;
(j) Urges Member States and concerned Governments and bodies, in the
light of the extensive needs to be addressed by the Office of the High
Commissioner, to respond generously and in a spirit of international
solidarity and burdensharing, and in a timely manner, to her appeals for
resources;
(k) Notes the intention of the High Commissioner, in her efforts to
improve conditions of service in the most difficult duty stations
(categories D and E), to extend the provisions of the Fund for
International Staff Housing and Basic Amenities as of 1996 to any duty
station within those categories, including capital cities, and approves the
use of Special Programme funds to replenish the Fund for International
Staff Housing and Basic Amenities, to the extent that international staff
benefiting from the provisions of the fund are a charge to a particular
Special Programme;
(l) Approves the transfer of an additional amount of $150,000 from the
1995 Programme Reserve, and an amount up to $1,200,000 from the 1996
Programme Reserve, to the Fund for International Staff Housing and Basic
Amenities;
(m) Approves the creation of the post of Assistant High Commissioner
(Policy, Planning and Operations) at the Assistant Secretary-General level,
to be funded from voluntary funds, and related staffing (Executive
Assistant at the P-4 level and a Secretary at the G-5 level);
(n) Approves the proposal 15/ under which the Office of the High
Commissioner would be allowed, exceptionally, to charge to General
Programmes the expenditure still to be incurred in relation to remaining
tertiary level students, and which cannot be met through the Education
Account.
2. Decision on budget structure and governance
22. The Executive Committee,
Having reviewed the report of the informal consultations on budgetary
questions, 16/ adopted by the Subcommittee on Administrative and Financial
Matters at its inter-sessional meeting on 20 June 1995, decides that:
(a) Any UNHCR budget structure should have as its objectives the
following:
(i) Transparency, accountability and managerial control;
(ii)The necessary flexibility to address emergency situations and
unexpected changes to programmes;
(iii)Assured funding of statutory activities;
(b) Further streamlining of UNHCR's budget structure should be
undertaken bearing in mind the objectives set out in Conclusion 1, so that
in a single, coherent budget structure there is a clear indication of
overall needs, as well as of needs at the country level, and for Other
Programmes and headquarters;
(c) The criteria for the inclusion of activities under General
Programmes is that they qualify as statutory; in addition, they should be
activities related to situations which have stabilized;
(d) The group of stabilized, statutory activities which constitute the
General Programmes shall be a funding priority. A commitment to their full
funding would be facilitated by a process of dialogue in which the High
Commissioner explains the rationale used for the inclusion of the various
activities within the Annual Programme component of the General Programmes;
(e) If, for a given year, all stabilized, statutory activities were not
able, in the High Commissioner's judgement, to be included under General
Programmes, the first priority for inclusion should be refugee situations
which have stabilized; in giving effect to this decision, the High
Commissioner shall, inter alia, bear in mind the relative chances of
funding for different activities, depending on the programme category in
which they would be placed. The High Commissioner would report to the
Executive Committee the considerations which determined a particular course
of action;
(f) The Executive Committee should keep under review the criteria
governing the Emergency Fund, the Programme Reserve, and the Voluntary
Repatriation Fund to ensure that those contribute to the flexibility of the
Office's operations; their levels should also be regularly reviewed;
(g) In recognition of the statutory nature of activities on behalf of
refugees and, therefore, their potential for inclusion under General
Programmes, the Programme Reserve may be used for refugee situations being
funded, for various reasons, under Special Programmes. Such a use of the
Programme Reserve, would, nevertheless, be limited; it may be used to
complement Special Programme funding for refugee situations, provided that
the total of all such allocations does not exceed one third of the
Programme Reserve in a given year;
(h) In recognition of the importance of voluntary repatriation, and to
support repatriation activities which could not be included, for various
reasons, under General Programmes, the use of the Voluntary Repatriation
Fund should be enhanced by its extension to voluntary repatriation
operations for refugees included under Special Programmes; it is proposed
that, in a given year, an allocation of up to $10 million could be made for
any such voluntary repatriation operation;
(i) The proposed expanded use of the Programme Reserve and the Voluntary
Repatriation Fund could require that their levels be raised. It is
proposed that, as of 1997:
(i)The Programme Reserve be constituted between 10 and 15 per cent of
programmed activities under the Annual Programme for a given year;
(ii)The level of the Voluntary Repatriation Fund for a given year be
set between $20 million and 10 per cent of the budgetary estimates for
voluntary repatriation for the previous year;
(iii)Within the limits set out above, the High Commissioner would
propose the actual levels of the Programme Reserve and the Voluntary
Repatriation Fund for approval by the Executive Committee, bearing in mind
that the overall level of the proposed General Programmes target should be
such as to justify a reasonable expectation of its full funding;
(j) With a view to maximizing the use of the Programme Reserve and the
Voluntary Repatriation Fund in any given year, any allocations made from
them could be cancelled if sufficient contributions were later received for
the relevant activities;
(k) It is proposed to extend the use of the Working Capital and
Guarantee Fund to guarantee budgetary increases in the headquarters
component of General Programmes, not exceeding 2 per cent of the approved
General Programmes total target, that may result from increased
headquarters costs directly due to exchange-rate fluctuations. The
Executive Committee would thus allow the General Programmes approved
budgetary target to rise by up to 2 per cent, if this was necessary to
accommodate such increased costs. The adjustment of the General Programmes
budget target in accord with the above provisions, and related accounting
adjustments, would take place at the end of a calendar year. If such a use
had to be made of the Working Capital and Guarantee Fund, it would be
replenished in the subsequent year in accordance with the provisions of the
Financial Rules;
(l) In addition to the broad review of General and Special Programmes
at the time of the Executive Committee, inter-sessional meetings shall
consider updates on programme needs and funding; at inter-sessional
meetings, there shall also be a review of all country programmes (General
and Special) in a particular region or regions (e.g. Asia/South-West Asia,
North Africa and the Middle East; Europe/Americas; Africa), and of any
Special Programmes covering a number of countries in the region(s);
(m) The regular, systematic review of UNHCR programmes at the country
level by the Executive Committee at inter-sessional meetings shall be based
on agreed documentation (see below), and will include presentations by the
senior staff of the Bureau concerned;
(n) The uses made of the Emergency Fund, the Programme Reserve and the
Voluntary Repatriation Fund shall be reviewed by the Executive Committee at
its annual and inter-sessional meetings at the time of each of the
programme reviews mentioned in (m) above, to ensure that their use is in
accord with the governing criteria;
(o) The wording of the decision related to General and Special
Programmes needs and resources adopted at the annual (or any other) session
of the Executive Committee shall better reflect the enhanced governance
exercised by the Executive Committee over those Programmes;
(p) Within the broad framework of oversight of the work of UNHCR, the
Executive Committee, in the course of its annual session and at inter-
sessional meetings, shall consider, according to an agreed timetable, the
various reports on audits, programmes and evaluations and on the work of
the UNHCR inspection and evaluation service, as well as UNHCR's response to
those reports;
(q) Programme documentation should be so presented that the focus is
principally on countries/areas with a clear picture of programmes at the
country level;
(r) Programme documentation (covering both General and Special
Programmes) for given countries/areas should be concise (not exceeding six
pages) and should be primarily focused on and offering justification for
programmes in a planning year; the current and prior years' activities
shall be addressed only to explain any significant variations from
estimates and planned activities. Special Programmes covering more than
one country will also be presented separately, with corresponding
consolidated tables showing estimates and expenditure;
(s) The presentation of the annual accounts should be improved; in
particular, the number of Special Programmes accounted for individually in
the annex to financial statement 2, which sets out income and expenditure
for Special Programmes, shall be expanded to include the most important of
those which are currently reported under "Other Trust Funds"; to the extent
possible, "Other Trust Funds" should be identified by region;
(t) Among the steps to be taken to further enhance UNHCR's budgetary
structure and related matters, study and informal consultations will be
undertaken in relation to the following:
(i)The further adaptation and improvement of the budget structure, as
provided for in (b) above;
(ii)The categories/sectors for reporting on UNHCR's activities,
including the possibility of quantifying aspects of UNHCR's protection
activities;
(iii)The presentation of budgets and reporting on programme activities,
bearing in mind the need for conciseness and clarity, and the observations
of the ACABQ in this regard;
(iv)Review of UNHCR's current computer systems and databases and action
to ensure that they are adapted to UNHCR's budgeting and reporting needs;
(v)Ways to ensure better linkages between the presentation of UNHCR's
budgets in the United Nations biennium budget in support of the medium-term
plan and the current UNHCR annual budgets presented to the Executive
Committee;
(vi)Ways to ensure a better funding base for UNHCR activities;
(vii)Review of UNHCR's Financial Rules, including the provisions
governing General and Special Programmes.
