ASSEMBLY"S SOCIAL COMMITTEE IS TOLD INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY SHOULD GIVE UP "SELECTIVE ATTENTION" TO REFUGEE PROBLEMS

Press Release
GA/SHC/3561

ASSEMBLY’S SOCIAL COMMITTEE IS TOLD INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY SHOULD GIVE UP ‘SELECTIVE ATTENTION’ TO REFUGEE PROBLEMS

‘No First Class or Second Class’, Algeria Says; Iceland Describes Support System for Integrating Newcomers into Society

It was the moral responsibility of the international community to support refugees and to give up its selective attention towards them since there were no “first class and second class refugees”, the representative of Algeria told the Third Committee (Social, Humanitarian and Cultural), this morning, as the Committee continued considering questions related to refugees and other displaced persons, including humanitarian issues concerning them.

Stating that Africa was the most affected region in the world with 6.3 million refugees, he said the international community must support them until the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees could find a lasting solution. African refugees only desired that their essential needs be satisfied such as housing, food and health care.

The magnitude of the conflict in Kosovo had threatened the stability of the entire region, said the representative of The former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia. She called for the international community to help ease the damage done to her country’s economy, and ensure the safe return of refugees to their homes.

Explaining that his country had received groups of refugees over the years, recently from the former Yugoslavia and Kosovo, the representative of Iceland called for their integration into society. He said his country had engaged refugees in a strict integration programme during their first year with the aim of enabling them to be independent members of society thereafter. At least three support families were chosen for each refugee family.

The representative of India said it was the legal and moral responsibility of States and other concerned actors to address the humanitarian issue of refugees. He called for the prevention of humanitarian crises through investment in long-term economic growth in countries of origin.

Third Committee - 1a - Press Release GA/SHC/3561 47th Meeting (AM) 16 November 1999

The representatives of Belarus, Azerbaijan, Uganda, Venezuela, Lithuania, Georgia, Kazakhstan, Ghana and Angola also addressed the Committee. The Observer for the Holy See also made a statement.

The Committee meets again at 3p.m. today to continue its consideration of questions related to refugees.

Committee Work Programme

The Third Committee (Social, Humanitarian and Cultural) met this morning to continue its consideration of the Report of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), as well as questions relating to refugees, returned and displaced persons, along with humanitarian questions. (For background information, see Press Release GA/SHC/3558 of 12 November.)

Statements

ANGELA KORNELIOUK (Belarus) said unpredictable migration created problems for her country, which was at a juncture of migratory paths. The presence of the migrants created social and economic problems for the region. Legislation had been worked out on the rights of migrants, with regard to such issues as internal labour migrations, in line with United Nations human rights instruments. The Programme of Action deriving from the 1996 Vienna Conference on the problems of migration in the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) served as a basis for national legislation and regional agreements. Belarus had received much help from the UNHCR office in Minsk. The issue required more attention and greater coordination at the global level.

RENATO MARTINO, Observer for the Holy See, said scenes of thousands of Kosovo refugees struggling to survive were still fresh in minds. Such scenes occurred in many places, especially in Africa. Effective legal instruments to protect internally displaced people were urgently needed in the context of modern conflicts, in which refugees and displaced persons were no longer the by-products of conflict but often the target. The immoral strategy of ethnic cleansing, the unpunished attempts to annihilate communities and the armed pursuit of the displaced until they were exhausted to the point of death were all marks of modern conflicts, as were armed attacks on refugee camps illegitimately infiltrated by former criminals, and attacks on humanitarian aid workers.

He said possible conflicts needed to be defused through quick preventive diplomacy. Host-countries incurring additional hardships to meet refugee flows resulting from the conflict were in many cases unable to feed their own people. Provision for the protection, safe return and integration of refugees and displaced persons should be an integral part of peace agreements. United Nations mission personnel should be empowered to guarantee the protection of those persons, who should receive central attention in the peace-building process. The international community should assume particular responsibility for them until they were resettled and fully reintegrated in their societies to prevent parties to the former conflict from dragging them into more misery.

TEYMUR MALIK-ASLANOV (Azerbaijan) said there were one million refugees and displaced persons in his country. The economic consequences of the conflict with Armenia had significantly reduced the possibilities of the Government to provide immediate assistance to the most vulnerable persons including refugees, returnees and displaced persons. There had also been damage to his country’s cultural heritage as a result of the occupation of part of its territory.

