CM/RES.937 (XL)
RESOLUTION ON THE SECOND INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE ON ASSISTANCE TO REFUGEES IN AFRICA (ICARA) II
The Council of Ministers of the Organization of African Unity meeting in its Fortieth Ordinary Session in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, from 27 February to 5 March 1984,
Having considered the report of the Secretary-General a.i. of the OAU on the activities of the Secretariat in relation to refugees in Africa, as well as the report of the Fifteenth Ordinary Session of the OAU Commission of Fifteen on Refugees,
Recalling resolution AHG/Res.114 (XIX) on ICARA II adopted by the Nineteenth Ordinary Session of the Assembly of Heads of State and Government of the Organization of African Unity,
Recognizing the need of the countries of asylum for adequate human, technical and financial assistance to properly shoulder their increased responsibilities and to enable them assume the additional burden which the presence of refugees impose on their economies,
Reaffirming the need to extend urgent assistance to countries of origin in the repatriation, resettlement and rehabilitation of returnees,
Noting with appreciation the report of the OAU Secretary-General a.i. on the preparations for ICARA II,
Recognizing that the problems of refugees, because of their adverse effects on individual human beings and the economies of the countries affected require urgent and lasting solutions, including efforts to prevent the causes of refugee flows as well as efforts to facilitate the voluntary return of refugees:
COMMENDS African governments concerned with refugees and returnees and the ICARA Steering Committee for the preparations undertaken for the Second International Conference;
REAFFIRMS the urgent need for a concerted effort to pursue and achieve lasting solutions to the problems of refugees in Africa both at national, inter- African and international levels;
STRESSES that in order to facilitate lasting solutions, assistance for refugees and returnees must be development-oriented, taking into account the needs of the countries of asylum as well as those of the countries of origin;
STRESSES FURTHER the need for more assistance to the countries of asylum to enable them to properly shoulder their increased responsibilities and assume the additional burden caused by the presence of refugees on their economies;
STRESSES ALSO the need to extend urgent assistance to countries of origin in the repatriation, resettlement and rehabilitation of returnees;
WELCOMES the involvement of the UNDP and other development agencies in the preparation for ICARA II and appeals to these agencies to review their procedures with a view to incorporating assistance to refugees and returnees in their development programmes;
APPEALS to potential donors from friendly countries, the international community, development aid-granting agencies and governmental and non- governmental organizations having refugee programmes in Africa to give serious consideration to the need for additional resources for refugees and returnees within the framework of the project proposals submitted to ICARA II by the African governments concerned;
REQUESTS the OAU Secretary-General to follow up closely the preparatory work of the Steering Committee and to report to the Forty-first Ordinary Session of the Council of Ministers the development and progress of, and preparations for ICARA II;
REQUESTS FURTHER the OAU Secretary-General to convene a meeting between the African Group in Geneva and New York together with the OAU Commission of Fifteen on Refugees to evaluate thoroughly the preparations for ICARA II;
URGES all invited governments to participate in the Conference to be held in Geneva from 9 to 11 July 1984 at the highest level possible;
REAFFIRMS its former Resolution CM/Res.826 (XXXVI) operative para. 8 which states that, “as the urgent refugee situation in Africa is likely to continue for some time to come… .. ICARA II is not an end per se but the initial stage of a long-term exercise in the course of which fact-finding missions, accurate data collection activities, feasibility studies and the like, will help to define priorities and to formulate projects whose impact on refugee situations is likely to pave the way for more durable solutions”.