C. Decision on the strengthening of the coordination of
emergency humanitarian assistance
23. The Executive Committee
(a) Welcomes resolution 1995/56, adopted by the Economic and Social
Council at its 1995 substantive session, on the strengthening of the
coordination of emergency humanitarian assistance;
(b) Decides that the first inter-sessional meeting of the Standing
Committee in 1996 should give specific consideration to the resolution and
its significance for the work of UNHCR;
(c) Requests the High Commissioner to submit to that Standing Committee
meeting a proposal as to how the various aspects of the resolution relevant
to the work of UNHCR might most effectively be reviewed in the course of
the inter-sessional meetings in 1996;
(d) Calls on UNHCR to pursue in the inter-agency Standing Committee the
issues raised in the resolution;
(e) Urges Governments to ensure that the relevant issues are given
priority consideration in the governing bodies of the other agencies
concerned.
D. Conclusion on refugee women
24. The Executive Committee,
Having considered the report on refugee women: the achievements and the
challenges, 17/ presented to the thirty-fifth meeting of the Subcommittee
on Administrative and Financial Matters,
(a) Commends the Office of the High Commissioner for its role in
ensuring a comprehensive presentation of the situation of refugee women in
the Beijing Platform for Action;
(b) Notes the guidelines on preventing and responding to sexual violence
against refugees;
(c) Reaffirms previous conclusions dealing with the protection of and
assistance to refugee women, and in particular the recommendations of the
Working Group; 18/
(d) Notes with concern that field implementation of the policy and
guidelines continues to be unsystematic;
(e) Requests the High Commissioner to prepare a framework for
implementation of the Beijing Platform for Action which will form the basis
of future UNHCR planning on refugee women's issues as well as reports to
the Executive Committee and the Commission on the Status of Women;
(f) Calls on the High Commissioner to report to the Executive Committee
at its forty-seventh session on the delivery of the implementation
framework, with particular emphasis on field implementation of the policy
and guidelines and on UNHCR implementation of the recommendations of the
Working Group referred to above.
E. Conclusion on refugees and the environment
25. The Executive Committee,
Noting with appreciation the progress report on the guidelines on
refugees and the environment, 19/ presented to the thirty-fifth meeting of
the Subcommittee on Administrative and Financial Matters,
(a) Approves the reformulated environmental policy and notes the
proposed operational outcomes which will enable UNHCR to make a more
focused contribution to resolving refugee-related environmental problems;
(b) Requests the High Commissioner to revise the interim guidelines to
give effect to the reformulated policy;
(c) Also requests the High Commissioner to promote and enhance
coordination and collaboration with host Governments, donors, relevant
United Nations organizations, intergovernmental organizations, non-
governmental organizations and other actors concerned to address refugee-
related environmental problems in a more integrated and effective manner;
(d) Calls on the High Commissioner to keep the Executive Committee
informed through its Standing Committee on the implementation of this
policy, in particular of the financial implications and of environmental
actions initiated in the field, and to present a progress report on the
results achieved to the Executive Committee at its forty-eighth session.
F. Conclusion on the UNHCR-NGO Partnership in Action process
26. The Executive Committee,
Recalling the conclusion on the Partnership in Action (PARINAC) process
adopted by the Executive Committee at its forty-fifth session, 20/
Noting with appreciation the report on PARINAC 21/ presented to the
thirty-fourth meeting of the Subcommittee on Administrative and Financial
Matters,
(a) Reaffirms the importance of the Oslo Declaration and Plan of Action,
adopted at the Global Conference in June 1994, as a joint agenda for
humanitarian action;
(b) Welcomes the establishment of UNHCR and non-governmental
organization focal points to facilitate communication and coordination;
(c) Encourages UNHCR and non-governmental organizations to continue to
pursue activities in the field and at Headquarters, to enhance their
partnership in protection and assistance;
(d) Encourages non-governmental organizations, Governments and UNHCR to
continue to identify areas in the Plan of Action in which they can
cooperate further to implement particular recommendations;
(e) Requests the High Commissioner to report to the Executive Committee
at its forty-seventh session on the progress made on the follow-up to the
PARINAC process.
G. Regional conclusions
1. Conclusion on the situation of refugees, returnees and
displaced persons in Africa
27. The Executive Committee,
Having considered the situation of refugees, returnees and displaced
persons in Africa,
(a) Recalls the conclusion of the Executive Committee at its forty-fifth
session on the situation of refugees, returnees and displaced persons in
Africa 22/ and acknowledges with appreciation the statement of the
SecretaryGeneral of the Organization of African Unity (OAU) at the opening
of the forty-sixth session of the Executive Committee;
(b) Notes with concern the effects of political instability, internal
strife, human rights violations, foreign interventions and poverty in
increasing the number of refugees and displaced persons in some areas of
Africa;
(c) Expresses its appreciation and strong support for those African
Governments and local populations which, in spite of general deterioration
of socio-economic conditions and overstretched national resources, continue
to accept the additional burdens imposed by increasing numbers of refugees
and displaced persons, in compliance with relevant asylum principles;
(d) Expresses its concern regarding instances in some parts of Africa
where the fundamental principle of asylum is jeopardized as a result of
unlawful expulsion, refoulement or other threats to life, physical
security, dignity and well-being;
(e) Welcomes the strengthening of UNHCR cooperation with the OAU at all
levels, and urges the two organizations, with relevant subregional bodies,
United Nations agencies, non-governmental organizations, the international
community and the concerned Governments, to increase their efforts in
working out strategies and implementation of solutions to the root causes
of the problems of displacement in Africa;
(f) Further recalls General Assembly resolution 49/7 of 25 October 1994,
which called for the convening of a regional conference for assistance to
refugees, returnees and displaced persons in the Great Lakes region,
welcomes the initiatives of the High Commissioner to implement that
resolution, and endorses the Bujumbura Plan of Action adopted in February
1995, as a framework for solution-oriented approaches to the humanitarian
problems in the Great Lakes region;
(g) Calls on UNHCR to intensify its protection activities by, inter
alia, supporting African Governments through appropriate training of
relevant officers and other capacity-building activities, disseminating
information about refugee instruments and principles, and providing
financial, technical and advisory services to accelerate the
enactment/amendment and implementation of legislation relating to refugees;
(h) Expresses appreciation for the efforts of Governments and for the
important work being done by UNHCR, United Nations agencies, the IOM, non-
governmental organizations and other cooperating bodies on the
implementation of voluntary repatriation of refugees in Africa; and calls
on UNHCR, in conjunction with OAU and concerned Governments, subregional
groupings and other interested parties, actively to continue to seek
sustainable solutions to the refugee problem in Africa, in particular
through facilitating voluntary return in a dignified and orderly manner;
(i) Encourages UNHCR to continue to cooperate with the Office of the
High Commissioner for Human Rights in the promotion and protection of human
rights and fundamental freedoms in emergency humanitarian situations in
Africa;
(j) Appeals to Governments, United Nations agencies, non-governmental
organizations and the international community to create conditions that
facilitate return and the early rehabilitation and reintegration of
refugees;
(k) Commends the Governments of the Great Lakes region and the High
Commissioner for Refugees on their initiatives to promote repatriation in
the framework of tripartite agreements on voluntary repatriation of
refugees in the region;
(l) Calls on UNHCR, in conjunction with host Governments, United Nations
agencies, non-governmental organizations and the international community,
to undertake early assessment of negative impacts of large refugee
concentrations on the hosting communities with a view to initiating timely
and concrete measures to prevent damage and to assist in its repair,
especially damage to the environment and ecosystems in host countries
caused by mass refugee influxes;
(m) Notes with satisfaction the voluntary return of some 1.7 million
Mozambicans to their homeland following near completion of UNHCR's three-
year repatriation and reintegration operations, and looks forward to other
programmes to assist the voluntary repatriation of other refugees in
Africa;
(n) Expresses concern over the long stay of refugees in certain African
countries and calls upon the High Commissioner to keep under review her
programmes in those countries, taking into account the increasing
requirements in that region.
