[ 1980 ] Part 1 Sec 2 Chapter 20 Refugee Questions
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
Refugee questions 931 Development Strategy for the Third United Nations Develop- of the international community tore-examine their own activi- ment Decade, ties on behalf of children with a view to accelerating progress Having in mind the importance of the objectives of social towards the achievement of the goals and objectives of the In- and human development, including the well-being of chil- ternational Development Strategy for the Third United Nations dren, as an integral part of the development process set forth Development Decade and to co-operate fully with the United In the International Development Strategy for the Third Nations Children’s Fund; United Nations Development Decade, 6. Expresses ifs appreciation to all Governments that are Aware that the expanded activities of the United Nations contributing to the United Nations Children’s Fund and ap- Children’s Fund will require increased funds, as established peals, with a sense of urgency, to all Governments, especially by the Executive Board, those that are not contributing at a level commensurate with 1. Commends the policies and activities of the United their capacity, to increase their contributions, if possible on a Nations Children’s Fund; multiyear basis, so that the Fund may reach its income target 2. Endorses Economic and Social Council resolution of $350 million for 1982, as presented in the medium-term 1980/62; work plan approved by the Executive Board of the United 3. Fully appreciates the responsibilities of the United Nations Children’s Fund at its session held from 19 to 30 May Nations Children’s Fund and the broad range of activities on 1980. behalf of children to be undertaken by it In light of the still enor- mous unmet needs of children in the developing countries; Other documents 4. Urges the United Nations Children’s Fund, with the A/35/3/Rev.1. Report of Economic and Social Council for support of its national committees, to respond imaginatively year 1980, Chapter XXIX. and vigorously to its important responsibilities in the follow- A/35/5/Add.2. UNICEF. Financial report and audited finan- up activities of the International Year of the Child, in close co- cial statements for year ended 31 December 1979 and operation with the relevant organizations of the United report of Board of Auditors. Nations system and with the International community E/ICEF/INF/42. Checklist of documents issued in connexion generally; with session of Executive Board of UNICEF, Headquarters, 5. Appeals to Governments and the relevant organizations New York, 19-30 May. Chapter XX Refugee questions The world-wide population of refugees and dis- student refugees from Namibia and South Africa placed persons continued to grow during 1980 living in Botswana, Lesotho, Swaziland and and the question of aid to refugees occupied Zambia (resolution 35/184) (see p. 238). several of the main bodies of the Organization during the year. Activities of the Office of the The number of refugees of concern to the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees Office of the United Nations High Commission- er for Refugees ( UNHCR) again rose, particularly lnternational protection in Africa and Western Asia, where material assis- During the year, the picture with regard to in- tance also increased substantially-largely be- ternational protection- the primary function of cause of growing numbers of refugees in the UNHCR- improved somewhat. There was no large- Horn of Africa and in Pakistan. scale refoulement, the forcible return of asylum- To assist refugees in Africa, the General As- seekers to a territory where there was reason to sembly decided to convene an international con- fear persecution-and States were generally liber- ference at the ministerial level to be held at al in their admission procedures. Geneva in April 1981 (resolution 35/42) and, The number of parties to the 1951 Convention together with the Economic and Social Council, relating to the Status of Refugees, which estab- it adopted resolutions on the needs of refugees lished minimum rights for those who became and/or displaced persons in Djibouti, Ethiopia, refugees before 1 January 1951, rose from 77 to Somalia and the Sudan (resolutions 35/182, 81. The number of parties to the Convention’s 35/183, 35/180 and 35/181). 1967 Protocol, which extended coverage of the The Assembly also took action on refugee and Convention to new groups of refugees, increased displaced women and children (resolutions from 72 to 79. 35/135 and 35/187) and on international co- The High Commissioner continued to encour- operation to avert new flows of refugees (35/l24). age further accessions to these instruments, as Details of these matters can be found in the well as the adoption of national legislation affect- sections below. ing the status of refugees, and his efforts were In another action, the Assembly moved to aid greatly assisted by regional action. A joint work-. 