Executive Committee of the High Commissioner’s Programme

Sixty-third session

Geneva, 1-5 October 2012

Update on UNHCR’s operations in Asia and the Pacific

A. Situational analysis including new developments

The Asia-Pacific region is home to the world’s largest and oldest refugee populations. The protection environment continues to be fragile with very few countries having signed the 1951 Convention relating to the Status of Refugees. Asia remains, however, a region with a good record of providing asylum to large numbers of refugees.

Summary

The Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights defenders, Margaret Sekaggya, presents her fourth report to the Human Rights Council, submitted pursuant to Human Rights Council resolutions 7/8 and 16/5.

In chapter II of the report, the Special Rapporteur provides an account of her activities during the reporting year. She draws the attention of Member States to the 234 communications sent under the mandate during the past year. More detailed information on the communications is contained in addendum 2 (A/HRC/19/55/Add.2) to the present report.

I. Introduction

1. A significant increase in the numbers of persons of concern to UNHCR brought new challenges in 2006. While there was a 14 per cent increase in refugee numbers from the previous year, the Office's involvement, together with other humanitarian partners, in protecting and assisting internally displaced persons (IDPs) under the inter-agency cluster approach, resulted in a doubling of IDP figures. Thanks to better data capturing, many more stateless people have been identified, also swelling numbers.

2. Despite a plethora of complex challenges,

A/60/89-E/2005/79
General Assembly
Sixtieth session
Item 74 (a) of the preliminary list*
Strengthening of the coordination of humanitarian and
disaster relief assistance of the United Nations, including
special economic assistance: strengthening of the
coordination of emergency humanitarian assistance of
the United Nations

Economic and Social Council
Substantive session of 2005
New York, 29 June-27 July 2005
Item 5 of the provisional agenda**
Special economic, humanitarian and
disaster relief assistance

A/59/93-E/2004/74
General Assembly
Fifty-ninth session
Item 40 (a) of the preliminary list*
Strengthening of the coordination of humanitarian and
disaster relief assistance of the United Nations, including
special economic assistance: strengthening of the
coordination of emergency humanitarian assistance of
the United Nations

Economic and Social Council
Substantive session of 2004
New York, 28 June-23 July 2004
Item 5 of the provisional agenda**
Special economic, humanitarian and
disaster relief assistance

A/57/644-S/2002/1364
General Assembly
Fifty-seventh session
Agenda item 87
Environment and sustainable development

Security Council
Fifty-seventh year

Letter dated 12 December 2002 from the Permanent Representative of the Islamic Republic of Iran to the United Nations addressed to the Secretary-General

Upon instructions from my Government, I have the honour to transmit herewith the English translation of a note verbale, dated 1 December 2002, from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Islamic Republic of Iran addressed to the Embassy of the Transitional

E/2002/14
REPORT OF THE UNITED NATIONS HIGH COMMISSIONER FOR REFUGEES1

SUMMARY

This report provides an account of the activities undertaken by my Office between January 2001 and April 2002. It describes major developments and challenges with respect to international protection, assistance activities and the search for durable solutions worldwide. It also covers a number of global themes, the financing of our activities, issues of oversight and accountability, as well as our cooperation within and beyond the United Nations system. This report is submitted in

A/56/875-S/2002/278
General Assembly
Fifty-sixth session
Agenda item 43

Security Council
Fifty-seventh year

I. Introduction

1. The present report is submitted pursuant to paragraph 4 of Security Council resolution 1383 (2001) of 6 December 2001, paragraph 13 of General Assembly resolution 56/220 A of 21 December 2001 and as a follow-up to my letter to the President of the Security Council dated 5 December 2001 (S/2001/1154).

A/56/409/Add.1
Fifty-sixth session
Agenda item 119 (c)
Human rights questions: human rights situations and reports of special rapporteurs and representatives

Note by the Secretary-General

Addendum

The Secretary-General has the honour to transmit to the members of the General Assembly an addendum to the interim report on the situation of human rights in Afghanistan prepared by Kamal Hossain, Special Rapporteur of the Commission on Human Rights.