2. Conclusion on the Comprehensive Plan of Action
for Indo-Chinese Refugees
28. The Executive Committee,
Reaffirming the decisions of the fifth and sixth meetings of the Steering
Committee of the International Conference on Indo-Chinese Refugees,
particularly concerning the target dates for the end of activities of the
Comprehensive Plan of Action for Indo-Chinese Refugees (CPA),
Expressing grave concern at the decline in voluntary repatriation of
Indo-Chinese camp populations in 1995 and the large number of remaining
Indo-Chinese in camps in the region,
(a) Calls on UNHCR to convene in the region a meeting among members of
the Steering Committee at the earliest appropriate time, preferably by the
end of December 1995, in order to assess the current situation and to
consider necessary measures and durable solutions to ensure successful
conclusion of the CPA;
(b) Strongly appeals to the international community to provide necessary
support for the repatriation of Indo-Chinese camp populations under both
voluntary repatriation and orderly return programmes, as well as
developmental assistance to the countries of origin necessary for
reintegration of all returnees;
(c) Notes with appreciation that the countries of origin continue to
facilitate the work of UNHCR and other appropriate intergovernmental and
non-governmental organizations engaged in providing assistance to
returnees, and calls on those countries to continue to ensure reasonable
access to returnees by such intergovernmental and non-governmental
organizations;
(d) Supports UNHCR in its active role in the promotion of repatriation
programmes and in its continued monitoring of the safety of all returnees,
consistent with the decisions of the fifth and sixth Steering Committee
meetings;
(e) Requests all parties concerned to continue to cooperate fully in the
implementation of the relevant memoranda of understanding and agreements
relating to the repatriation of Indo-Chinese camp populations.
3. Conclusion on voluntary repatriation to Afghanistan
29. The Executive Committee,
Recalling the conclusion on voluntary repatriation to Afghanistan adopted
by the Executive Committee at its forty-fifth session, 23/
(a) Recognizes the grave burden imposed on Pakistan and the Islamic
Republic of Iran by the continuing presence of large numbers of Afghan
refugees, especially with the decline in the level of support extended by
the international community, and calls for continued international support
for the Afghan refugees in Pakistan and the Islamic Republic of Iran and
for their early repatriation to their homes in safety and dignity;
(b) Notes with satisfaction the increase in UNHCR activities in the safe
areas of Afghanistan that refugees are returning to and the importance of
those activities in creating conditions conducive to the continued return
of refugees;
(c) Calls upon the international community to support a comprehensive
approach to the return of the Afghan refugees and the rehabilitation of
affected areas;
(d) Urges the international community and the Governments of the region
to increase their support for the efforts of the United Nations Special
Mission for Afghanistan and the OIC aimed at working out a political
solution to the Afghan crisis, thus allowing for the return of the Afghan
refugees and displaced persons to their homes in safety and dignity;
(e) Calls upon the international community to continue its generous
support for the humanitarian programmes in Afghanistan outlined in the
consolidated inter-agency appeal for emergency humanitarian and
rehabilitation assistance to Afghanistan (1 October 1995-30 September
1996);
(f) Calls upon the High Commissioner to maintain the activities of her
Office in Afghanistan and its neighbouring countries still hosting a large
number of refugees and to continue the collaboration of her Office with the
Governments concerned, other international humanitarian agencies and non-
governmental organizations for the provision of assistance to refugee areas
in keeping with needs in those countries until such time as the refugees
are able to return to their homes in safety and dignity;
(g) Requests the High Commissioner to work closely with the Afghan
authorities so as to ensure that the basic rights of the returnees and
displaced persons are respected and that appropriate measures aimed at
redressing possible violations are carried out;
(h) Calls upon the High Commissioner to extend the activities of her
Office in Afghanistan to other areas of potential return, working in close
cooperation with the United Nations agencies through collaborative ventures
which will maximize benefits to communities receiving returnees;
(i) Urges the High Commissioner to continue to play a supportive and
catalytic role to mobilize the involvement of international and
multilateral organizations as part of the rehabilitation strategy to
sustain repatriation.
4. Conclusion on the CIS Conference Process
30. The Executive Committee,
Recalling General Assembly resolution 49/173 of 23 December 1994,
Reiterating its support for the High Commissioner's consultations, which
should lead to a regional conference to promote and develop a comprehensive
strategy to address problems of refugees, returnees, displaced persons and
other forms of involuntary displacement in the Commonwealth of Independent
States (CIS) and other relevant neighbouring States,
(a) Notes with appreciation the information note on the CIS Conference
Process presented to the forty-sixth session of the Executive Committee 24/
and the progress achieved so far through the preparatory process in which
the scope and objectives of the Conference and definitions, as well as
causes and effects of population movements in the region, have been
discussed in the first meeting of experts, the steering group and various
subregional meetings;
(b) Supports the preparatory process, to be continued in transparency,
leading to the elaboration of a declaration of principles and a programme
of action for submission to the regional conference to be convened in 1996;
(c) Welcomes the establishment of a common secretariat for the
preparation of the conference comprising UNHCR, the IOM and the
Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) and its Office
for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights;
(d) Calls on all States concerned and relevant intergovernmental
organizations to participate actively in the preparatory process;
(e) Urges Governments which have not yet done so to contribute to the
secretariat in order to assist it properly to support the conference
process;
(f) Welcomes consultations launched by the conference secretariat with
non-governmental organizations and independent actors, and encourages their
participation in the consultative process and its follow-up;
(g) Requests the High Commissioner to report to the Executive Committee
at its forty-seventh session on the outcome and follow-up of the
conference.