932 Economic and social questions ing group of UNHCR and the Organization of Afri- past decade the number of refugees had grown can Unity (OAU) was established to follow up ques- to almost 5 million by the end of 1980. Angola tions relating to protection of refugees in Africa, had 73,000 refugees—55,000 from other south- based on recommendations of the 1979 Confer- ern Africa countries and 18,000 from Zaire; ence on the Situation of Refugees in Africa, held at Uganda’s total of 113,000 came from Ethiopia Arusha, United Republic of Tanzania.1 Close re- (l,000), Rwanda (80,000) and Zaire (32,000); in lations were also maintained with the Council of the United Republic of Cameroon there were an Europe, the Organization of American States, the estimated 110,000 from Chad; the United Organization of the Islamic Conference and the Republic of Tanzania had 156,000 of various League of Arab States. origins; in Zaire it was estimated there were The Executive Committee of the Programme of 350,000 to 400,000, mainly of Angolan and UNHCR, in conclusions adopted at its thirty-first Ugandan origin; while in Zambia there were session, held at Geneva from 6 to 16 October 1980: some 36,000 from southern African States. stressed the fundamental principles of interna- Emergency relief provided by UNHCR included tional protection and the need for their scrupulous food, clothing, blankets, medicines, shelter, and observance; expressed serious concern that there local integration assistance such as community were still cases where the principle of non- development, education, supplementary feeding refoulement had been disregarded, and called on programmes, and legal and social counselling. States to ensure that it be taken into account in Aid was also provided to refugees in Botswana, treaties and national legislation; stressed that the Egypt, Kenya, Lesotho, Mozambique, Swaziland essentially voluntary character of repatriation and Zimbabwe. In other countries of Africa should always be respected; reiterated its condem- there remained over 250,000 refugees of concern nation of military attacks on refugee camps in to UNHCR. southern Africa and the need for protection and Expenditure for all programmes in Africa aid to the victims; and, after noting with grave con- during the year totalled some $170.9 million. cern continuing attacks on refugees and asylum- seekers, particularly in the South China Sea, THE AMERICAS stressed that measures be taken by Governments During the year, the number of refugees in to prevent their recurrence. The Committee Latin America increased by some 65,000, to decided to request the High Commissioner to con- 175,000. New programmes had to be implement- vene an expert group to examine all aspects of ed for Salvadorian refugees, estimated at 80,000, temporary refuge within the framework of prob- and assistance to Nicaraguans continued. Elderly lems of large-scale influx. refugees of European origin also continued to be aided, as were Indo-Chinese refugees, who were Material assistance to refugees 1 provided with integration and family reunifica- In 1980, material assistance again increased tion programmes. Total expenditure for the substantially, totalling $497 million, of which Latin American countries reached $13.1 million. $282 million went to finance UNHCR'S general In addition to accepting refugees from other programmes of assistance and $215 million to countries, Canada and the United States re- special programmes. ceived further refugees and displaced persons from South-East Asia: Canada admitted 35,382 AFRICA and the United States 152,481. Obligations in In Africa the largest refugee problem contin- the two countries exceeded $487,000. ued in the Horn and the Sudan. A total of $67 million was spent in Djibouti, Ethiopia and ASIA AND WESTERN ASIA Somalia ($47.6 million under the general pro- Total UNHCR expenditure for Asia and West- gramme) and another $15.9 million in the Sudan ern Asia during 1980 again increased considera- ?general programme: $11 million). In Somalia, bly, amounting to $272.8 million, over $100 mil- where lack of natural resources made large-scale lion more than in 1979. aid indispensable, some 40 camps were opened The number of Afghan refugees in Pakistan to accommodate a Government-estimated 1.2 and other countries increased more than three- million Ethiopian refugees. A special programme fold-to 1.4 million in Pakistan alone, where of humanitarian assistance to displaced persons, UNHCR expenditures exceeded $69.3 million. begun in 1978 in Ethiopia and forming part of Indo-Chinese refugees continued to arrive in the. special programme of aid to the Horn of neighbouring countries but the relatively high Africa, had benefited some 300,000 people by rate of resettlement following the July 1979 the end of 1980. Geneva Meeting on Refugees and Displaced There were also huge refugee problems in 1 other countries of the continent, where over the See Y.U.N., 1979, p.