TNAG-1066-FCO40-1316-Human-rights-in-Hong-Kong-1981 — Page 69

E/CN.4/1503 page 61

136. Follow-up work could include monitoring of developments in

order to report them to the Secretary-General and informal

reporting to governments on the progress of the international

effort. In the longer term, work could be carried out on

seeking to promote regional reflexes to crisis situations,

for example through encouraging the creation and/or development

of regional human rights mechanisms, in co-operation with the

Commission on Human Rights, and through promoting an active

interest in the New International Humanitarian Order.

Their

137. Measures to be undertaken should be speedy.

success would be largely dependent on an informed appreciation

of each complex situation and its respective origins, based on

ongoing research and analysis. Only an impartial monitoring

of situations could lead to a more balanced assessment of

circumstances lying at the root of potential exodus and con- tribute thereby to a more adapted response from humanitarian

agencies.

138. Few events go unnoticed in the world today, and the media

has been remarkably effective in bringing violations of human

rights to the attention of the public. Yet these and other

"push factors" are rarely cause for sufficiently active concern

until refugees are on the move. Those who could not leave may pay an even higher price for the apparent indifference of their

fellow men.

139. Such an approach as has been outlined is no panacea. It

may not always circumscribe exodus but could lead in certain

cases to containing or diminishing movement.

140. The fact that an undertaking is difficult does not mean

that it should not be attempted, Governments will inevitably

expect that something should be done on this account if there is to be any confidence that the necessary level of humani- tarian response to need and distress will be attained.