OEA/Ser.P
AG/RES. 1832 (XXXI-O/01)
5 June 2001
Original: Spanish
THE PROTECTION OF REFUGEES, RETURNEES, AND INTERNALLY
DISPLACED PERSONS IN THE AMERICAS
(Resolution adopted at the fourth plenary session, held on
June 5, 2001;
subject to review by the Style Committee)
THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY,
CONSIDERING:
That, through its resolutions, AG/RES. 774 (XV-O/85), AG/RES.
838 (XVI-O/86), AG/RES. 951 (XVIII-O/88), AG/RES. 1021 (XIX-O/89),
AG/RES. 1039 (XX-O/90), AG/RES. 1040 (XX-O/90), AG/RES. 1103 (XXI-O/91),
AG/RES. 1170 (XXII-O/92), AG/RES. 1214 (XXIII-O/93), AG/RES.
1273 (XXIV-O/94), AG/RES. 1336 (XXV-O/95), AG/RES. 1416 (XXVI-O/96),
AG/RES. 1504 (XXVII-O/97), and AG/RES. 1606 (XXVIII-O/98), it
reiterated its concern for those persons in the Americas who, as
refugees, returnees, or internally displaced persons, require
protection of their fundamental rights and humanitarian
assistance;
That, in support of the worldwide campaign of the Office of
the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees to promote
accessions to the 1951 Geneva Convention Relating to the Status
of Refugees, the 1967 Protocol Relating to the Status of
Refugees, the 1954 Convention Relating to the Status of
Stateless Persons, and the 1961 Convention on the Reduction of
Statelessness, this Assembly adopted resolutions AG/RES. 1693 (XXIX-O/99)
and AG/RES. 1762 (XXX-O/00), urging those member states that had
not yet done so to consider ratifying these international
instruments and to adopt national law to give them effect;
That, as a follow-up to these resolutions, the Secretary
General, through his reports to the General Assembly, has
provided detailed information on the number of member states
that have not yet acceded to the aforementioned international
instruments on refugees and the procedures and institutional
mechanisms required for their implementation;
That, in the context of the 50th anniversary of the 1951
Geneva Convention Relating to the Status of Refugees, the Office
of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) has
launched a process of global consultations with states, with the
participation of experts on refugee protection and
nongovernmental organizations, to revitalize the international
protection system, reaffirming the relevance and importance of
the Convention and the Protocol of 1967 Relating to the Status
of Refugees;
That, the objective of the global consultations is to promote
full and effective observance and implementation of the
provisions of the 1951 Convention Relating to the Status of
Refugees and the 1967 Protocol Relating to the Status of
Refugees and to develop new approaches and standards to
strengthen protection in areas which are not adequately covered
by the Convention system. The global consultations provide a
unique opportunity to strengthen the international system of
governance, based on the lasting nature of the 1951 Geneva
Convention, on which refugees are entitled to rely and their
protection depends. In this context, the Organization of
American States has requested the status of observer to the
Executive Committee of the Programme of the United Nations High
Commissioner for Refugees, which was granted on February 16 of
this year; and
That, given the complementary nature of international refugee
law and international human rights law, the bodies of the
inter-American system can contribute to strengthening the system
of legal protection for asylum-seekers, refugees, and other
persons requiring protection in the Americas,
RESOLVES:
1. To reaffirm its support for, and underscore the relevance
and central importance of, the 1951 Convention Relating to the
Status of Refugees, on its 50th Anniversary, and the 1967
Protocol on the Status of Refugees, as the principal
international instruments of a universal nature for the
protection of refugees; and to urge member states to observe and
fulfill their obligations in this area, in accordance with
universal and regional instruments pertaining to refugee rights
and human rights.
2. To reiterate its appeal to member states that have not yet
done so to consider in due course signing and ratifying the
international instruments on refugees and adopting the
procedures and institutional mechanisms for their
implementation, in accordance with criteria established in
universal and regional international instruments. Member states
are encouraged, where applicable, to withdraw reservations made
at the time of accession.
3. To work to strengthen the framework of protection for
asylum-seekers and refugees in the Americas through the various
bodies of the inter-American human rights system, by means of
active participation in the global consultations on
international protection organized by the United Nations High
Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR).
4. To renew its appeal for inter-American cooperation in
cases of mass internal displacement or the flight of refugees,
to facilitate their return or resettlement, in accordance with
international standards.
5. To request member states to continue to provide the
Secretary General with information on their progress in
implementing this resolution, which will be shared annually with
the General Assembly.
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