GOVERNMENTS APPEAL FOR GREATER INTERNATIONAL COOPERATION TO ADDRESS CHALLENGES POSED BY RETURNEES, AS THIRD COMMITTEE CONCLUDES DISCUSSION OF REFUGEES

Fifty-eighth General Assembly

Third Committee

33^rd Meeting (AM)

GOVERNMENTS APPEAL FOR GREATER INTERNATIONAL COOPERATION TO ADDRESS CHALLENGES

POSED BY RETURNEES, AS THIRD COMMITTEE CONCLUDES DISCUSSION OF REFUGEES

Governments today appealed for greater international cooperation to cope with the enormous challenges posed by returning refugees to countries already overburdened by limited resources or recovering from the devastating consequences of war, as the Third Committee (Social, Humanitarian and Cultural) concluded its review of issues relating to refugees, returnees and internally displaced persons.

Africa had become home to 32 per cent of the world’s refugee population as a result of armed conflicts and the lack of sustained peace processes, a situation that had overburdened the already weak and fragile economy, environment and infrastructure of many countries in the continent, said the representative of Ethiopia.  While it was the primary responsibility of governments to provide assistance and protection to refugees, Africa’s capacity was limited, and she appealed for an increase in assistance compatible with the problems of the continent.

The representative of Pakistan said his Government had strong reservations concerning the idea of development through local integration and did not consider that approach an option in protracted situations that involved millions of refugees who could upset the socio-economic and ethnic balance of a country.  Developed countries with large economies and in great need of diverse manpower were better placed to take on that responsibility and should be encouraged to do so.

The bitter experience of refugees returning to their place of origin after an extended absence had proved time and again that one could not reintegrate into a community without the provision of basic means for living, noted the representative of Eritrea.  While the immediate concern in many instances was food and shelter, there was also a need for long-term strategies for reintegrating refugees into society. 

In Angola, where years of civil conflict had produced 4 million internally displaced persons (IDPs) and 400,000 refugees in neighbouring countries, the national programme to eradicate poverty had prioritized reducing the dependency of refugees on humanitarian assistance and the reintegration of IDPs, said the representative of that country.  One year had passed since the return to peace in Angola, and so far, more than 150,000 refugees had returned from Namibia, Democratic Republic of the Congo and Zambia.

The representative of Bosnia and Herzegovina said that of the more than 2 million refugees and IDPs resulting from the conflict there, the Government had registered 960,000 returnees.  However, most of the refugees who had come back to the country were not able to return to their pre-war homes and had, therefore, changed their status from refugees to internally displaced persons.  The Government had succeeded in removing almost all political obstacles for the process of return and had improved security conditions for returnees, but he appealed to the international community to continue to offer its generous assistance to the process of return in Bosnia and Herzegovina. 

The voluntary repatriation to Timor-Leste of nearly 90 per cent of 230,000 refugees represented an enormous challenge to the transition process of the newly independent country, said its representative.  Timor-Leste was aware of the necessity of adopting national legislation on asylum and creating institutions to ensure adequate support for asylum seekers, and looked forward to continued technical assistance from the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) and United Nations Mission of Support in East Timor (UNMISET) in this regard.

The Committee today also heard the introduction of a draft resolution by the representative of Brazil on the incompatibility between democracy and racism.

During the last few days, delegates voiced concerns about the financial situation of the UNHCR and urged the international community’s continued support for the Office to enable it to continue carrying out its mandate to protect displaced people around the world.  Concerns were also expressed about the safety of humanitarian personnel working in dangerous and unstable situations.

Also addressing the Committee today were representatives of Belarus, Brazil, Kenya, Thailand, Indonesia, Jordan, Ghana, Nepal, Liechtenstein and the Congo.

The representatives of the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) and the Organization of the Islamic Conference (OIC) also spoke.

The Committee will reconvene at 3 p.m. tomorrow to begin its consideration of human rights questions and the implementation of human rights instruments.

Background

The Third Committee (Social, Humanitarian, Cultural) will continue its consideration of the report of the United Nations Commissioner for Refugees, questions relating to refugees, returnees and displaced persons and humanitarian questions.

For further background information, please see Press Release GA/SHC/3757 of 3 November.