5. Conclusion on humanitarian issues in the territory
of the former Yugoslavia
31. The Executive Committee
(a) Expresses its utmost concern for the fate of refugees and displaced
and missing persons within and from the territory of the former Yugoslavia;
(b) Emphasizes the importance of continued international protection and
the ongoing need for humanitarian assistance;
(c) Welcomes the ongoing peace efforts and notes with satisfaction that
fundamental humanitarian and human rights principles are to be included in
the comprehensive peace agreements as indispensable elements to achieve a
lasting peace;
(d) Recalls UNHCR's mandated role in the protection of and assistance
to returnees, and supports the retention by UNHCR of its lead United
Nations humanitarian agency role in the post-settlement period;
(e) Recognizes that voluntary repatriation, when it is feasible, is the
ideal solution to the refugee problem, and calls upon Governments of the
countries of origin to create conditions for and to ensure the organized
return of refugees and displaced persons in safety and dignity in a phased
and coordinated manner, in cooperation with and with the assistance of
UNHCR, the host countries and the international community as a whole;
(f) Reiterates the urgent appeals by the international community to
grant relevant organizations immediate access to all detained persons and
to provide full information on the fate of those unaccounted for;
(g) Calls upon the international donor community to continue to
contribute generously to the ongoing humanitarian efforts, as well as those
humanitarian and rehabilitation programmes to be undertaken within the
framework of a possible peace settlement.
H. Decisions on Executive Committee working methods
1. Decision on Executive Committee working methods
32. The Executive Committee,
Recalling decisions taken at its special meeting held on 20 June 1995,
25/ and noting the report of the Working Group on Executive Committee
Working Methods 26/ and the recommendations of the Subcommittee on
Administrative and Financial Matters thereon, 27/ decides that:
(a) The Committee will reconstitute its annual cycle of meetings to
comprise one annual plenary session and a number of inter-sessional
meetings of a Standing Committee of the Whole. This Standing Committee
will replace the current Subcommittee of the Whole on International
Protection, the Subcommittee on Administrative and Financial Matters, and
the informal meetings of the Executive Committee;
(b) The work of the Standing Committee will be structured in such a way
as to facilitate discussion of protection, programme and financial issues,
as well as complex questions that cut across those categories;
(c) The Standing Committee will meet about four times a year, with the
exact number of meetings to be determined by the requirements of good
governance;
(d) The penultimate annual meeting of the Standing Committee will focus
on questions of international protection and their programme implications;
(e) A meeting of the Standing Committee will take place at least three
weeks prior to the annual plenary in order to focus on the preparation of
the draft decisions and conclusions which will be presented to the plenary
for adoption, following further consultations, in the framework of the
Standing Committee's report, the Note on International Protection and other
relevant documentation;
(f) The annual plenary session of the Executive Committee will be held
in mid-October so as to facilitate the preparation of draft plenary
decisions and conclusions by the Standing Committee;
(g) The agenda of the annual plenary session of the Executive Committee
will be reformed to ensure more focused policy discussion, clear linkage
with the work of the Standing Committee and more effective decision-making;
(h) The general debate will be discontinued and be replaced by a debate
on a focused annual theme to be selected in consultation with the High
Commissioner and the Standing Committee at a meeting held at least three
months before the annual plenary session;
(i) The discontinuation of the general debate should not hinder
Governments from bringing pressing refugee concerns in their own countries
to the attention of the Executive Committee, and such statements will be
accommodated on a flexible basis, within the agenda item most appropriate;
(j) Special consideration will be given to Ministers or other government
officials of similar rank, who will, upon request, be accorded the
opportunity to make a statement on their concerns at an early stage of the
meeting;
(k) The Executive Committee, at its annual plenary session, will
formally identify issues to be covered in the work programme of the
Standing Committee and review the Standing Committee's work at its
following session;
(l) The Standing Committee will be authorized to add items, as
appropriate, to its agenda, in addition to those referred to it by the
plenary;
(m) Executive Committee members will meet at an early date after the
annual plenary session to establish the calendar of Standing Committee
meetings;
(n) The reformed agenda of the annual plenary will be structured as
follows:
(i)Opening of the session;
(ii) Election of officers;
(iii) Adoption of the agenda and other organizational matters;
(iv) Annual theme;
(v)Reports on the work of the Standing Committee on international
protection and programme, administrative and financial matters;
(vi) Consideration and adoption of programme budgets;
(vii) Reports relating to programme oversight;
(viii)Matters for consideration by the inter-sessional meetings of the
Standing Committee;
(ix) Any other business;
(x) Adoption of report;
(o) The annual session of the Executive Committee will be contained
within the current time-frame of one week;
(p) A ten-minute time-limit will be strictly applied to statements made
under the debate on the annual theme and a five-minute limit to
interventions made under other items of the agenda;
(q) The annual plenary session will adopt the general decision on
programme, administrative and financial matters, the general conclusion on
international protection and the programme of work of the Standing
Committee;
(r) The Executive Committee will delegate to the Standing Committee
authority to adopt decisions and conclusions on matters included in its
annual programme of work;
(s) Such delegation will include the authority to approve adjustments of
up to 10 per cent to the General Programmes budget; where adjustments in
excess of 10 per cent are recommended by the Standing Committee, a special
meeting of the Executive Committee will be called in accordance with rule 1
of the Rules of Procedure; 28/
(t) All decisions and conclusions adopted by the Standing Committee will
be reported to the plenary and included in its annual report to the General
Assembly;
(u) The Standing Committee will prepare, on the basis of its own
discussions, draft decisions and conclusions scheduled for adoption at the
annual plenary session;
(v) Drafts of decisions and conclusions, including those introduced by
member Governments, must be made available by the secretariat sufficiently
in advance of any Standing Committee meeting for consultation to take place
with capitals;
(w) A central role will be played by the Executive Committee's
Rapporteur in the preparation of decisions and conclusions for adoption by
the Executive Committee or its Standing Committee;
(x) The Rapporteur will need to maintain a flexible consultative
arrangement to ensure consensus on decisions and conclusions;
(y) The number of decisions and conclusions will be streamlined and
limited to items which have been the subject of focused debate in either
the plenary or the Standing Committee;
(z) In the interest of brevity, the number of preambular paragraphs to
decisions and conclusions of the Executive Committee and Standing Committee
will be reduced to the greatest possible extent;
(aa) In order to facilitate effective decision-making, all documentation
prepared for Standing Committee meetings must be available to delegations
at least three weeks prior to any meeting;
(bb) Consideration of any agenda item on which a Standing Committee
decision or conclusion is required will be postponed to a later meeting in
cases where documentation is not made available at least three weeks before
the Standing Committee meeting at which it is scheduled for consideration;
(cc) Where exceptional circumstances justify the late issue of any
document, the above requirements may be waived by the Chairman of the
Standing Committee;
(dd) A clear distinction will be introduced between information papers
and those requiring substantive discussion and endorsement by the Executive
Committee or the Standing Committee;
(ee) Where a decision or conclusion of the Executive Committee or
Standing Committee is sought, each document will conclude with a proposed
text for adoption by the Committee;
(ff) Executive Committee and Standing Committee documents will be limited
in principle to six single-spaced pages, including the text of any
accompanying decision or conclusion;
(gg) Any policy documents which exceed the six-page limit will be
accompanied by a one-page executive summary to facilitate the work of
delegations;
(hh) The six-page limit for Executive Committee and Standing Committee
documents will also be applied to country chapters;
(ii) All policy documents and other documentation of general interest
submitted to the annual plenary session of the Executive Committee will
continue to be issued in the official languages;
(jj) In order to ensure that delegations receive in a timely fashion the
translated versions of those documents to which they themselves accord
priority, as well as to reduce costs, country chapters relating to UNHCR's
programme budgets will be issued automatically only in the working
languages of the Executive Committee, while individual chapters will be
made available in other official languages upon selective request by any
member delegation;
(kk) The above decisions for the reform of the Executive Committee's
working methods will be implemented and their full implications thoroughly
drawn before consideration is given to increased participation by observers
in the work of the plenary or Standing Committee;
(ll) The above decisions will be implemented on an experimental basis for
one annual cycle of meetings, and their application will be reviewed at the
end of the forty-seventh session in October 1996.
