Decision on the Ministerial Conference on Refugees, Returnees and Internally Displaced Persons

DECISION ON THE MINISTERIAL CONFERENCE ON REFUGEES,
RETURNEES AND INTERNALLY DISPLACED PERSONS
DOC. EX.CL/259 (IX)

The Executive Council:

1. TAKES NOTE of the Report;

2. EXPRESSES SATISFACTION at the successful convening of the Ministerial Conference on Refugees, Returnees and Internally displaced Persons in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso from 29 May to 2 June, 2006;

3. ALSO EXPRESSES SATISFACTION at the adoption of the Ouagadougou Declaration of the Ministerial conference on refugees, Returnees and Internally Displaced Persons;

4. ENDORSES the Ouagadougou Declaration of the Ministerial Conference on Refugees, Returnees and Internally Displaced Persons and its recommendations and INVITES Members Sates to ensure its effective implementation;

5. REQUESTS the Commission to work in close collaboration with the PRC Sub- Committee on Refugees, Returnees and Internally Displaced Persons to follow up on the effective implementation of the Ouagadougou Declaration and Recommendations, in close consultation with other Policy Organs of the Union and relevant partners including United Nations High Commission for Refugees (UNHCR), World Food Programme (WFP) and International Organization for Migration (IOM), African Non-Governmental Organization (NGOs), civil society and private sector among others;

6. APPROVES the institutionalisation of the Ministerial Conference on Refugees, Returnees and Internally Displaced Persons biannually without prejudice to the process of establishing the Specialized Technical Committees;

7. ALSO REQUESTS the Commission to initiate preparations for the holding of a Special Summit of Heads of State and Government on Refugees, Returnees and Internally Displaced Persons in 2008, in consultation with key partners in the Coordinating Committee on Assistance and Protection to Refugees, Returnees and Internally Displaced Persons;

® ES the principle of the establishment of a mechanism to monitor the situation of victims of forced displacement by the Commission, and the submission of Annual Reports on the Protection and Assistance Situation of Victims of Forced Displacement in Africa as recommended at Ouagadougou;

9. FURTHER REQUESTS the Commission to carry out an in-depth study with a view to determining the practical modalities and financial implications of such an exercise and report to Council in January 2007;