Introduction of Draft Resolutions

Introducing a draft resolution on the incompatibility between democracy and racism (document A/C.3/58/L.33), the representative of Brazil said the subject was crucial to the consolidation of democracy and deserved consideration on a global scale, that was, by the General Assembly.  Free and fair elections alone did not suffice to define a political system as democratic, he said. 

ANDREI TARANDA (Belarus) said illegal migration remained one of the most complex problems and had become more relevant for Belarus each year.  The problem was associated with trafficking in persons, arms, drugs, prostitution, crime, and the spread of HIV/AIDS.  Belarus served as a buffer for migrants on their way to Europe, and every year, Belarus detained thousands of illegal migrants.  His Government was taking all possible measures to deal with illegal migration.  This entailed significant financial expenditures, including the costs of both hosting and deporting migrants. 

He said Belarus had hosted some 35,000 forced migrants, and one of his Government’s priorities was ensuring that the rights of refugees were equal to those of citizens.  Work was being done to improve national legislation in this area.  Refugees were provided with free access to the national education and health care system, as well as psychological and legal assistance. 

He said there was a critical need for the international community to strengthen the exchange of information and to provide financial and technical assistance to interested States.  States could no longer close their borders in this globalized world.  It was necessary to clearly define responsibilities of transit countries and destination countries.  He emphasized that it was critical for the UNHCR and countries to continue working together.  Belarus was very grateful to the UNHCR for the leading role it had taken in refugee support programmes, and welcomed the High Commissioner’s steps to expand activities through new initiatives.  He also welcomed the strategy to strengthen partnership ties with States and United Nations agencies on migrant issues. 

FREDERICO S. DUQUE ESTRADA MEYER (Brazil) said that, along with human rights and humanitarian law, refugee law constituted a fundamental pillar of the international regime for the protection of individuals.  Brazil attached great importance to the 1951 Refugee Convention and its 1967 Protocol.  They constituted the bedrock of refugee protection.  In this connection, Brazil had taken note of new and continuing initiative on the issue of refugee protection that provided a basis to deal with the changing refugees’ situation. 

New approaches must be explored in order to meet refugees’ needs and to find durable solutions, he said.  Unfortunately, public perception of the refugee problem had been affected worldwide by incidents of trafficking and smuggling of people, as well as by recurring waves of economic migrants.  It was very important that developed countries, especially those adopting more restrictive immigration and anti-terrorist measures, continued to keep their borders open to refugees. 

He also highlighted the necessity of strengthening coordination between the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) and other bodies that dealt with humanitarian issues in the United Nations system.  The United Nations refugee agency must be given more financial resources for integration and voluntary repatriation of refugees in developing countries.  He told the Committee that Brazil had received increased numbers of refugees, including a group of Afghan refugees.  Effective participation with the UNHCR was of fundamental importance in overcoming, at least in the short term, challenges in connection with the local integration of refugees.

AMINA MOHAMED (Kenya) said her country was among the top five refugee hosting countries in Africa and had a long tradition of providing asylum and protection to refugees.  There were 230,000 registered refugees and an estimated 20,000 to 50,000 undocumented asylum seekers.  Her Government ensured that refugees enjoyed the essential standards of protection and assistance, but refugee and asylum seekers faced a grim future due to diminishing resources. 

She said her delegation’s concerns regarding the problem of refugees in Africa related to the huge numbers of refugees being hosted by countries, including Kenya, the security issues resulting from refugees bearing weapons and engaging in drug trafficking and other crimes, and the response of host populations to the presence of refugees.  All these factors were putting great pressure on institutions dealing with asylum and protection and must be urgently addressed with more organized and effective regulatory mechanisms. 

In Kenya and other countries facing high levels of poverty, refugees were viewed as being better endowed than local citizens, due to the humanitarian assistance they received from the international community that didn’t provide the same assistance to the host communities.  Such disparities had been a source of hostility and conflict and needed to be urgently addressed. 

Support for asylum countries to meet their obligations needed to be expanded, she said.  In addition, continued advocacy for refugee protection and assistance required partnerships with civil society and grass-roots organizations. 

AMANUEL GIORGIO (Eritrea) said that since Eritrea’s formal independence in 1993, his Government had been very keen to find a more durable solution to the refugee issue through the design of a more comprehensive programme in a post-conflict situation.  The bitter experience of refugees returning to their place of origin after many years of absence had proved time and again that one could not reintegrate into a community without the provision of basic means for living.  While the immediate concern in many instances was food and shelter, there was also the need for organization of health care, water systems, education and a long-term strategy for reintegrating refugees into society. 

