Refugees and displaced persons 1071 Chapter XV Refugees and displaced persons During 1993, the world's refugee population, treatment of asylum-seekers, to uphold asylum as including internally displaced persons, increased an indispensable instrument for the international from 18.9 million to 23 million, severely taxing the protection of refugees, and to respect scrupulously capacity of the international community to the fundamental principle of non-refoulement respond. (resolution 48/116). The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) continued to deal with com- plex and protracted refugee crises through as- sistance and protection while pursuing a strategy Programme and finances of UNHCR aimed at prevention, preparedness and voluntary repatriation. Although heavily burdened by new refugee populations, UNHCR assisted some 1.8 million refugees to return home voluntarily in Programme policy 1993, at a total cost of $191 million. It endeavoured Executive Committee action. At its forty- to secure asylum for those compelled to flee and fourth session (Geneva, 4-8 October 1993),(1) the to respond rapidly to their emergency needs, com- Executive Committee of the UNHCR Programme plementing these efforts with prevention and expressed concern at the inadequacy of interna- solution-oriented activities in their countries of tional protection for various groups of refugees. origin. It noted the size and complexity of the refugee Some 469,000 Afghan refugees were repatriated problem, the risk of new refugee situations de- from Iran and Pakistan during 1993, with UNHCR veloping and challenges to refugee protection, in- assistance, and an additional 400,000 returned cluding the denial of UNHCR access to people in spontaneously. Approximately 155,000 persons need of assistance, expulsion, refoulement and un- returned to Cambodia during the year, complet- justified detention. The Committee called on ing the repatriation operation there. For some States to uphold asylum as an indispensable in- 250,000 refugees from Myanmar in Bangladesh, strument for international refugee protection and the signing of two Memoranda of Understanding to respect the fundamental principle of non- paved the way for large-scale voluntary repatria- refoulement. It stressed the importance of inter- tion. UNHCR commenced the complex opera- national burden-sharing and supported further ex- tion of repatriating some 1.5 million refugees to ploration by the High Commissioner and States Mozambique from six neighbouring countries. of various asylum strategies, including temporary It provided protection and assistance to inter- protection for persons compelled to flee their coun- nally displaced populations in Bosnia and Her- tries in large numbers and who were in need of zegovina, the Caucasus and parts of Africa and international protection. Central Asia. In the former Yugoslavia, UNHCR The Executive Committee expressed concern at addressed the largest single group of persons in the alarming frequency of incidents in which refu- need of international protection. gees and asylum-seekers, including women and In October, the UNHCR Executive Committee children, were subjected to violence and mistreat- considered the international protection of refugees, ment, including killing, torture, military or armed the question of internally displaced persons, the attacks, rape, beatings, intimidation, forced mili- implementation of its Policy on Refugee Women, tary recruitment and arbitrary or inhumane con- refugee situations in Afghanistan and the former ditions of detention. It deplored all violations of Yugoslavia, the follow-up to the 1989 International the right of refugees and asylum-seekers to per- Conference on Central American Refugees, the sonal security and condemned persecution Comprehensive Plan of Action for Indo-Chinese through sexual violence. The Committee called on Refugees, and increased coordination between the High Commissioner to pursue the protection UNHCR and non-governmental organizations. of refugee women and girls and supported refu- The General Assembly expressed its deep con- gee status for persons whose claim was based on cern at serious threats to the security of refugees a well-founded fear of persecution, through sex- and called on States to ensure respect for the prin- ual violence, for reasons of race, religion, nation- ciples of refugee protection as well as the humane ality, membership of a particular social group or 1072 Economic and social questions political opinion. It called on the High Commis- Commending the High Commissioner and her staff for sioner to make every effort to ensure that the needs the dedicated manner in which they discharge their of refugee children, particularly unaccompanied responsibilities, and paying special tribute to those staff minors, were covered by UNHCR's activities in members who have lost their lives in the course of their cooperation with Governments, non-governmental duties, Noting with satisfaction that one hundred and twenty- organizations (NGOs) and intergovernmental or- three States are now parties to the 1951 Convention ganizations, and with the United Nations Chil- and/or the 1967 Protocol relating to the Status of dren's Fund (UNICEF) in particular. It asked the Refugees, High Commissioner for a concerted effort to im- Also noting with satisfaction the participation of the High plement UNHCR's Policy on Refugee Women and Commissioner in the commemoration of the anniver- to reinforce the role of the Senior Coordinator for saries of the Cartagena Declaration on Refugees of 1984 Refugee Women. and the Organization of African Unity Convention Gov- The Committee welcomed increased consulta- erning the Specific Aspects of Refugee Problems in Africa, tion between UNHCR and NGOs through the Part- concluded at Addis Ababa on 10 September 1969, nership in Action (PARINAC) process, which was Welcoming the continuing strong commitment of States to provide protection and assistance to refugees and the jointly launched by the High Commissioner and valuable support extended by Governments to the High the International Council on Voluntary Agencies, Commissioner in carrying out her humanitarian tasks, with a view to establishing a common agenda for Commending those States, particularly the least devel- field activities. oped and those serving as host to millions of refugees, In her opening statement to the Committee, the that, despite severe economic and development High Commissioner stated that humanitarian as- challenges of their own, continue to admit large num- sistance could make an important contribution to bers of refugees into their territories, and emphasizing the peace-keeping and peacemaking efforts of the the need to share the burden of those States to the max- United Nations. However, the situation in the imum extent possible through international assistance, including development-oriented assistance, former Yugoslavia had clearly demonstrated that Noting with concern that the number of refugees and humanitarian endeavours were not a substitute for other persons to whom the Office of the High Commis- peace settlements or political negotiations. sioner is called upon to provide assistance and protec- tion has continued to increase and that their protection ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL COUNCIL ACTION continues to be seriously jeopardized in many situations as a result of denial of admission, unlawful expulsion, On 30 July, by decision 1993/333, the Eco- refoulement, unjustified detention, other threats to their nomic and Social Council took note of the High 2 physical security, dignity and well-being and failure to Commissioner's report for 1992/93.( ) respect and ensure their fundamental freedoms and human rights, GENERAL ASSEMBLY ACTION Recognizing that, in certain regions, the misuse by in- dividuals of asylum procedures jeopardizes the institu- On 20 December, the General Assembly, on the tion of asylum and adversely affects the prompt and ef- recommendation of the Third (Social, Humani- fective protection of refugees, tarian and Cultural) Committee, adopted resolu- Emphasizing the need for States to assist the High Com- tion 48/116 without vote. missioner in seeking durable and timely solutions to the problems of refugees, as well as to take part in efforts Office of the United Nations High to prevent conditions that might give rise to the flight Commissioner for Refugees of refugees, and to address the root causes of refugee The General Assembly, outflows, and underlining, in this connection, State Having considered the report of the United Nations High responsibility, particularly as it relates to countries of Commissioner for Refugees on the activities of her Of- origin, fice, as well as the report of the Executive Committee Welcoming the continuing efforts of the High Commis- of the Programme of the High Commissioner on the sioner to meet the protection and assistance needs of work of its forty-fourth session, and taking note of the refugee women and refugee children, who constitute the statement made by the High Commissioner on 4 majority of the world's refugee population and who are November 1993, often exposed to serious threats to their safety and Recalling its resolution 47/105 of 16 December 1992, well-being, Reaffirming the purely humanitarian and non-political Recognizing the increased demands faced by the Of- character of the activities of the Office of the High Com- fice of the High Commissioner worldwide and the need missioner, as well as the crucial importance of the High for all