CM/Res. 296 (XX) RESOLUTION ON COMMISSION OF TEN ON REFUGEES
The Council of Ministers of the Organization of African Unity, meeting in its Twentieth Ordinary Session in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia form 5 to 9 February 1973,
Recalling resolution CM/Res.266 (XIX) adopted during its Nineteenth Ordinary Session held in Rabat from 5 to 12 June, 1972, in which it called upon the Commission of TEN on Refugees in Africa to convene to consider:
The present situation of refugees in Africa,
Settlement problems,
Problems of Education,
Legal protection and application of the Convention,
Noting with satisfaction that the commission of TEN on refugee problems in Africa had held that meeting on the occasion of its Sixth Ordinary Session from 19 to 23 December 1972 in Addis Ababa,
Adopts the report of the Sixth Session of the OAU Commission of Ten on refugee problems in Africa and,
DECIDES:
that the OAU Bureau of Placement and Education of African Refugees should be strengthened;
that the Council of Ministers should consider referring to the co-ordinating Committee the enlargement of the role of the Bureau with special reference to the resettlement of rural refugees;
REQUESTS OAU Member States to make greater financial contributions to the Bureau to complement the efforts made by International Organizations and Voluntary Agencies;
EARNESTLY REQUESTS the Organization of African Unity to grant all the support needed for the Seminar that will be organized by the Bureau in September 1973, by making adequate financial contributions, and by requesting Member States to send to this Seminar qualified representatives on the refugees problem;
INVITES OAU Member States to organize, once a year, a “Refugee Day” to raise funds with a view to increasing the means made available to the Bureau for the assistance of the refugees;
APPEALS to Member States of OAU, which have not yet done so, to ratify as soon as possible the OAU Convention governing the specific aspects of refugees in Africa, so it will come into force;
INVITES OAU Member States which have rarified the aforesaid instrument, to apply it in as liberal a spirit as possible;
WELCOMES the fruitful co-operation that exists between the OAU Bureau and International Organizations and Voluntary Agencies and expresses the hope that this co-operation will continue to strengthen and expand further in the best interest of the African refugees;
INVITES Member States of OAU which are not directly confronted with the problem of refugees to foresee the possibility of sharing the burden of the countries of first and
second asylum of these refugees, in accepting every year a number of refugees which they will be free to determine;
REAFFIRMS that the ideal solution to the refugee problem is voluntary repatriati on to their countries of origin. INVITES Member States to create, insofar as it is possible, with the assistance of the Bureau, OAU, HCR, of countries of asylum of any other party, the conditions which will favour such repatriation;
REQUESTS that the Bureau adopt a method that will enable it to screen properly refugees seeking its assistance, in order to ensure that agents with interests inimical to Africa are not given the benefit of its facilities;
REQUESTS the Bureau to ensure, as far as possible, the participation of qualified refugees, coming from territories under colonial rule, that apply to it, in the tasks of reconstruction in the zones liberated by the liberation movements. ALSO REQUESTS the OAU Liberation committee and the liberation movements to contribute their assistance to this end;
REQUESTS Member States of OAU which have the means, to exert further efforts so as to offer, insofar as is possible, greater employment possibilities, and access to scholastic establishment, for the refugees; In this connection, requests the Bureau to periodically collect from Member States a list of their needs and to assess their employment opportunities;
CONGRATULATES Member States of OAU for the efforts already made and requests them to increase their assistance to refugees;
TAKES NOTE OF the material assistance given by the Specialized Agencies of the United Nations family and REQUESTS the higher bodies of OAU to appeal to these Agencies so they may increase their assistance to the refugees;
EXPRESSES its gratitude to the Scandinavian Countries and also to the Voluntary Agencies for the generous assistance they have accorded the Bureau, and encourages them to continue their efforts in this respect;
EXPRESSES its satisfaction with the work done by the Bureau and recommends member States to encourage it to continue with its activities.