The voluntary repatriation programme of Eritrean refugees from the Sudan had resumed, albeit on a small scale, he said.  The resumption of that programme had so far allowed the return of about 3,000 refugees, and it was hoped that this figure would grow to a total of 25,000 by the end of this year.  There were currently more than 32,000 refugees that had registered for the voluntary repatriation from the Sudan and many others that were waiting for the opportunity to register. 

Another humanitarian concern to his delegation was the issue of internally displaced persons (IDPS), he said.  At the height of the border war in 2000, most of the IDPs had been able to resettle in a relatively short time.  However, there were still about 65,000 IDPs, most of them living in makeshift camps.  The indefinite postponement of the demarcation of the border between Eritrea and Ethiopia had once again dashed the hopes and aspirations of IDPs to return to their homes.  In this connection, he called on the international community to look at the humanitarian impact of Ethiopia’s rejection of the decision of the Boundary Commission.

MANOP MEKPRAYOONTHONG (Thailand) said the enhanced interconnection of the UNHCR within the United Nations system, especially in the areas of peace, security and development, would greatly benefit the UNHCR collaborative approach and multilateral character.  Of particular importance was UNHCR’s participation in the United Nations Development Group.  Beyond the United Nations system, other initiatives to strengthen UNHCR’s multilateral character were vital to expand broader support.  Therefore, the convening of regular ministerial meetings must not only be limited to States parties to the 1951 Refugee Convention and its 1967 Protocol. 

He also said that Thailand had developed close cooperation with the UNHCR since the time of the Indochinese refugee crisis.  In line with Thailand’s longstanding humanitarian tradition, the Government had undertaken to contribute to international efforts in addressing the world humanitarian situation in its own modest way.  At present, Thailand continued to host over 112,000 displaced persons without the prospect of durable solutions in the near future.  Such situations were difficult for any government and required continued support, including by the UNHCR. 

The “mixed flow” phenomenon had adversely affected developing host countries, including Thailand, he said.  Thailand’s humanitarianism and openness had been abused by those seeking publicity or political objectives.  Regrettably, those incidents often involved people with the status of “person of concern” given by the UNHCR. 

JONNY SINAGA (Indonesia) said international support for ongoing efforts in East Nusa Tenggara (West Timor) province was still required to complete the final stages of operations there.  The transition from relief to development was frequently a rocky one, and he stressed that while the crisis stage may be over, the assistance of the UNHCR and the international community was still needed for the integration of refugees into society and for the transition to development.  He urged the Secretary-General to enable United Nations bodies and agencies to distribute critically needed assistance to the needy people in East Nusa Tenggara province.

He said the resolution of the refugee problem in East Nusa Tenggara province was an example of the effective cooperation between a host country and the UNHCR and other international agencies.  His Government acknowledged that this could not have been achieved without outside assistance.  Indonesia reaffirmed its support for the UNHCR in exercising its mandate and hoped an effective long-term solution could be found to address its financial problems. 

ANTONIO LEAL CORDEIRO (Angola) said that due to the high number of refugees, it had been difficult for the Government to put in place human resource and other logistical requirement to handle the influx.  The country needed human, technical and financial assistance.  One year had passed since the return to peace in Angola, where years of civil conflict had produced 4 million internally displaced persons (IDPs), as well as 400,000 refugees under UNHCR control in neighbouring countries.  Repatriation of 170,000 refugees from Namibia, Democratic Republic of the Congo and Zambia was under way.  So far, more than 150,000 refugees had returned.  Though recent evaluation results showed that the humanitarian situation was stabilizing, some emergency needs were still persisting in various regions of the country. 

He said resettling and reintegration of remaining IDPs, the return of refugees from neighbouring countries and reducing dependency on humanitarian assistance remained the key priorities to the Government of Angola in its programme to eradicate poverty.  During the third ordinary session of the managing board of the World Food Programme, his Government had granted $7.5 million for a new programme on food aid.  The programme was intended to provide food for nearly 1.4 million IDPs and 170,000 refugees expected to return to the country.  Despite all efforts made by the Angolan Government, the international community was still slow in responding to the humanitarian and development needs in Angola. 

