Decision on the Situation of Refugees, Returnees and Displaced Persons

DECISION ON THE SITUATION OF REFUGEES,
RETURNEES AND DISPLACED PERSONS
DOC.EX.CL/177 (VII)

The Executive Council:

1. TAKES NOTE of the Report;

2. TAKES NOTE WITH SATISFACTION of the work done by the PRC Sub- Committee on Refugees and REQUESTS it to continue implementing its Plan of Action;

3. NOTES WITH APPRECIATION the efforts exerted by the international community to assist Member States concerned to cope with their obligations towards victims of forced displacement by providing for their basic needs and also in facilitating organized voluntary repatriation, rehabilitation, reintegration and reconstruction in communities or countries of origin;

4. NOTES that gross and systematic violations of human rights and International Humanitarian Law are among the principal factors generating refugee flows in Africa;

5. EXPRESSES ITS GRAVE CONCERN over the persistence of the problem of refugees and internally displaced persons in Africa and the alarming deterioration of their protection and assistance situation, especially the most vulnerable groups such as women, children and the disabled;

6. EXPRESSES GRATITUDE to countries of asylum for their steadfast adherence to their obligations under the 1969 OAU Convention governing the specific aspects of Refugee Problems in Africa and the 1951 UN Convention and its 1967 Protocol relating to the Status of Refugees, through inter alia providing asylum to refugees and availing them, where possible, with socio­economic opportunities to regain their dignity;

7. COMMENDS Member States that continue to ensure that social and economic rights of refugees are respected in particular through innovative local integration initiatives such as the Zambia Initiative and URGES other Member States to consider implementing similar programmes to enhance self sufficiency among refugees;

8. RECOGNIZES however that despite the generous contributions provided by the international community, such assistance falls short of the needs of victims of forced displacement and therefore;

9. URGES Member States and Members of the revitalized AU Coordinating Committee on Assistance and Protection to Refugees and Internally Displaced Persons as well as other relevant organizations to consider contributing to the AU Special Refugee Contingency Fund so as to enable the AU implement its humanitarian programmes;

10. COMMENDS the Commission and UNHCR for revitalizing the Coordinating Committee on Assistance and Protection to Refugees and Internally Displaced Persons consistent with relevant decisions of Council;

11. CALLS UPON the partners and donors to re-double their efforts to assist such people in Africa and to also honour their pledges made in various donor conferences;

12. REQUESTS the Commission to continue implementing its Work Programme in accordance with the various Decisions, Recommendations and Resolutions as well as the Comprehensive Implementation Plan (CIP) in collaboration with the UNHCR and other concerned AU partners and relevant organizations;

13. INVITES Member States to participate in the Ministerial Conference on Refugees scheduled to take place in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso in mid-June 2006.