Continuation of the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees

2294 (XXII)

XXII. RESOLUTIONS ADOPTED ON THE REPORTS OF THE THIRD COMMITTEE

2294. Continuation of the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees

The General Assembly,

Having considered the report of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees,¹

Recalling its resolution 1783 (XVII) of 7 December 1962, in which it decided to review, not later than at its twenty-second session, the arrangements for the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees with a view to determining whether the Office should be continued beyond 31 December 1968,

Concerned at the ever-increasing number of refugees, particularly in Africa,

Recognizing the continuing need for international action on behalf of refugees,

Considering the valuable work which has been performed by the Office of the High Commissioner in providing international protection for refugees and in promoting permanent solutions for their problems, with the joint participation of Governments, international organizations and voluntary agencies,

Commending the High Commissioner for the efforts he has made in finding satisfactory solutions of problems affecting groups of refugees who are his concern,

Taking note of the recommendation of the Economic and Social Council in its resolution 1253 (XLIII) of 1 August 1967 to the effect that the High Commissioner be invited to attend the meetings of the Inter-Agency Consultative Board of the United Nations Development Programme,

Noting further the recommendation of the Executive Committee of the High Commissioner's Programme inviting the High Commissioner to participate in the inter-agency activities and in the concerted efforts made by the United Nations organs to attain the goals of the United Nations Development Decade,

Expressing its concern at the difficulties with which the High Commissioner is faced in financing his programme of assistance,

1. Decides to continue the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees for a further period of five years from 1 January 1969;

2. Requests the High Commissioner to pursue his activities of protection and assistance and to continue to make every possible effort to facilitate the repatriation, local integration or resettlement on a voluntary basis of the refugees who are his concern, bearing in mind the ever-increasing number of refugees in Africa;

3. Invites the High Commissioner to continue to report to and be guided by the Executive Committee of the High Commissioner's Programme with regard to refugee situations, in accordance with the Committee's terms of reference;

4. Decides that the High Commissioner be invited to attend the meetings of the Inter-Agency Consultative Board of the United Nations Development Programme and to participate in the preparatory work of the second United Nations development decade;

5. Urges States Members of the United Nations and members of the specialized agencies to lend their support to the humanitarian task of the Office of the High Commissioner and to consider increasing their annual voluntary contributions to the High Commissioner's Programme;

6. Further invites those Member States which have not yet done so to accede to the 1951 Convention relating to the Status of Refugees² and to the 1967 Protocol to the Convention;³

7. Further requests the Economic and Social Council to consider as soon as possible the advisability of enlarging the membership of the Executive Committee of the High Commissioner's Programme, in order to give at least one additional African country the possibility of participating in the work of the Committee;

8. Decides to review, not later than at its twenty-seventh session, the arrangements for the Office of the High Commissioner with a view to determining whether the Office should be continued beyond 31 December 1973.

1625th plenary meeting,
11 December 1967

1 Official Records of the General Assembly, Twenty-second Session, Supplement No. 11 (A/6711) and Supplement No. 11A (A/6711/Add.1/Rev.1).

2 United Nations, Treaty Series, vol. 189 (1954), No. 2545.

3 See Official Records of the General Assembly, Twenty-first Session, Supplement No. 11A (A/6311/Rev.1/Add.1), part one, para. 2.