His country was utilizing the peace dividend to overcome the challenges of development and poverty eradication, and budget allocations for health and education had consistently increased, he said.  Nevertheless, given the enormity of the challenges, no amount of national resources unaided would be sufficient to overcome these challenges. 

He called upon the international community, especially donors, to increase financial and logistical provisions, not only to support the ongoing programmes and to minimize the suffering of millions of Angolans, but at the same time to increase the contribution to the UNHCR annual budget.  These contributions would increase the ability of the UNHCR to tackle refugee crisis around the world.

LULIT ZEWDIE G/MARIAM (Ethiopia) said armed conflicts and the lack of sustained peace processes, compounded by humanitarian and socio-economic challenges, had made Africa home to 32 per cent of the world’s refugee population.  That had overburdened its already weak and fragile economy, environment and infrastructure.  While it was the primary responsibility of governments to provide assistance and protection to refugees, Africa’s capacity was limited, and an increase in assistance compatible with the problems of the continent was of paramount importance.

She said Ethiopia was currently hosting 130,000 refugees and more than 200,000 internally displaced persons.  Sharing its meagre resources with these communities had exacted a substantial toll on her country’s economy and environment.  Her Government had successfully promoted voluntary repatriation of many refugees to relatively stable places of origin, but providing assistance and returning internally displaced persons (IDPs) to their places of origin required concerted efforts.

Her Government sought the support of the UNHCR in providing assistance to IDPs, she said.  The UNHCR’s funding must be improved and sustained, in order to meet the ever-growing needs of refugees, particularly in Africa.

MILOS M. PRICA (Bosnia and Herzegovina) said that out of 2,200,000 refugees and IDPs resulting from the conflict in Bosnia and Herzegovina, the Government had registered 960,000 returnees.  The huge number of refugees who had come back to the country were not able to return to their pre-war homes, and therefore had changed their status from refugees to internally displaced persons.  Despite the enormous efforts of the authorities of Bosnia and Herzegovina, UNHCR and the international community, eight years after signing the peace agreements, more than half of total number of refugees and IDPS were still out of their pre-war homes.  Nevertheless, the Government had succeeded in removing almost all political obstacles for the process of return and had improved security conditions for returnees.  The improvement of security conditions had facilitated almost

420,000 so-called “minority returns” in all areas of Bosnia and Herzegovina. 

He said efficient and unconditional implementation of property laws had been the main generator for the return of refugees and IDPs.  So far, 84 per cent of 208,500 decisions of the Commission for Real Property Claims had been implemented, and about 190,000 properties were being returned to their owners.  The process had been slowed down due to the fact that refugees from Serbia and Montenegro and Serbs from the Republic of Croatia were currently living in the territory of Bosnia and Herzegovina.  Regional cooperation was required for a durable solution to the situation.  He also appealed to the international community to continue to offer its generous assistance to the process of return in Bosnia and Herzegovina. 

MALIK ZAHEER ABBAS KHOKHAR (Pakistan) said his Government had strong reservations to the strategy of development through local integration, which it did not consider an option in protracted situations involving millions of refugees who could upset the socio-economic, as well as often delicately poised ethnic balance.  For countries hosting large caseloads of refugees under protracted situations, voluntary repatriation to the country of origin was the only viable and durable solution.  Developed countries with large economies and in great need of diverse manpower were better placed to take this responsibility and should be encouraged to do so.

He said that since most displacements were caused by conflicts, the magnitude of the global refugee problem went beyond the mandate and capacity of the UNHCR.  In view of the looming threats to peace and security in almost every continent, there was an urgent need to address the underlying causes of conflicts, to give more attention to conflict prevention and resolution and to strengthen global institutional arrangements for peace-building.

Pakistan had hosted the largest exodus of refugees caused by conflict since World War II, he said, noting that 3 million Afghan refugees had been accorded hospitality in his country for more than 23 years.  Besides the direct financial costs that were impossible to quantify, the adverse impact of their presence on Pakistan’s demography, social structure, economy and natural resources had been devastating.

Since the establishment of the interim Government in Afghanistan, more than 1.5 million refugees had voluntarily repatriated to Afghanistan, but there were still an additional 2 million who needed to be repatriated.  The building of basic elements such as security, employment and food assistance were essential prerequisites to accomplish that enormous task.

