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HRK 24- RECEIVED IN REGISTRY NO. 51
12 OCT 1978
DESK UM
NATIONS UNIES UNITED NATIONS
FRY
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SERVICE DE L'INFORMATION
INFORMATION SERVICE
OFFICE DES NATIONS UÑIES A GENÈVE
UNITED NATIONS OFFICE AT GENEVA
Office of the High Commissioner for Refugees
Press Release REF/1358 9 October 1978
HIGH COMMISSIONER STRESSES UNIVERSALITY OF REFUGEE PROBLEMS IN SPEECH TO EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE
The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees today addressed the opening of the 29th Session of his Executive Committee stressing the universality of refugee problems and the responsibility of all to find humanitarian solutions. Mr. Poul Hartling, who took up his post at the beginning of 1978 and has since travelled to 25 countries on four continents, reviewed the major concerns facing his Office and the universality of effort required stating: "It would be wrong to view our problem as being neatly divisible, between those faced by countries of first asylum, on the one hand, and those faced by countries that provide contributions and resettlement opportunities, on the other hand... History reminds us of the inter- relationship of the one with the other. Our shared humanity and experience require us now to recognize our common predicament and responsibility and jointly to find humanitarian answers for those who have been the victims of events in which, unfortunately, many of our countries have been participants.'
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Mr. Hartling recalled that the principal task of UNHCR, according to its Statute, is to find permanent solutions for refugee problems. He referred to recent operations now concluded, that had been undertaken by UNHCR to repatriate and settle in their home country citizens of Angola, Guinea Bissau and Mozambique who had found refuge in third countries. He also referred to the possibility of repatriation operations on a large scale toward Angola, Zaire, Namibia and Burma. In order to successfully carry out the task that the international community had entrusted to UNHCR, Mr. Hartling asked for "understanding and cooperation" from governments because "in the last analysis" he said "both refugees and UNHCR are bound by what governments will permit, or not permit, encourage or discourage, when it comes to the achieving of durable solutions. UNHCR can and must advocate courses of action that are humane and orderly, economic and well planned. But UNHCR cannot determine when precisely the refugee will be allowed to till the soil in his own support, or travel elsewhere to strike fresh roots. These decisions are your prerogative. But delays in taking such decisions inevitably add to our budgetary costs for care and maintenance and take an awesome toll on the morale of refugees."
Les communiqués sont destinés à l'information; ils ne constituent pas des documents officiels
For use of information media; not an official record
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