2. Decision on the introduction of Russian as an
official language of the Executive Committee
33. The Executive Committee,
Having considered the High Commissioner's note on the introduction of
Russian as an official language of the Executive Committee, 29/
(a) Welcomes the election of the Russian Federation as a member of the
Executive Committee;
(b) Emphasizes the importance of Russian in facilitating the work of
UNHCR and implementation of the provisions of the 1951 Convention relating
to the Status of Refugees, notably in the Commonwealth of Independent
States;
(c) Decides, subject to budgetary approval by the General Assembly, to
introduce Russian as an official language of the Executive Committee;
(d) Also decides to forward the matter to the General Assembly for
budgetary approval.
3. Decision on the programme of work of the
Standing Committee in 1996
34. The Executive Committee,
Having reviewed the issues before it at its forty-sixth session,
including the report of the Subcommittee of the Whole on International
Protection 30/ and of the Subcommittee on Administrative and Financial
Matters, 31/ and bearing in mind the report of the Working Group on
Executive Committee Working Methods, 32/
(a) Decides to include the following issues in the programme of work of
its Standing Committee in 1996, and requests that UNHCR include in its
documentation on each item the relevant audit and ACABQ recommendations, as
well as steps taken to implement those recommendations and related
Executive Committee decisions and conclusions:
(i) International protection:
a. Note on international protection;
b. Follow-up to the conclusions on international protection;
c. The return of persons not in need of international protection;
(ii) Programmes and funding matters:
a. Updates on programmes, funding and results, to include:
-Region by region reviews of General and Special Programmes;
-Reviews of the use of the emergency fund, programme reserve and the
voluntary repatriation fund;
b.Implementation and results of UNHCR policies under General and
Special Programmes;
c.Follow-up to the conclusions of the informal consultations on budget
structure;
(iii) Coordination questions:
a.Economic and Social Council resolution 1995/56 on the strengthening
of the coordination of emergency humanitarian assistance;
(iv) Management, financial and human resources matters:
a. Implementing partners:
- Managerial control and monitoring;
-Overhead costs, including headquarters costs of non-governmental
organizations;
b.Reports relating to oversight and evaluation;
c. Human resources policies;
d.Administrative matters, including headquarters structure and staffing
levels;
e.Other resource management, including capital and information
management;
(v) Work of the Executive Committee:
a.Selection of the annual theme to be considered at the fortyseventh
session of the Executive Committee;
b.Authorizes the Standing Committee to add items, as appropriate, to
its inter-sessional programme of work;
c.Calls on the Standing Committee to report on its work to the forty-
seventh session of the Executive Committee.
I. Government observer participation in 1995-1996
35. The Executive Committee considered and approved applications by the
following Government observer delegations for participation in inter-
sessional meetings of the Executive Committee from October 1995 to October
1996:
Afghanistan, Angola, Bulgaria, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Croatia, Cuba,
Cyprus, Czech Republic, Egypt, Equatorial Guinea, Ghana, Honduras, Iceland,
Iraq, Ireland, Jordan, Kenya, Mauritania, Mexico, Myanmar, Nepal, New
Zealand, Panama, Poland, Portugal, Republic of Korea, Saudi Arabia,
Senegal, Sierra Leone, Slovakia, South Africa, Sri Lanka, Swaziland, Syrian
Arab Republic, Ukraine, Uruguay, Viet Nam, Yemen, Zimbabwe.
IV. PROVISIONAL AGENDA OF THE FORTY-SEVENTH SESSION
36. The provisional agenda of the forty-seventh session of the Executive
Committee is contained in subparagraph 32 (n) above.
Notes
1/ United Nations, Treaty Series, vol. 189, No. 2545.
2/ Ibid., vol. 606, No. 8791.
3/ See Official Records of the General Assembly, Forty-fourth Session,
Supplement No. 12A (A/44/12/Add.1), para. 24.
4/ Ibid., Forty-fifth Session, Supplement No. 12A (A/45/12/Add.1), para.
19.
5/ Ibid., Forty-second Session, Supplement No. 12A (A/42/12/Add.1),
para. 206.
6/ See United Nations, Treaty Series, vol. 989, p. 175.
7/ Ibid., vol. 360, p. 117.
8/ A/AC.96/846, parts I-VII.
9/ A/AC.96/503/Rev.5.
10/ See A/AC.96/845, table III.
11/ See Official Records of the General Assembly, Forty-ninth Session,
Supplement No. 12A (A/49/12/Add.1), para. 22.
12/ A/AC.96/853.
13/ A/AC.96/854.
14/ A/AC.96/852 and Add.1.
15/ See EC/1995/SC.2/81.
16/ EC/1995/SC.2/75.
17/ EC/1995/SC.2/77.
18/ EC/1994/SC.2/CRP.23/Rev.1.
19/ EC/1995/SC.2/79.
20/ See Official Records of the General Assembly, Forty-ninth Session,
Supplement No. 12A (A/49/12/Add.1), para. 35.
21/ EC/1995/SC.2/CRP.20.
22/ See Official Records of the General Assembly, Forty-ninth Session,
Supplement No. 12A (A/49/12/Add.1), para. 29.
23/ Ibid., para. 32.
24/ A/AC.96/855 and Corr.1.
25/ A/AC.96/843.
26/ EC/1995/SC.2/76.
27/ EC/1995/SC.2/CRP.30.
28/ A/AC.96/187/Rev.4.
29/ EC/1995/SC.2/80.
30/ A/AC.96/858.
31/ A/AC.96/859.
32/ EC/1995/SC.2/76.
ANNEX
Opening statement by the United Nations High Commissioner for
Refugees to the Executive Committee of the High Commissioner's
Programme at its forty-sixth session
(Monday, 16 October 1995)
I am pleased to welcome you to the forty-sixth session of the Executive
Committee. May I extend a special welcome to the delegations of
Bangladesh, India and the Russian Federation. Their presence here, at
their first regular session of the Executive Committee, symbolizes the
global nature of refugee concerns and the universal support for the mandate
of my Office.
I should like to thank the outgoing Chairman, Mr. Ahmad Kamal of
Pakistan, who, despite the competing claims on his time in New York, has
made a special effort to come to Geneva to open the meeting. Let me
congratulate you, Mr. Chairman, and the new Bureau on your election. As
the representative of a country which has been a strong and constant
supporter of UNHCR, and as a treasured friend of the Office, we look
forward to continue working closely with you.
I would also like to welcome our special guest, Mr. Salim A. Salim,
Secretary-General of the Organization of African Unity (OAU). His presence
here today is testimony to the close cooperation which the OAU and UNHCR
have enjoyed for more than a quarter of a century. It is also indicative
of the importance of Africa to the work of my Office. Africa hosts more
refugees and internally displaced persons than any other continent. Africa
is also the scene of voluntary repatriation today. Of the close to 2
million refugees who returned home in 1994, 1.5 million were in Africa.
Out of 18 planned repatriations in 1996, 9 are foreseen in Africa. I count
on the OAU's conflict-resolution mechanism and its leadership to help
create and maintain the momentum on the voluntary repatriation of refugees.