MU’TAZ HYASSAT (Jordan) said his country attached great importance to the issue of refugees, as it constituted one of the most challenging problems faced by the international community.  In this regard, his country supported the leading role of the UNHCR in alleviating the suffering of refugees and in seeking durable solutions for them. 

Jordan had noted the growing coordination and cooperation among the UNHCR and other agencies and organizations dealing with refugees and other persons of concern, he said.  It was hoped that such efforts would facilitate the development and strengthening of mechanisms by States at the regional and international levels for more effective and speedy resolution of various issues relating to refugees and other persons of concern.  These mechanisms must envisage early warning systems and information sharing, leading to more effective emergency preparedness, as well as the equitable distribution of burden and responsibilities.  Jordan welcomed the proposal to remove the time limitation of the mandate of the UNHCR until the world refugee problem was solved.

MAVIS KUSORGBOR (Ghana) said her delegation welcomed the development of a framework for the implementation of durable solutions by the UNHCR and supported its focus on post-conflict and protracted refugee situations.  While Kenya’s foremost option for permanent solutions to refugee situations was voluntary repatriation, resettlement and local integration might also be considered when it was feasible and fully supported by the host country.  However, Ghana was sceptical about the feasibility of these laudable strategies due to UNHCR’s critical financial situation.  Regrettably, the issue of funding had become a perennial problem.  Ghana therefore supported the High Commissioner’s call for a gradual increase in UNHCR’s share of the United Nations regular budget. 

Despite the positive advances towards resolving refugee crisis situations, her delegation was concerned about the erosion of internationally accepted principles, through restrictive asylum policies, practices and non-refoulement.  She called on all States to abide by commitments made to these principles as a form of support to the UNHCR in providing protection to refugees and other persons of concern.  While urging all States to address the root causes of humanitarian problems and establish a climate of peace and stability, she called on the international community to respond quickly and positively to early warning indications of impending humanitarian crises in order to prevent gross human rights violations and untold suffering.

JOSÉ LUIS GUTERRES (Timor-Leste) said his country was grateful for the efforts of the UNHCR and the Indonesian Government in accomplishing the voluntary repatriation of nearly 90 per cent of 230,000 refugees.  That return, however, also represented an enormous challenge for the transition process of his newly independent country.  Unaccompanied children were also a matter of great concern for his Government, which was committed to continuing its cooperation with the UNHCR and Indonesia to facilitate the reunification of those children with their families. 

Timor-Leste was aware of the necessity of adopting national legislation on asylum and creating institutions to ensure adequate support for asylum seekers in accordance with international standards.  It looked forward to continued technical assistance from the UNHCR and the United Nations Mission of Support in East Timor (UNMISET) in this regard. 

RAM BABU DHAKAL (Nepal) said among the 20 million refugees in the world, a large number of them had been caught in protracted situations, in the Middle East, in sub-Saharan Africa, in Asia and elsewhere.  Bhutanese refugees in Nepal constituted one of those situations.  To resolve these problems must be an urgent priority of the international community.

Good care of refugees alone did not make their life bearable, he said.  They were forced to live in camps in a foreign country without property, jobs or hope.  They were also victims of circumstances beyond their control, such as persecution, forced eviction, armed conflict, natural calamities, ethnic cleansing and gross violations of human rights and fundamental freedoms.  To find lasting solutions to those problems, the UNHCR must address the root causes of refugee problems, particularly in protracted situations.

The proposals on development through local integration must be examined carefully, he said.  While refugees could be agents of development, local integration was a problematic issue for resolving refugee problems and required detailed examination on a case-by-case basis.  Nepal had been hosting

100,000 Bhutanese refugees living in camps in its eastern parts for over a decade.  Nepal had always been eager to find a durable solution to this problem in good faith and through bilateral negotiations.

There was a need for genuine political will and determination to pave the way for the refugees to return home in safety and with dignity, he said.  He therefore shared the concerns of the international community over the undeniably slow pace of bilateral negotiation.  Bhutan must create a favourable environment to which the refugees could return.

