LINK BETWEEN CONFLICT SITUATIONS AND RESULTING POVERTY STRESSED BY WORLD BANK DELEGATE TO ASSEMBLY'S THIRD COMMITTEE

11 November 1998

Press Release
GA/SHC/3505

LINK BETWEEN CONFLICT SITUATIONS AND RESULTING POVERTY STRESSED BY WORLD BANK DELEGATE TO ASSEMBLY'S THIRD COMMITTEE

19981111 Ethnic Strife Is Seen as Central Cause of Refugee Problems; Debate Continues on Report of High Commissioner

The fundamental importance of the link between effective development strategies and peace-building was emphasized by a representative of the World Bank this afternoon, as the Third Committee (Social, Humanitarian and Cultural) continued its consideration of the report of the High Commissioner for Refugees: questions relating to refugees and displaced persons and humanitarian questions.

Conflict and poverty were inextricably connected, Alfredo Sfeir-Younis told the Committee. Unequal access to productive resources and basic services could inflame social and ethnic tensions. Sixteen of the 20 poorest countries in the world today were post-conflict countries. They accounted for a growing share of the Bank's activities. The Bank had developed a post-conflict unit to respond quickly to the needs of Bank operations in reconstruction.

The representative of Turkey said that in refugee situations, international solidarity and burden-sharing were as important as asylum. In many situations in the 1990s, the burden of trans-frontier movements had been borne by the countries immediately neighbouring the conflict areas. Those countries often had to reallocate considerable resources from their own development programmes.

The burden of having to host refugees was heavier than it had been before, said the representative of the United Republic of Tanzania. The costs went beyond the financial. Problems such as environmental damage would remain long after the refugees had been repatriated. The international community must increase its assistance to countries of asylum.

The representative of Sudan said assistance from the international agencies for host countries had declined. The burden of sharing had to be distributed more equitably. The representative of China appealed to the international community to provide more assistance to developing countries

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that admitted refugees, and to provide refugees with more opportunities for resettlement. He said the key to solving the refugee problem was the elimination of its causes, such as foreign aggression and occupation, armed conflict, racism, abject poverty and underdevelopment.

Statements were also made by the representatives of Japan, Brazil, Guatemala, Argentina, Cote d'Ivoire and Canada. A representative of the Sovereign Military Order of Malta and Peter Schatzer, Director, Department for External Relations and Information, International Organization for Migration, also spoke.

The Committee will meet again at 10 a.m. tomorrow, 12 November, to continue its consideration of the report of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees: questions relating to refugees and displaced persons and humanitarian questions.

Committee Work Programme

The Third Committee (Social, Humanitarian and Cultural) met this afternoon to continue its consideration of the Report of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees: questions relating to refugees and displaced persons and humanitarian questions. (For background see Press Release GA/SHC/3504 issued today).

Statements

YUKIO SATOH (Japan) said refugee problems were never easy to handle and refugee protection efforts took longer than peacekeeping missions and were more complicated. To make the situation worse, recent conflicts were often fought within States rather than between States. The number of so-called "internally displaced persons" was now estimated to surpass that of "refugees" in the traditional sense. That development further compounded the difficulties facing the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR).

More than ever, refugee problems required a comprehensive approach, combining a broad range of efforts which included conflict prevention, refugee protection, conflict settlement, repatriation, rehabilitation and post- conflict development. Needless to say, development efforts were essential not only for post-conflict stability and progress but also for conflict prevention.

He said one of the important features of the Second International Conference on African Development, held in Tokyo last month, was the awareness of the importance of linking development and conflict resolution. Without development, effective prevention of conflict could not be expected, and with conflict prolonged, lasting development could not be hoped for. The Tokyo Agenda therefore identified good governance, conflict prevention and post- conflict development as important areas of action, which were defined as the "basic foundations for development".

Another challenge was the question of security of personnel. There had been an increase in security incidents involving humanitarian personnel of the UNHCR and other organizations. To provide safety and security to civilians working for the UNHCR and other humanitarian and peace agencies was now a top priority issue. Despite Japan's economic difficulties, his Government would try its best to maintain its financial support which, this year, was $104 million.

NEIL BENEVIDES (Brazil) said it was urgent for the international community to uphold and strengthen its commitment to the institution of asylum and to the principle of non-refoulement, which constituted the legal and moral foundations of international protection to refugees. Restrictive measures such as physical and legal barriers to prevent refugees from obtaining entry

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or asylum must be avoided and removed. To seek and be granted refugee status from persecution was a fundamental human right. Brazil urged all countries that had not already done so to become parties to the 1951 Convention and its 1967 Protocol.