His Government reaffirmed its commitment to the peaceful settlement and unconditional implementation of the ceasefire until a political agreement with Armenia was concluded. Last September, his Government had announced the unilateral release of all Armenian prisoners of war held in his country. When attempting to solve issues related to refugees and displaced persons, it was necessary to take into account the root causes of the problem. For example, refugees in his country were victims of an “expansionist war”. They had been forced to abandon their native lands not due to internal contradictions but as a result of expansionist ambitions.

ABDALLAH BAALI (Algeria) said countries in the southern hemisphere suffered the most from refugee related problems. Africa was the most affected area of the world, with 6.3 million refugees. It was the moral duty of the international community to support those people until the UNHCR could find a lasting solution. The international community should renew its financial support to the UNHCR. There were social, economic and political consequences to refugee-related problems. They had a strong impact on the economy of the host countries. The political consequences included threats to peace, security, and stability.

He said it was essential that the international community gave up its selective attention towards refugees. There were no first class and second class refugees. African refugees were not making excessive demands; they only desired that their essential needs be satisfied, such as housing, food and health care. Policies to consolidate peace after conflicts should be encouraged, so as to reduce the number of refugees and could ensure a sustainable solution enabling refugees to go back to their countries of origin. There was great solidarity in Africa towards those suffering from poverty, persecution and the rigors of nature; his country had never denied help towards Sahrawi refugees.

CATHERINE OTITI (Uganda) said that as a member of the UNHCR Executive Committee, her country would help guide and support the agency in improving its management and rationalizing its structural and budgetary procedures. Her country’s concern for refugees had been documented in the High Commissioner’s report. With the assistance of donors, the World Bank, United Nations agencies and non-governmental organizations (NGOs), it was doing everything possible to make their lives as comfortable as possible. She encouraged greater collaboration between the UNHCR and other agencies.

MARTHA DI FELICE (Venezuela) said the UNHCR’s concept of “association” for efficiency in managing refugee-related issues should be pursued. What it meant, basically, was an intensive cooperation between governments and the global community at all levels, including financial institutions, local groups and churches, all coordinated by UNHCR.

She said the question of refugees went far beyond the immediate situation, involving not only refugees but long term development. Peace and stability were intimately related to the situation of refugees. Political responses were certainly necessary to immediate crises, but social and economic factors figured into any long-term solution.

AUDRA PLEPYTE (Lithuania) said her Government had accepted a number of displaced people from Kosovo. Also, humanitarian assistance such as food had been sent to the region, and doctors from Lithuania had taken part in refugee relief activities.

Her Government and the UNHCR had jointly undertaken a programme to raise public awareness of refugee issues in her country. Also, assistance to asylum seekers had been provided. International cooperation was essential in solving refugee crises. Her Government supported the High Commissioner’s campaign to promote the accession of States to the 1951 Convention relating to the Status of Refugees and other relevant human rights instruments.

DONKA GLIGOROVA (The former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia) said the magnitude of the conflict in Kosovo had threatened the stability of the entire region. The international community had not reacted in an appropriate and timely manner during that conflict. Her country had given refuge to up to 30,000 refugees from Kosovo on a daily basis. The great number of refugees in her country could destabilize it. The international community must help ease the damage done to her country’s economy, and safe return of refugees to their homes.

The extremely difficult situation of Roma refugees from Kosovo needed to be addressed, she said. “In a very short period of time almost all Kosovo Roma have been expelled and their homes set on fire and looted”, she said. A more decisive reaction by the international forces was necessary in reversing such developments. There were still 4,500 to 5,000 Roma refugees in her country. Their tragedy was particularly worrying since they had no place to return to. Prospects for creating appropriate conditions for their safe return to Kosovo were limited. “The relevant international institutions should take the measures needed for each refugee and displaced person to go home in safety and with dignity”.

RAJESH PRASAD (India) said complex refugee situations such as those in Burundi and Georgia required a cautious, balanced approach aimed at humanitarian objectives, rather than being a hasty, poorly-conceived search for solutions. Precipitate actions created greater problems in their wake, particularly when they involved high profile emergency crises that made heavy claims on international resources while response in other areas remained slow and timid. It was the legal and moral responsibility of States and other concerned actors to address the humanitarian issue of refugees together through cooperation and partnership. If the problem of refugees ere not treated as everybody’s problem, it became no one’s problem.