UNHCR has been confronted with massive emergencies every year since I
became High Commissioner in 1991. In recent weeks, almost half a million
people were displaced by war and violence in the former Yugoslavia. The
urgency of saving lives in the course of the past year has been matched by
the pressures to find solutions and the dilemmas of ensuring protection,
whether in refugee camps or returnee communities, in situations of open
conflict or fragile peace. In a world in which war deliberately targets
civilians and peace fails to bring security, UNHCR's dual mandate of
international protection and solutions has been severely tested this past
year in almost every region.
In the aftermath of the emergency in the Great Lakes region, we sought to
respond to the strong pressure for early return, while continuing to take
care of 2 million refugees and remaining vigilant to new risks of
displacement. In Angola, thanks to the implementation of the political
settlement, we have launched our operation to assist some 311,000 refugees
to return home by mid-1997. In Sudan, we have embarked on voluntary
repatriation to Eritrea and Ethiopia. In West Africa, we have tried to
nurture solutions. In contrast, in South-East Asia, Central America,
Tajikistan and Mozambique, where solutions have taken root successfully, we
have grappled with ways to phase down or move out. In the Middle East, we
have been encouraged by the evolution of peace and remain ready to play our
role in line with our mandate and in cooperation with other organizations.
Elsewhere, the picture has been mixed. In Afghanistan, renewed violence
has set back the flow of repatriation. In former Yugoslavia, peace talks
have offered the first glimmer of hope in months, although I fear that, in
the short term, there could be more displacement as people are forced to
move to accommodate territorial adjustments.
The thrust of these various developments has been to put the issue of
solutions, and more precisely repatriation, even higher on UNHCR's agenda.
One important statistic shows the extent to which we have shifted from a
bias on exile to a focus on the country of origin. Of the 27.4 million
persons of concern to UNHCR today, only about 14.5 million are refugees.
The rest include 4 million returnees, 5.4 million internally displaced
persons and 3.5 million civilians affected by conflict. Almost half of the
persons of concern to UNHCR are thus to be found within their own country.
These statistics also reveal that while the number of refugees has
declined, the numbers and categories of those in need of international
protection and assistance are in fact expanding. They illustrate that the
pursuit of solutions without regard to protection will not take us far and
that international protection is a more complex task than merely assuring
asylum. The two arms of my mandate are fundamentally linked. The objective
of protection must be, not to perpetuate exile, but to encourage solutions.
But if solutions are not approached from the perspective of protection - in
other words, if they fail to protect the basic human rights of the
individuals - then they will be neither effective nor permanent. Extending
from flight, through exile, to return and reintegration, protection
principles provide the overarching framework for the prevention and
solution of refugee problems.
In my statement today I should like to focus on our efforts to develop a
new paradigm of protection oriented towards solutions. How do we seize the
political impulse for solutions while retaining the humanitarian imperative
for protection? What are the prospects and the possibilities which inspire
us, the dilemmas and difficulties which confront us? Externally, what are
the partnerships we must cultivate? Internally, what are the management
priorities and structures we must establish?
Dilemmas of protection
One of the most difficult problems confronting my Office in recent years
has been the decline of asylum, even on a temporary basis. Many countries
are openly admitting their weariness with large numbers of refugees and
blatantly closing borders. Others are more insidiously introducing laws
and procedures which effectively deny admission to their territory. This
year was particularly significant in that developments in the Great Lakes
region demonstrated that even the proverbial African generosity towards
refugees has become strained.
The threat to asylum has taken on a global character, affecting both the
developing and the industrialized world. In major incidents in Africa and
Europe in recent months, borders have been closed to refugees fleeing
danger. Thousands of refugees and displaced persons have found themselves
caught in the midst of conflict and violence. Some have been killed,
others have been brutally attacked and terrorized or forced to return to
danger.
International protection reflects the convergence of humanitarian and
political interests. In many circumstances, asylum is not only the most
powerful tool of protection but also the most pragmatic, especially when
provided on a temporary basis. This is why UNHCR requested Governments to
provide temporary protection to those fleeing the conflict in former
Yugoslavia and has urged them to continue it for the time being. The
possibility of temporary asylum encourages a phased and orderly approach to
repatriation and thereby assures greater stability for peace and progress
in the country of origin. I call upon the members of the Executive
Committee to support our endeavours to ensure respect for the institution
of asylum, at least on a temporary basis, for those fleeing persecution,
conflict and civil strife.
I am fully conscious that the decline of asylum cannot be arrested simply
by appealing to the generosity of States. It must be addressed, on the one
hand, by action to enable countries to receive refugees and, on the other,
by initiatives to find solutions to refugee problems and where possible to
prevent the outbreak of new crises.
Peoples and Governments around the world have shown and continue to show
remarkable hospitality to millions of refugees, despite their own
political, social, economic and environmental constraints. The costs of
hosting large numbers of refugees are not always measurable in dollar
terms. UNHCR's refugee assistance does not redress the collateral impact
of refugees on the host countries. If Governments are to continue to grant
asylum, greater attention must be given by the international community to
addressing the concerns of affected host communities and strengthening
their capacity and willingness to cope with population movements.
One area which has attracted attention in the aftermath of the Rio Summit
has been environmental damage caused by large concentrations of refugee
population. In the light of those concerns, UNHCR is proposing a
reformulation of its environmental policy. The objective is to make the
environmental dimension an integral aspect of our operations.
Nor can we ignore the security implications of large-scale refugee flows.
Indeed, the security dimension of today's refugee problems underscores both
the decline of asylum and the drive towards solutions. In an effort to
assist Governments to meet their international obligation to refugees,
UNHCR strengthened the capacity to maintain law and order in the refugee
camps in the United Republic of Tanzania and eastern Zaire. During my
visit to Kivu in early September, I saw for myself the improved situation,
thanks to the Zairian security personnel deployed with UNHCR's assistance
and the international security advisers seconded to UNHCR by Governments.
Insecurity in refugee camps is not only a matter of law and order but also
one of maintaining the civilian character of the camps, which is a
fundamental principle of international protection. Although the primary
obligation lies with the authorities granting asylum, UNHCR will do
whatever it can within its mandate and in line with its expertise to help
ensure respect for the principle, including seeking the relocation of camps
if necessary.
The challenges of solutions
Increased assistance to host countries alone, however, will not meet the
demands of maintaining asylum. Whether in South-East Asia or Central
Africa, the Caribbean or the Balkans, the universal reality is that
protection abroad cannot be assured without a parallel effort to find
solutions at home. As refugees grow more impatient to return home, as
Governments become more reluctant to grant asylum, and donors find other
calls on their purse, how long can we wait for solutions to materialize?
What are the parameters of UNHCR's mandate to promote solutions? What are
the challenges we face in pursuing them?
In some parts of the world, political events may be turning the tide
away from human suffering to homecoming. In others, it may take longer.
However, in none of these instances is return likely to be under ideal
conditions. In many it will be dogged by political insecurity and economic
uncertainty. Anti-personnel mines are a major obstacle to returns. I am
therefore disappointed the Vienna conference failed to make progress on
this issue.
For UNHCR, the challenge of solutions lies in seizing the opportunities,
while remaining alert to the dangers. It lies in ensuring that protection
principles, not political expediency, guide the pursuit of humanitarian
solutions. Working closely with political and peace-keeping operations,
for instance in Rwanda, Liberia, Bosnia and Herzegovina and the
Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS), we have sought to inject
humanitarian concerns into the political discourse and to reinforce our
capacity to carry out our protection and assistance activities. The
partnership has been fruitful, but obviously the humanitarian and strategic
objectives have not always coincided. The relationship, particularly with
the military, has at times created pressures on our humanitarian mandate.
