requirements enumerated in the relevant conclusion of the Executive Committee. 13/ In the same conclusion, 14/ the hope was also expressed that the Governments o those contracting States which had not yet established such procedures would de so in the near future and give favourable consideration to the participation of UNHCR in appropriate form.
47. Progress has continued to be made in this field during the reporting period. In Djibouti, the Government, in consultation with UNHCR, established a commission and procedure for determining refugee status, and in Greece such a procedure has been established and detailed discussions concerning its implementation have been held with the competent authorities. Refugee status determination procedures providing for UNHCR participation have also been established in two principal countries of resettlement, namely Australia and Canada. The Office has been in touch with the competent authorities in a number of other countries regarding the possibility of establishing such procedures and has continued to co-operate with Governments within the framework of existing procedures.
48. Following the recommendation of the Executive Committee, the Office is preparing a study on the question of the extra-territorial effect of the determination of refugee status. Upon the recommendation of the Executive Committee, the Office is also preparing, for the guidance of Governments, a handbook relating to the procedures and criteria for determining refugee status.
D.
Travel and identity documents
In
49. The Office has continued to encourage and facilitate the issue of Convention travel documents, as provided for in article 28 of the 1951 Convention. appropriate cases, UNHCR has offered advice and, where necessary, technical assistance in the printing of such documents, which have now been published in Arabic, English and French. UNHCR representatives co-operate with the competent authorities in many States regarding the issue of Convention travel documents and, in some instances where States are not in a position to issue such documents, the representatives seek the issuance of alternative documentation. The travel document issued by the International Committee of the Red Cross has often proved most useful where the States concerned have not been parties to the 1951 Convention and 1967 Protocol.
50. The absence of adequate identification of a refugee can create practical difficulties for him in his relations with the authorities. In this respect, article 27 of the 1951 Convention provides that contracting States shall issue identification papers to refugees lawfully staying in their territory who are not in possession of a valid travel document. During 1977, with the assistance of UNHCR, identity cards were issued by the competent authorities in Djibouti and in the north Kivu region of Zaire; while in Gabon, a UNHCR chargé de mission
13/ Ibid., para. 53 (6) (e).
14/ Ibid., para. 53 (6) (a).
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