TRANSLATION
JOINT COMMUNIQUE BY THE HONDURAN GOVERNMENT AND UNHOR
A UNHCR High Level Mission, headed by Mr. William R. Smyser, Deputy High Commissioner, visited Honduras from 22 to 30 November, in order to examine with the Honduran authorities various aspects of the refugee problem in that country.
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The Mission had meetings with the President of the Republic, Dr. Roberto Suazo Córdova, with the First Vice-Chairman of Congress, Mr. Benigno Irías, with the President of the Supreme Court of Justice, Dr. Carlos Manuel Arita Palomo, with the Minister of the Interior, Mr Oscar Mejia Arellano and members of the National Commission Refugees, with the Minister for Foreign Affairs, Dr. Edgardo Paz-Barnica, with the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces, General Gustavo Alvarez Martínez, as well as with other important Honduran personalities, members of the diplomatic corps and the voluntary agencies.
The members of the Mission visited refugee camps and reception centres in the Mosquitia, Danlí, Mesa Grande, Colononcagua, Guarita and El Tesoro so as to make direct contact with Guatemalan, Nicara- guan and Salvadorean refugees.
The mission thanked the Honduran Government and people for receiving the refugees on their generous land. The mission was very aware of the complex and delicate problems which accompany the admission of so many refugees into the country, and is also aware of the humanitarian manner in which the Honduran Government is dealing with the problem. At the same time, the mission discerned that the attitude of the refugees is charac- terized to a large extent by their anxiety in respect of their present and future situation.
Discussions centred on possible ways of strengthening the prevailing conditions regarding the protection of refugees and the possibilities of their becoming self-sufficient while they remain outside their countries of origin.
In this respect, the Honduran Government manifested its willingness to identify, in the near future, sites away from the border area where refugees could settle, so as to attain the aforementioned goals.
For its part, UNHCR reiterated its willingness to continue to cooperate, by using all the means at its disposal, with the Honduran authorities in order to find a solution to the refugee problem in that country. In this respect, the mission viewed positively the assurances given by the Government regarding the appropriateness of UNECR's continuing to coordinate the refugee assistance programmes in Honduras.
Tegucigalpa, D.C., 30 November 1982