In some cases, as in Angola and Tajikistan, we have reaped the benefits
of our cooperation. In a few, such as the Caucasus, humanitarian solutions
have become hostage to the lack of progress on parallel political
negotiations, although I believe we are playing a meaningful role in that
subregion by assisting displaced populations. In other regions, for other
reasons, the situation of Bhutanese refugees in Nepal continues to suffer
from a stalemate, while repatriation to Afghanistan has stalled, prolonging
the refugee burden of the Islamic Republic of Iran and Pakistan. We need
to look at fresh strategies to break the impasse.
Ultimately, the challenge of solutions is not only to ensure that the
humanitarian issues are on the political agenda but that those who return
feel secure in their own homes.
New dimensions of protection
Protection needs do not disappear when people repatriate. On the
contrary, they tend to resurface in more complex forms in the country of
origin, as the problem of the internally displaced has shown, whether in
Rwanda or the Russian Federation. This has given a new dimension to our
protection responsibilities and has led us to interpret our mandate for
solutions in a protection-oriented but proactive manner. Just as we no
longer wait for refugees to cross the border but are increasingly involved
with the internally displaced in order to avert outflow, we can no longer
passively wait for conditions to change so that refugees can volunteer to
return. Instead, we must work actively to create the conditions conducive
to their safe return. It is important, therefore, that the protection
debate moves on from interpreting voluntary repatriation solely in terms of
the expression of individual will to the creation of conditions of safety -
in the refugee camps, in the reception centres and in the home areas.
Rwanda shows the dilemmas of this approach, but also the way in which we
have sought to overcome them. It is clear that in the longer term, the
answer in the Great Lakes region lies in a comprehensive political
solution. In the short term, however, I do believe that progress on
humanitarian issues through voluntary and safe return can contribute to the
political process, while easing the humanitarian crisis. It is this
conviction that guided us in organizing the Bujumbura conference jointly
with the OAU last February. The Bujumbura Plan of Action provides a
comprehensive framework for solutions involving countries of asylum and
origin as well as other interested Governments.
Although I was disappointed at the failure to implement the Plan earlier,
I believe that my recent mission, followed by the convening of the
Tripartite Commission in Geneva at the end of September, has helped to
create a momentum in favour of voluntary repatriation. Zaire has made
clear its intention to deal with those who block repatriation. Rwanda for
its part has unequivocally recognized the right of the refugees to return
and expressed its commitment to improve the reception and security of
returnees, including full access for international monitoring. It would
clearly reassure the camp population if the Rwandese Government were to
define the different levels of responsibility in last year's genocide and
examine specific measures in response to lower levels of responsibility. I
was encouraged by the Government's declared intention to proceed along
those lines.
In the former Yugoslavia, assisting the victims has never been an end in
itself for us. Our goal was and remains to help them return safely to
their homes or to find new homes for those for whom return is not feasible.
Last Tuesday at the meeting of the working group on humanitarian issues of
the international conference on Yugoslavia, I reiterated UNHCR's
willingness to promote the organized return of refugees and displaced
persons, in keeping with its role as the United Nations humanitarian lead
agency and in cooperation with our sister organizations. At the same time,
I stressed the importance of including humanitarian issues in the peace
negotiations. People must not be used as pawns to further military and
political interests. All returns must respect internationally accepted
principles. The continued gross violations of human rights, the ethnic
cleansing and the forcible return of refugees and displaced persons
underline the importance of a firm commitment by all parties to human
rights and humanitarian principles, and of international monitoring to
ensure their compliance. In many situations people want to return home but
are afraid to do so. Our negotiations to obtain the guarantees on safety,
our presence in the camps to inform the refugees and in the areas of origin
to reassure them are not only the prerequisites for successful repatriation
but the predominant elements of our mandate for protection and solutions.
International presence in the country of origin is an important
confidencebuilding measure, both for returnees and the internally
displaced. It has been instrumental in persuading the refugees to return
from Bangladesh to Myanmar. I am pleased to report that more than 200,000
refugees have returned home so far. I hope the remaining 50,000 will
repatriate over the course of the coming months, allowing us to phase down
in Bangladesh while maintaining our presence in the areas of origin in
Myanmar until reintegration is completed.
Another example is Tajikistan, where UNHCR's mobile monitoring teams
helped to stabilize the areas of origin and encouraged the vast majority of
the refugees and displaced persons to return home safely. We closed the
operation recently, successfully handing over the human rights aspects to
the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE), and the
rehabilitation issues to UNDP and other development actors.
I welcome the important operational role of United Nations human rights
monitors as part of the collaborative effort to create safe conditions in
countries such as Rwanda, El Salvador and Guatemala. However, the recent
killing of returnees in Guatemala has underscored the difficulties of
ensuring safety in the country of origin. I have noted the prompt action
by the Government to prevent recurrences. Obviously the success of a
proactive solution-oriented approach is directly proportionate to the
political commitment of the Governments concerned.
Reintegration and resources
Viable solutions demand that efforts to safeguard human rights be
paralleled by endeavours to rehabilitate socio-economic conditions. UNHCR
has relied on the model of small, community-based quick impact projects to
spark rehabilitation, in situations as varied as Mozambique and Myanmar,
Sri Lanka and Central America. Just as we have collaborated with political
actors to ensure that humanitarian concerns are injected in the peace
process, we have cooperated with development organizations like UNDP and
financial institutions like the World Bank to incorporate our reintegration
efforts into the larger rehabilitation and development plans. However, as
we try to phase down in Mozambique, the challenge is to ensure that others
have a stake in the reintegration process and will continue when we leave.
To further this goal, we are embarking on a consultative process with the
World Bank to identify concrete strategies for specific countries.
At a time when development assistance is shrinking and humanitarian needs
are expanding, a third window for financing emergency rehabilitation
activities is needed. It would allow donors to channel resources from both
humanitarian and development funds and would allow organizations, whether
humanitarian or development, to utilize them. In this way, both immediate
rehabilitation and longer-term reconstruction needs could be addressed in
the recovery process.
The issue of resources is critical when it comes to post-conflict
rebuilding. It is tragic, therefore, that our programme in Mozambique is
among those most strapped for cash. Nothing is more critical, however,
than the funding shortfall of $50 million for the Burundi and Rwanda
emergency operation, which leaves us with very little flexibility to adapt
either to increased repatriation or potential exodus.
However, I am pleased to report that the overall level of financial
contributions to UNHCR for 1995 has been impressive, totalling $757
million, of which $296 million is for General Programmes. This is roughly
equivalent to the pledges made at this point last year. As UNHCR's total
budget reaches $1.3 billion for the second consecutive year, I am the first
to appreciate the enormousness of the demands we continue to make on our
donors, large and small. I am very grateful for your generosity and
understanding.
Imperative of prevention
The gap between expanding needs and limited resources reinforces the
importance of the search for an effective strategy of prevention. In an
effort to promote a preventive approach to refugee problems, UNHCR has
moved towards greater involvement with the internally displaced,
particularly in the CIS region. Within the framework of an inter-agency
effort and based on a clear division of responsibilities, we successfully
responded to the emergency needs of those displaced from the Chechen
Republic of the Russian Federation this past year. Having boosted the
local response capacity, UNHCR is now gradually phasing down its
activities.
