10th Progress Report of the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees
Recommendation 329
(1962)
- Author(s):
- Parliamentary Assembly
- Origin
- Assembly debate on 21st September 1962 (11th Sitting) (see Docs. 1448Docs. 1448, 10th Progress Report of the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, and 1464, Report of the Committee on Population and Refugees). Text adopted by the Assembly on 21st September 1962 (11th Sitting).
1. The Assembly,
2. 1. Having examined the 10th Progress Report of the Office of the High Commissioner for Refugees (
Doc. 1448) and the Report submitted in reply by the Committee on Population and Refugees (
Doc. 1464) ;
3. 2. Having taken note of the considerable progress achieved by the High Commissioner in the implementation of his programmes, in particular with regard to assistance to "old" refugees, that is European refugees coming within the mandate of the Office of the High Commissioner on 31st December 1960 ;
4. 3. Noting that, in spite of all the efforts made to date and, in particular, the successful result of World Refugee Year, there remained on 1st January 1962 some 35,000 "old" refugees, the majority in Europe, including a high proportion of physically or socially handicapped refugees who do not benefit from the High Commissioner's programmes and about 20,000 of whom cannot become permanently settled without international assistance ;
5. 4. Noting that the regular programme for 1962, the financial target for which is $5 million, and the final major aid programme for "old" refugees planned by the High Commissioner for 1963 with a financial target of $5-4 million, are designed to provide permanent solutions to the material assistance problems of the "old" refugees;
6. 5. Noting that, as from the beginning of 1963, the current material assistance tasks of the Office of the High Commissioner will be financed through a current complementary assistance programme to an amount of $1.4 million, half of which is intended to assist refugees of European origin ;
7. 6. Noting that the total financial target for the Office of the High Commissioner for the years 1962 and 1963 thus amounts to $11.8 million ;
8. 7. Considering that, in order to enable the High Commissioner to fulfil his mission and to reach the total financial target of $11.8 million, an amount of some $6 million will be needed in addition to the normal contributions granted by Governments which contribute regularly to the High Commissioner's programmes ;
9. 8. Considering that this target cannot be attained without the active participation of the European Governments concerned and that the problems of the non-settled "old" refugees in Europe can only be solved through a widespread movement of European solidarity;
10. 9. Aware of the important tasks with which the High Commissioner is simultaneously faced as a result, in particular, of new refugee problems in Africa and Asia ;
11. 10. Expressing its appreciation of the work accomplished by the High Commissioner both as regards the "old" refugees and the new groups of refugees for whom he is providing assistance under the terms of the "good offices" resolutions of the General Assembly of United Nations ;
12. 11. Considering that, in addition to the efforts which will continue to be made by Governments, the Council of Europe and other European organisations should make a united European contribution to the final major aid programme ;
13. 12. Expressing the hope that numerous private initiatives will bring to the proposed undertaking the character of international solidarity which ensured the success of World Refugee Year ;
14. 13. Recommends that the Committee of Ministers should :
15. (1) approach member Governments to ask them to give favourable consideration to the action which the High Commissioner proposes to take with a view to solving the problems of "old" non-settled refugees and, at least, to double their annual financial contributions in order to assist the High Commissioner to reach the financial target of $11.8 million, mentioned above ;
16. (2) insert in the Council of Europe budget for 1963 a special contribution for the High Commissioner, representing its participation in the action of European solidarity in favour of "old" refugees in Europe ;
17. (3) approach other European organisations in order to obtain their maximum participation in the financing of the united action designed to provide a solution to the problems of assistance to the "old" non-settled refugees in Europe.
