GA/SHC/3837
Sixtieth General Assembly
Third Committe
36th & 37th Meetings (AM & PM)
As Committee Begins Debate on Refugee Issues, Human Rights Texts Introduced, Discussion on Racism Concluded
The rise of intolerance in today's world and the inability of different people to live together was a clear danger for world peace and the social cohesion of societies, United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, António Guterres, said today, as he presented the report of his Office to the Third Committee (Social, Humanitarian and Cultural).
Speaking as the Committee began its consideration of questions relating to refugees, returnees and displaced persons and humanitarian issues, Mr. Guterres said the UNHCR, a protection agency, was faced today with increasing challenges, including confronting rising intolerance in modern societies, preserving asylum in complex population flows, and addressing the clear gap that still existed between humanitarian relief and development to make solutions last. Societies were becoming more and more multi-ethnic, multicultural and multireligious, but only in a tolerant environment could complex societal problems be solved.
To meet those challenges, the UNHCR needed strong partnerships and a healthy funding base, and also required transparency, accountability and structural reform, he continued. Stressing that the fight against intolerance involved all Member States, he said everyone must band together and stand against irrationality, suspicion and the clamour for exclusion. Rather than bow to public opinion, it was necessary to aim to lead it, holding firm to values and principles and reaffirming accountability to refugees.
In an interactive debate following his presentation, in which the representatives of the Sudan, Pakistan, United Kingdom, Georgia, Belarus and Indonesia participated, Mr. Guterres further stressed that, unless people were able to live together, there would be no achievement of global peace or social cohesion in the countries themselves. What was being witnessed today was proof of the need to fight all forms of irrationality in political behaviour that did not allow people to live together in harmony while respecting differences, he said.
When the Committee began its discussion on the refugee issue, it heard statements from the representatives of the United Kingdom (on behalf of the European Union), Angola (on behalf of the Southern African Development Community), Japan, China, Switzerland, Canada, Algeria, the United Republic of Tanzania, Russian Federation, Malta, Turkey, Zambia, United States, Ukraine and Ethiopia, as well as the observers of the International Organization for Migration and the Holy See and the representative of the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies.
Also today, the Committee heard the introduction of five draft resolutions on human rights questions, including alternative approaches for improving the effective enjoyment of human rights and fundamental freedoms.
The representative of Qatar introduced a draft resolution on the establishment of a United Nations Human Rights Training and Documentation Centre for Southwest Asia and the Arab Region. Austria's representative introduced draft resolutions on human rights in the administration of justice and on the effective promotion of the Declaration on the Rights of Persons Belonging to National or Ethnic, Religious and Linguistic Minorities. The representative of the United Kingdom introduced draft texts on the situation of human rights in the Sudan and Uzbekistan.
The representative of Uzbekistan spoke in the exercise of the right of reply, following the introduction of the draft resolution on the situation of human rights in his country.
The Committee also concluded its discussion of issues related to the elimination of racism and racial discrimination, and the right of peoples to self-determination. The representatives of the Sudan, Saudi Arabia, Saint Lucia, Croatia, Dominica, Brazil, Jordan, Israel, South Africa, Armenia and Azerbaijan made statements on those issues.
Following those statements, the representatives of Israel and Palestine spoke in the exercise of the right of reply.
The Committee will meet again at 10 a.m., on Thursday, 10 November, to continue its discussion on refugees and humanitarian questions, as well as take action on draft resolutions on human rights questions.
Background
The Third Committee (Social, Cultural and Humanitarian) met today to conclude its general debate on the elimination of racism and racial discrimination, and the right of peoples to self-determination.
The Committee also met to begin consideration of the Report of the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), questions relating to refugees, returnees and displaced persons, and humanitarian questions.
The Committee had before it the Report of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (document A/60/12), which concludes that the UNHCR had launched many initiatives in recent years to improve its internal functioning and external response and performance.
The Committee also had before it the Report of the Executive Committee of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (document A/60/12/Add.1), which highlights the work, conclusions and decisions of the Executive Committee during its fifty-sixth session, held from 3 to 7 October 2005.
In addition, the Committee had before it the Secretary-General's report on follow-up to the regional conference to address the problems of refugees, displaced persons, other forms of involuntary displacement and returnees in the countries of the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) and relevant neighbouring States (document A/60/276), which would have the General Assembly note with satisfaction the efforts of the UNHCR, the International Organization for Migration (IOM) and the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) to develop strategies and tools for more effective capacity-building in countries of origin, and to enhance programmes to address the CIS concerns.
The report states that the 1996 Geneva Conference and its follow-up process provided the first major framework for international cooperation in migration, displacement and asylum in the post-Soviet era. Further, it states that the 10-year process has been successful in developing strategies and practical tools for capacity-building; promoting adherence to international standards and practices; and facilitating cooperation through regional and international partnerships. The UNHCR remains committed to partnerships within a revamped Geneva Conference framework tailored to the evolving needs of the 12 CIS member countries and their relationships both within and beyond their geographical borders.
The Committee also had before it the Secretary-General's report on assistance to refugees, returnees and displaced persons in Africa (document A/60/293), which contains an overview of developments, detailed regional updates, information about specific areas of inter-agency cooperation and cooperation with regional organizations and efforts to coordinate resources. The report covers the period between 2004 and the first half of 2005.