True prevention means strengthening the will and capacity of Governments,
individually and collectively, to pre-empt the reasons which force people
to move. This is the underlying thrust of our efforts in the CIS and the
neighbouring countries, where we have embarked on an ambitious project to
draw up a regional action plan to address past, present and potential
displacement. Further to General Assembly resolution 49/173 of 23 December
1994, UNHCR, together with IOM and the Office for Democratic Institutions
and Human Rights of the OSCE, has organized several subregional meetings in
preparation for the regional conference, hopefully in mid-1996. The
conference will adopt a declaration of principles and a programme of
action. The process is proving to be invaluable in developing a regional
strategy to avert population displacement in a part of the world marked by
ethnic tensions.
The challenge of prevention, as of solution, is ultimately protection.
Early international presence can sometimes have a preventive impact, as was
our experience in Tajikistan. However, if we are to break the pattern of
coerced displacement, the security of States must presuppose the security
of people within those States. A major test for the coming decades, as I
see it, will be to develop a humanitarian perspective of security. While
UNHCR, with its limited mandate and resources, can make a modest
contribution to that process, the primary responsibility for prevention, as
for security, is clearly a political one.
Looking ahead: management strategies
Four years ago, UNHCR launched its strategy of prevention, preparedness
and solutions. Today, the review of our challenges shows the dramatic
transformation in the approach to refugee problems. The second edition of
the "State of the World's Refugees", which comes out next month, highlights
this solution-oriented approach. In taking the new direction, my Office
has enjoyed the full confidence of the Executive Committee, for which I am
grateful.
I have just returned from New York where the United Nations is preparing
to celebrate its fiftieth anniversary. It is a sobering moment as Member
States evaluate the United Nations performance for the past five decades
and reassess their own expectations for the future. Spurred by the
financial crisis, the issue of reform is high on the agenda. The future of
the United Nations will inevitably affect UNHCR. We too must prepare for a
vigorous reappraisal of how we work. If we are to do our job properly, we
too must use our resources more effectively. Consolidating what we have
achieved so far, I believe that for the coming year, we must set the
following four priorities:
First, we must revitalize our protection policies and strategies. They
must both reflect the dimension of solutions and respond to the needs of a
growing range of beneficiaries. We are being compelled often to provide
refuge in the midst of conflict and promote repatriation in the midst of
insecurity. How can protection strategies be reformulated to take account
of these realities? How can we better help States, whether of asylum or
origin, to meet their obligations in the light of these constraints? As a
first step we are setting up an internal working group to look at the
problems in Africa. We hope to undertake a similar exercise also for
Europe. Given the dominance of the domestic agenda in many countries,
mobilizing public opinion as a tool of protection will be an important
element of the strategy.
In refining our approach to protection and solutions, we have not
overlooked resettlement. Let me thank the Governments and non-governmental
organizations for supporting the consultations we have launched and for
their positive response to our resettlement appeal on the former
Yugoslavia.
Secondly, we must rethink the way we plan. The dynamics of
displacement today require a planning approach which is comprehensive and
integrated: comprehensive in covering the sequence of refugee flows from
prevention to emergency response to solutions, and integrated in bringing
together the entire spectrum of issues and actors.
Planning for partnership is vital. Given the multiplicity of
organizations and agencies on the humanitarian scene today, our objective
is to increase the predictability of action for mutual support, and thereby
create a better basis for cooperation and coordination. We have
strengthened our dialogue with the political and peace-keeping arms of the
United Nations. We have cooperated with the Department of Humanitarian
Affairs of the Secretariat, and with the ICRC and IOM in their respective
areas. We have refined the concept of service packages with Governments.
We have further developed our operational agreement with WFP and signed a
memorandum of understanding with UNFPA. I will be signing an agreement
also with UNICEF when I visit New York next month. As for our closest
partners, the non-governmental organizations, we are following up on
PARINAC recommendations at the field level. The increasingly important
role of regional organizations in peacemaking has added a new dimension to
our partnership strategy, as has the growing interest of institutions such
as the World Bank in refugee and returnee issues.
Thirdly, we must reinforce the proper implementation and monitoring of
our policies, guidelines and programmes. This includes our ability to
monitor and control our implementing partners. I see it as an important
priority for the coming year.
One area where the gap between policy and action has constantly drawn the
attention of the Executive Committee is that of refugee women. The Beijing
Conference highlighted the considerable achievements we have made but also
our shortcomings. We are introducing a number of specific measures to
increase action and accountability, including additional resources to the
field and stronger follow-up mechanism at headquarters. Furthermore, I
have decided to reformulate UNHCR's recruitment policies to give priority
to women Professional staff in order to try to reach parity by the year
2000.
Fourthly, we must restructure the way in which we work so as to improve
our delivery, accountability and performance and build a capacity to
contract and expand in response to operational demands.
I have taken a number of steps to achieve this goal, including
strengthening the top management in UNHCR. In an emergency-driven
organization such as ours, innovation can easily lapse into improvisation
in the absence of a policy planning framework. This is why you will recall
last year I decided to appoint a Director for Policy Planning and
Operations. Having assessed the value and the need for the function, I am
requesting the creation of a post of Assistant High Commissioner at the
Assistant Secretary-General level, to which I hope you will accede.
Overseeing the regional bureaux, policy development and external relations
and supported by a revamped research and information capacity drawn from
existing resources, the Assistant High Commissioner will act as the fulcrum
for an integrated approach to policy, planning and operations in UNHCR.
Like so many others, we must also learn to do better and more with less.
I have requested the Deputy High Commissioner to lead a management review
of our priorities, procedures and personnel so that we can ascertain how
best to improve delivery and increase productivity while reducing costs.
Although the ratio of administrative costs between the field and
headquarters has actually declined, our expanding operations world wide
have pushed our budget and our staff to levels at which they cannot be
sustained for long. Growth has a high management price, and I am acutely
conscious of my responsibility to assess those costs and make the cuts. In
the course of the past year, we have taken a number of initiatives to
streamline management, increase delegation to the field and utilize our
resources better. One of the most significant steps we are taking is to
prepare an information and communications systems plan which will take us
into the twenty-first century.
I hope that one important result of all these initiatives will be the
down-sizing of headquarters and the redeployment or reduction of staff in
the field, based on improved forward planning and prioritization. As new
operations open up, we must phase down elsewhere, as we did a few years ago
in Cambodia and more recently in southern Africa. We expect dramatic
reductions in South-East Asia in 1996. The Comprehensive Plan of Action is
in its final phase. However, some transitional arrangements may still be
necessary to ensure the smooth conversion of the operation into a migration
programme.
Obviously the key to productivity and performance lies in a highly
trained, motivated and mobile staff. The reform of UNHCR's human resources
management, particularly the implementation of the career management system
and strengthening of staff training, remains high on my agenda. I should
like to take this opportunity to thank Mr. Dan Conway, the outgoing
Director of the Human Resources Management Division, for his efforts. I
know that, as always, I can count on the commitment, competence and
creativity of UNHCR staff in making the adjustments.
Let me conclude by saying that the fiftieth anniversary of the United
Nations is an opportune moment for UNHCR also to reflect on where it is
going and how it will get there. The United Nations is here to stay but
the very nature of UNHCR's mandate ordains that we must disappear when our
task is done. Yet, every day brings new challenges for us, ranging from
peace in the Balkans to return in Rwanda and retrenchment in Asia. The
imperative for action carries within it an impetus for change. While
retaining the core of our principles and the thrust of our strategy, we
must continuously revitalize the way we think and review the way we work.
Our goal is to be a slimmer, trimmer organization, responsive to emergency
needs, aggressive in the search for solutions and committed to protection.
Our donors expect it, the countries of asylum and origin need it, and the
refugees deserve it. In that process of constant renewal and change, I
know I can count on your support.
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