He said the root causes of refugee flows needed to be addressed, including a principal cause, endemic poverty, in some parts of the world. That should be addressed in forums other than the UNCHR, along with related elements such as ensuring the transition from humanitarian assistance to rehabilitation. Preventing humanitarian crises through investment in long-term economic growth in countries of origin was the most cost-effective approach. While gross violations of human rights could generate massive refugee flows, he added, the “early warning system” of intrusive surveillance was not the answer. Dialogue, cooperation and national capacity building were what were needed.

THORSTEINN INGOLFSSON (Iceland) said his country had received groups of refugees over the years, recently from the former Yugoslavia and Kosovo. Integrating refugees into society was a delicate affair. As a rule, Iceland engaged refugees in a fairly strict integration programme during the first year, with the aim of enabling them to be independent members of society thereafter. The programme touched on economic and social questions, and also focused on education and interaction with citizens.

Since communication was important in Iceland, he said language courses were provided to the refugees during the first year. In addition, the Icelandic Red Cross had developed a family support programme to facilitate interaction between refugees and Icelanders. By that programme, when Iceland received a group of refugees volunteers were recruited from among Icelandic families to be support families. At least three support families were chosen for each refugee family. During the first year, the support families visited the refugee family and helped them learn the language, learn practical aspects of living in the society and, in some cases, to be friends.

The programme had worked so well, he concluded, it was under consideration to be adapted for immigrant families, who were often no less needy than refugee families. In addition, legislative adjustments were being made to increase the protection of foreigners in Iceland.

GOCHA LORDKIPANIDZE (Georgia) said the “tireless and courageous” efforts of the UNHCR field office to alleviate the conditions of dozens of thousands of displaced persons from Abkhazia was constrained by the lack of progress in the peace process. The affirmation that the return of displaced persons was purely a humanitarian issue, and not a political one, had not led to effective relief for the 250,000 displaced and refugees.

He said the widespread and systematic human rights violations, drug- trafficking and the smuggling of arms, had become normal activities in the territory controlled by the Abkhaz separatists. Since the 1994 ceasefire, the death toll of victims of the separatist regime numbered about 1600 persons. His Government was attempting to secure the return of refugees and displaced persons in Abkhazia. He welcomed the ongoing dialogue between the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), the World Bank and the UNHCR in order to assist internally displaced persons.

MURAT SMAGULOV (Kazakhstan) said since that donor assistance had decreased, a more effective use of available resources was essential. Preventive work was crucial in avoiding problems related to refugees, and he called for a constructive dialogue between Governments and the UNHCR.

The situation in Central Asia with military conflicts and political instability was of great concern, he said. The number of Afghan refugees in the region had more than quadrupled. The situation had been made more complex by illegal migration. Control in border areas was limited, leading to an increase in the illegal movement of drugs and arms. The increased presence of the UNHCR in the region was encouraging. Regulating the flows of refugees and migrants was essential.

BEATRICE ROSA BROBBEY (Ghana) said that to avoid outflows such as occurred in Kosovo and East Timor, the international community had to commit itself to respect for human rights, particularly of minorities, and to good governance based on democratic inclusiveness. Voluntary repatriation was the preferred method of assisting in most cases when refugees had wanted to return to their countries of origin. However, lasting peace and security depended on the rebuilding the infrastructure that had usually been devastated in the conflicts which produced the refugees.

It was of concern that refugees were encountering increased difficulty in finding safe haven. The accepted principles for refugee protection were eroding through restrictive asylum policies, mainly in developed countries. While international protection norms were abused by some, it should not be an excuse to deny sanctuary to genuine refugees and asylum seekers fleeing persecution or armed conflict in their own countries. She said, all countries should respect international principles and refrain from acts posing a threat to the security of refugees through refoulement, unlawful expulsion and unjustified detention.

ANTONIO REAL CORDEIRO (Angola) said his country was living through a critical period in which some in society had taken destabilizing actions to seize power by force. As a result, more than a third of Angola’s people were displaced and more than a million Angolan refugees lived in neighbouring countries. The malnutrition rate rose daily. The country was in the midst of a humanitarian catastrophe.

He said that in response the government had tried to restore peace and order through a military and humanitarian campaign. It would achieve its purpose of ending the war and promoting a fair share of assistance to all who had been affected by it. The government had begun an emergency support plan in which it had created a Fund to which it released $55 million for the purchase of such items as tents and tools. It also funded the return of refugees and the displaced, with particular care for children. The seed money for the Fund covered very little of what needed to be done; the international community should support Angola’s efforts, including through the United Nations.

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