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.