The text concludes that sustainable reintegration of returnees and internally displaced persons in post-conflict situations remains key to ensuring peace and much-needed development. To end forced displacement and resolve the problem of refugees and other displaced populations in Africa, concerted efforts by the international community to address the root causes of conflict, including socio-economic deprivation, political repression, inter-communal disputes, unemployment, lack of basic infrastructure and services, and depletion of natural resources must remain a priority.
The Committee also had before it the Secretary-General's report on assistance to unaccompanied refugee minors (document A/60/300), which takes note of the efforts of the UNHCR and other organizations to protect and assist unaccompanied refugee minors. The report includes information for the two-year period since the last report, as well as information provided by the UNHCR, the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF), the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR), the Office of the Special Representative of the Secretary-General for Children and Armed Conflict and other organizations.
The report concludes that serious challenges remain and hamper protection and safeguarding of the rights of refugee children, including unaccompanied and separated children. Those challenges include lack of accountability for violations; security concerns for both refugees and staff; insufficient human and financial resources; discrimination towards girls; and, in some instances, lack of political will by States to implement or comply with international norms and standards. The report states that the UNHCR's collaboration and mutual support, with its sister agencies and United Nations partners, would be vital as it seeks to implement the Secretary-General's reforms, implement the millennium targets, build greater accountability and transparency, and improve its all-around performance.
Also before the Committee was a letter dated 17 October 2005 from the Permanent Representative of Yemen to the United Nations addressed to the Secretary-General (document A/60/440-S/2005/658), which transmits the final communiqué of the annual coordination meeting of Ministers for Foreign Affairs of the States members of the Organization of the Islamic Conference, held at United Nations Headquarters in New York on 23 September 2005.
The Committee was also expected to hear the introduction of a draft resolution on human rights questions, including alternative approaches for improving the effective enjoyment of human rights and fundamental freedoms, as well as the establishment of a United Nations human rights training and documentation centre for South-West Asia and the Arab region (document A/C.3/60/L.32).
In addition, the Committee was also expected to hear the introduction of four drafts on human rights situations and reports of special rapporteurs and representatives. They included drafts on human rights in the administration of justice (document A/C.3/60/L.38); effective promotion of the Declaration on the Rights of Persons Belonging to National or Ethnic, Religious and Linguistic Minorities (document A/C.3/60/L.39); the situation of human rights in the Sudan (document A/C.3/60/L.47); and the situation of human rights in Uzbekistan (document A/C.3/60/L.51).
(For further information, see Press Releases GA/SHC/3835 of 7 November and GA/SHC/3836 of 8 November.)
United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees
ANTÓNIO GUTERRES, United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), said he was heartened by the recognition in the World Summit Outcome Document that the international community had the responsibility to protect civilian populations against genocide, war crimes, ethnic cleansing and crimes against humanity. As the Secretary-General had recently noted, most of the mass displacements of people over the past decade and a half had been sparked by such crimes. Reasserting that the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees was, above all, a protection agency, he stressed that protection must inform all actions and be the starting point for the solutions sought for people in the care of Member States.
As a protection agency, the UNHCR was faced today with increasing challenges, including confronting rising intolerance in modern societies, preserving asylum in complex population flows, and addressing the clear gap that still existed between humanitarian relief and development to make solutions last. The first of those challenges -- intolerance -- was perhaps the most difficult to address, he said, and it was a clear danger for world peace and the social cohesion of societies. Societies were becoming more and more multi-ethnic, multicultural and multireligious. Only in a tolerant environment could complex societal problems be solved.
The second challenge -- asylum and migration flows -- related to the first, he continued. Preserving asylum required that those in need of protection were able to be found when they were concealed by complex migration flows. All States were entitled to the responsible management of their borders and to adopt appropriate migration policies. They should also act forcefully to eliminate the smuggling and trafficking of human beings and severely punish the profiteers. But guarding borders must not prevent physical access to asylum procedures or fair refugee status determination for those entitled to it by international law.
The third challenge represented a major problem for the international community, he said. The lack of an effective link between relief and development remained a great handicap. That was particularly true of repatriation, where large-scale returns were difficult to sustain if development stalled and instability grew. Furthermore, prevention and post-conflict management were both crucial to avoiding population displacement. For that reason, the UNHCR was very enthusiastic about the advent of the Peacebuilding Commission and intended to play an active role in the Commission's Support Office.
There was today a general consensus, underlined by the Humanitarian Response Review, that the inability to address internal displacement had become the single biggest failure in humanitarian action. That was no longer acceptable, he said. To meet the challenges described, the UNHCR must demonstrate vision and results. It needed strong partnerships and a healthy funding base, and also required transparency, accountability and structural reform. Providing an overview of the UNHCR's operations, he stressed that the fight against intolerance involved all Member States. Everyone must band together and stand against irrationality, suspicion and the clamour for exclusion. Rather than bow to public opinion, it was necessary to aim to lead it, holding firm to values and principles and reaffirming accountability to refugees. The institution of asylum must be defended and cherished at all costs, he added.
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