In Brazil, refugees had been granted the right to fully exercise their civil rights, within the limits of the Foreign Citizen Act, he said. As part of its National Programme on Human Rights, new federal legislation was enacted to regulate the situation of refugees. Brazil's national law built on and went beyond the provisions of the 1951 Convention. Another major development was the establishment of a National Commission for Refugees, an agency that included both governmental and non-governmental representatives. The Commission had the authority to establish governmental policies and to deal with all matters related to refugees. That initiative was considered by the UNHCR to be the most advanced legal proposal on the subject in Latin America.

REN YISHENG (China) appealed to the international community, especially Western developed countries, to provide more assistance to the developing countries which admitted refugees with more assistance, and to provide refugees with more opportunities for resettlement, rendering the asylum regime for refugees more effective. The key to solving the refugee problem was the elimination of its causes, such as foreign aggression and occupation, armed conflict, racism, abject poverty and underdevelopment. The international community had to advocate respect for State sovereignty, territorial integrity, non-interference in internal affairs, peaceful settlement of disputes, and to combat racism, thereby eliminating the political causes of refugees. On the other hand, it had to endeavour to change the unreasonable international economic order, and bridge the gap between the North and South.

He said some Western countries had persisted in their restrictive asylum policies, violating the principle of non-refoulement and indiscriminately turning away large numbers of asylum seekers, he said. China appealed to the countries concerned to adopt measures to safeguard the basic human rights of those people. More countries should accede to the Convention on Refugees and its Protocol.

ALFREDO SFEIR-YOUNIS, Special Representative of the World Bank, said the linkage between effective development strategies and peace-building was fundamental. Conflict and poverty were inextricably connected. Unequal access to productive resources such as land, capital and skills, and to basic services such as health care and education, could inflame social and ethnic tensions. Such tensions were especially exacerbated in countries where the State was either too weak or too corrupt to deal with them efficiently and fairly.

Sixteen of the 20 poorest countries in the world today were post- conflict countries, he said. They accounted for a growing share of the Bank's

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work, receiving about 17 per cent of total Bank lending. The Bank also played an important coordinating role for donors and agencies, and was developing a valuable reserve of "best practice" knowledge and experience. It was also focusing on the preventative value of development operations. Where appropriate, its Country Assistance Strategies included analysis of the causes and consequences of violence. And it was financing landmine clearance projects, working closely with the United Nations Mine Action Service.

In post-conflict situations, economic and social development strategies must reflect the dynamics that gave rise to the original conflict, as well as the obstacles to its solution, he said. In July 1997 the Bank developed a post-conflict unit to develop a core capacity to respond quickly to the needs of Bank operations in reconstruction. The unit was also a focal point for expanding partnerships with the United Nations and other international organizations. A key point of coordination for humanitarian agencies was the period at which the fighting had stopped, or at least abated, and reconstruction and development could begin. That was where coordination of roles and timing was most important.

JOSE ANTONIO LINATI-BOSCH, of the Sovereign Military Order of Malta, said the ideal solution for the refugee problem was to peacefully solve disputes before situations deteriorated into conflicts. The Sovereign Order had sponsored the "Association for the Study of the World's Refugee Problem", which was active in rendering material aid, shelter, medical care and counselling for refugees in Hungary, Yugoslavia, Ethiopia, Rwanda and Bosnia, among other countries. To increase its efficiency, the Order had opened an office in Uganda and would open one in Montenegro. Further, to deal with ever-changing situations and new challenges, the Order had modified the statutes of the Emergency Corps of the Order of Malta, so that it encompassed objectives not strictly confined to emergency situations.

Given the sheer number of refugees and internally displaced people, he said, the Order was conscious that its efforts were not enough to solve the problem. The Order's sovereign status, unique among eight organizations, gave it a special advantage in giving help where most needed, especially in those countries where diplomatic representation was maintained. The displacement of peoples, within or across national boundaries, was a grave violation of human rights. A solidarity plan to consolidate peace and a global plan of solidarity with refugees and displaced persons were absolutely necessary.

There was a danger that countries offering asylum could lose sight of the plight of individuals who had a well-founded fear of persecution if they were forcefully repatriated; that was a threat even in developed countries that had traditionally offered asylum. Since many developing host countries lacked even the means of emergency help, he added, repatriation of refugees was the ideal goal, but peaceful conditions had to be guaranteed on their return.

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LUIS CARRANZA (Guatemala) said his Government was committed to an increase in the return of refugees. In its dealing with returnees, displaced persons and refugees, his Government had helped in the return of more than 38,000 refugees, mainly from Mexico and Honduras. There had been efforts to help another 3,573 refugees. Now, the collective repatriation was reaching its conclusion. More than 3,000 refugees would return home by June next year. His Government was optimistic, despite the magnitude of the problem of refugee outflows. But it was necessary for the international community to prevent conflicts of ethnic origin.