PIO SCHURTI (Liechtenstein) said refugee situations around the globe were characterized by two manifestations of imbalance.  On one side, the majority of host countries were developing countries, receiving some two thirds of the world’s refugees.  On the other side, three countries provided half of the UNHCR’s annual budget, and 12 countries accounted for 90 per cent of UNHCR’s annual budget.  Those two manifestations were likely to remain a reality for as long as there were refugees, internally displaced persons and other persons of concern.  Thus, the international community was well advised to follow the essentially pragmatic path chosen by the UNHCR. 

He applauded the Framework for Durable Solutions, including Development Assistance for Refugees, the “4Rs” programme (repatriation, reintegration, rehabilitation, reconstruction) and development through local integration.  That Framework promoted burden sharing and multilateral cooperation. 

On development through local integration, he said that refugees and asylum seekers were not only a burden, but could contribute meaningfully to society when allowed to do so.  All stakeholders, refugees, host countries and countries of origin could benefit.  Allowing refugees and asylum seekers to work, and facilitating their self-reliance, not only reduced the costs for hosting them, but eventually also greatly enhanced the repatriation process.  As refugees abroad, people could start rebuilding their lives, perhaps learn a new trade, and later rebuild their lives in their countries of origin with some savings as start-up money. 

ADO VAHER, Director of United Nations Affairs and External Relations of the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF), said UNICEF and the UNHCR continued to work closely in many areas, both at country and global levels.  The agencies, together with their non-governmental organization (NGO) partners, had recently completed Guidelines on Unaccompanied and Separated Children, which established much needed consistent standards in this area. 

The past year had been important for UNICEF in terms of positive developments for displaced children, he said.  It was about to finalize a policy statement on UNICEF’s role in relation to displacement.  The approach it had taken was to address displacement in terms of its impact on boys and girls, rather than classifying them as refugee children, IDP children, or other subcategories.  The main areas of UNICEF’s focus in its work with displaced children were the importance of adopting a rights-based approach to humanitarian action, the critical role of education in displacement situations, and the urgent need to focus on birth registration to increase legal protections from child trafficking, labour and recruitment by armed groups. 

He emphasized that long-term solutions were needed to assist and protect displaced children and urged governments to increase their efforts to create a world truly fit for children. 

RENE NSEMI (Congo) said that even though progress had been made towards peace, efforts were needed to ensure durable solutions for refugees and internally displaced persons.  In this connection, the Congo supported the focus of the UNHCR on post-conflict countries, as well as the initiatives undertaken under the framework for durable solutions, including development assistance for refugees, the “4Rs” of repatriation, reintegration, rehabilitation and reconstruction, as well as development through local integration when viable.  The UNHCR had an important role to play, and the Congo therefore supported the removal of the time limitations on its mandate, in order for the UNHCR to address the many challenges ahead. 

He said political instability and armed conflicts in his region of Africa were the direct causes for the estimated 1.3 million refugees and internally displaced persons at the beginning of 2003.  Also, at the beginning of 2003, the Congo had hosted an estimated 119,000 refugees that had arrived mostly from the Democratic Republic of the Congo, as well as Rwanda, Burundi, and the Central African Republic.  Inversely, thousands of people from the Congo had found refuge in neighbouring countries such as the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Gabon, following violence in the Congo from 1997 to 1998. 

Despite the socio-economic difficulties faced by the Congo, he said the Government was acting in conformity with traditions of hospitality, as well as international commitments undertaken in assisting refugees and internally displaced persons in the country.  Tripartite accords had now been concluded between the Congo, UNHCR and Gabon on the one hand, and Rwanda on the other.  The first accord had allowed the repatriation of almost 2000 Congolese people from Gabon.  It was hoped that the second accord, signed in June 2003, would allow the voluntary repatriation of the many Congolese refugees living in Rwanda since 1997.

S. SHAHID HUSAIN, representative of the Organization of the Islamic Conference (OIC), said the exodus of refugees in 15 African countries, seven of which were OIC Member States, required the attention of a multidimensional approach involving not only humanitarian agencies, but also donors, civil society and the United Nations’ other development partners. 

He called attention to the plight of the Palestinian people and that of the Muslim population of Jammu and Kashmir, who had been victims of vicious conflicts with hundreds of thousands forced into seeking temporary refuge for too many years.  He urged the international community to play an effective role, through the United Nations, in supporting these communities, noting that his organization had repeatedly indicated its preparedness to play its complementary role in supporting United Nations efforts in these directions. 

* *** *