When refugees returned, the reintegration efforts had been positive in bringing about peace with the active participation of refugees themselves, he said. Guatemala recognized the importance of international protection to promote the rights of refugees. It urged Member States to ratify and implement the various conventions and instruments. There were serious problems faced by refugees in the rest of the world. Action was needed to deal with legal expulsions and physical attacks, and to ensure the non- infiltration of arms in refugee camps.

DAUDI MWAKAWAGO (United Republic of Tanzania) said his country had continued to extend hospitality and protection to hundreds of thousands of refugees. It contributed towards the promotion of political solutions to the refugee and human displacement problems in the case of Burundi, through the political dialogue within the Arusha framework. Last year, he had been optimistic because the repatriation of close to 500,000 Rwandan refugees had been completed, and his Government had just signed a Tripartite Agreement with the Government of the Democratic Republic of the Congo and the UNHCR for the repatriation of Congolese refugees who had fled the former Zaire. However, with the recent new outbreak of civil strife in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, that process had been halted, and there was a new influx of refugees. The influx of refugees from Burundi, meanwhile, had not stopped. The refugee population in Tanzania was now estimated at more than 300,000, constituting the region's largest single refugee group.

He said his country would continue to meet its international obligation to host those refugees, but the burden of having to host them was heavier than it had been before. There was widespread concern about the alleged militarization of refugee camps and the armed elements in some camps. The issue posed a dilemma to all concerned, between the responsibilities of the UNHCR and those of the countries of asylum. In 1951, the possibility of having armed elements in refugee camps had not been foreseen, and no mechanism was put in place to deal with such a situation. However, it was now imperative that the international community look at the matter comprehensively to see how international guidelines could be developed to deal with the armed elements in camps.

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He said his country had had to pay dearly for hosting refugees; the costs went beyond the financial and those that were necessitated during emergencies. Problems such as environmental damage would remain long after the refugees had been repatriated. He appealed to the international community to increase its assistance to countries of asylum, and to continue support in host countries after the refugees had been repatriated.

MOHAMMED EL-A'AS (Sudan) said his Government concurred with the report of the High Commissioner for Refugees that voluntary repatriation was the best solution to the outflow of refugees. The assistance for dealing with refugees from the international agencies had declined. His Government sought to underline that the burden of sharing had to be distributed more equitably. In that regard, it was increasingly difficult for Sudan to attend satisfactorily to the problem. The financial allocation for refugees in 1997 had not been proportionate to the number of registered refugees in his country, compared to other countries with refugee populations. That shortage of resources had resulted in a tragic situation in their camps. A large number of refugees lived outside the camps. Their number had to be determined and those refugees had to helped.

He said his Government urged the international community to share the burden, and to alleviate the impact of refugees on the environment, as well on education and health. In that regard, the level of international assistance was not adequate. The refugee problem should not be politicized, and donor countries should continue to finance projects that had been halted earlier, as a result of a lack of assistance.

The repatriation of Ethiopians had stopped, due to a lack of food in camps and the advent of the autumn season. Those measures should be reinstated, he said, and he called on Eritrea to receive its own citizens. He criticized the attacks on refugee camps, adding that refugees should receive assistance and protection. He also expressed concern for the practice of forced recruitment by insurgency movements.

He said the Sudanese Government was interested in receiving those who wanted to return. As for unaccompanied minors, that was one of the worst effects of armed conflict. That also included the forcible recruitment of children into the army.

HERNAN PLORUTTI (Argentina) said that while there had been a clear reduction in the number and magnitude of conflicts which produced refugee flows, there had been an increase of flows of asylum seekers. In Argentina, asylum seekers were arriving from countries far from its region. Committed to international solidarity and burden-sharing, Argentina had recently notified the UNHCR that it would resettle a group of families from the former Yugoslavia. It was reformulating its policies and standards with the aim of

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resettling incoming refugees. It was also working out a series of cooperative activities with neighbouring countries.

Argentina's assistance efforts also included reunification of refugee families, he said. That should be considered a fundamental right of refugees, and was indispensable for their integration in their countries of asylum. A great deal of the work done between the Government of Argentina and the UNHCR owed its success to the regional office of the UNHCR in the southern part of Latin America. He said it was a good thing that Argentina had lobbied to keep that office open. Greater solidarity would avoid the need for States that were most affected by influxes of refugees to adopt restrictive practices.

KABA CAMARA (Côte d'Ivoire) said that just as the situation with the repatriation of refugees was improving, there was a sudden outbreak of new flows of refugees, mainly in Central Africa and in the Horn of Africa. The problem had its roots in the colonial age, which had divided up territories, "like a cake". That was colonialism. Now, there was a backlash from the multiparty system, in which multi-parties were often confused with tribalism. Refugees were mainly the result of ethnic conflict.

African leaders had realized it was possible to mobilize efforts to deal with the refugee problems on many levels, she said. The international community had been disengaged and had left African leaders to restore peace in those countries. Under the Organization of African Unity (OAU), African leaders should be responsible, but there was a need for resources. Without international aid, progress would be slow.

She said her Government had taken part in mediation efforts in the region and had managed the problem of Liberian refugees by integrating them into the host community of the villages. Recently, there had been signs of those people wanting to return. She hoped there would be peace and reconciliation for all Liberians. The promotion of fundamental freedoms provided a democratic basis.

Another matter was security in refugee camps, particularly the safety of humanitarian agency staff. There was a need for peacekeeping forces and other measures to ensure the safety of humanitarian personnel.

AHMET ARDA (Turkey) said the classical definition of a refugee and the causes of refugee situations had changed considerably. It was therefore important to maintain flexibility and creativity in finding durable solutions to refugee problems. Voluntary repatriation should continue to be the most favoured solution, but the option of third country resettlement should be kept open.

International solidarity and burden-sharing in refugee situations were as important as asylum and non-refoulement. However, in many situations in

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the 1990s, the burden of trans-frontier movements had been borne by the countries immediately neighbouring the conflict areas, which were generally developing countries. The receiving nations had to reallocate considerable resources from their own development programmes. They also suffered environmental damage and social tensions among the local population.

He said Turkey was a country that had experienced the inadequacy of international solidarity and burden-sharing, when it had to host half a million people who crossed its borders in just a few days in 1991. He shared the views of the High Commissioner, who had warned yesterday in the Security Council that human displacement was often the outcome of a conflict, but could easily be a cause of new conflicts.

Post-conflict situations were another area that had to be addressed, either in terms of repatriation or for preventing new mass movements. When peace was negotiated, he went on, attention must be paid to creating conditions for the peaceful coexistence of the communities. Assistance must continue even after peace was negotiated, in order to start a process of economic development.

JENNIFER LUTFALLAH (Canada) said that as each State had a different capacity to handle refugee challenges, there had to be a greater will towards burden-sharing. Canada applauded the efforts of those States hosting large refugee populations, and invited the international community to offer assistance as circumstances demanded. A fundamental challenge which had to be addressed was to differentiate illegal migrants from those who had a legitimate need of protection.

Large volumes of people were on the move in search of better lives, and increasingly, migrants were using the asylum process as a means to gain admission to another country. However, the image of the refugee in need of protection should not be superimposed on that of the migrant gaining access. She said Canada believed that international cooperation was an important step to combat migrant trafficking. The issue could not be solved unilaterally, and had to be addressed to protect the integrity of the international asylum system as a whole.

No country, no region, was immune from the impact of refugee movements, she added. Each nation had been, at various times, a source country, a receiving country, a country of temporary protection, of resettlement or a contributor of resources for the care and maintenance of people on the move. Closing the door or simply erecting barriers to entry was clearly not the answer. Although border control was a necessary and legitimate function of a sovereign State, steps had to be taken to ensure that legitimate asylum seekers continued to have access to protection systems.

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PETER SCHATZER, Director, Department for External Relations and Information, International Organization for Migration (IOM), said it was possible in 1998 to say that much of the necessary groundwork of the past two years had begun to bear fruit. With national migration management programmes firmly established in eight countries, there had been significant progress, ranging from improvements in the policy and legislative bases to strengthening border controls. Migration and refugee legislation, in line with international standards, had been enacted or drafted in many countries, and more were in the pipeline for 1999. Although there was still a notable gap, in many instances, between the legislation and the capacity to implement its provisions effectively, that gap was narrowing as the capacity grew to articulate where additional improvements were needed.

He said that on the institutional front, the UNHCR and the IOM had recently held consultations covering two main areas: return and security. The discussion in Geneva provided the two organizations a particularly welcome opportunity to explore cooperation on the return of migrants, including rejected or unsuccessful asylum seekers. Both organizations saw the value of orderly and humane return for the wider asylum system, and for orderly migration processes in general.

Further, the international community had created a complex system of organizations involved in humanitarian assistance. As it had participated in the reform of the relevant coordination mechanisms in recent years, the IOM had not only been reminded of the imperative to use limited resources in an efficient and coordinated way, but also of the necessity to actively seek cooperation rather than competition. Recent meetings of the Inter-Agency Standing Committee mechanism for humanitarian coordination had provided reasons for optimism that the system was indeed capable of achieving what its principal stakeholders -- victims, recipient countries and donors -- deserved and expected: timely help through joint approaches.

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