STATEMENT ON DURABLE SOLUTIONS
Mr Chairman:
May I thank you for the opportunity to put forward the views
of the Australian Government on this most vital of issues confronting
the Executive Committee, the achievement of durable solutions for the
world's refugees. The basic mandate of UNHCR is to enable durable
solutions for refugees and refugee problems. My Government sees it as
particularly appropriate that the Executive Committee, with the range of
experience in the commitment to the problems of refugees it can bring to
bear, should focus its attention specifically on durable solutions for
refugees and on the role UNHCR can play in bringing about such solutions.
The discussion of this matter is, moreover, especially timely
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starting
in view of the High Commissioner's starting advice that whereas in 1970,
some 63 per cent of his program was geared to durable solutions, by 1981
the proportion had fallen to 26 per cent.
The past year has seen progress towards achieving durable
solutions, notably in Africa. In keeping with the humanitarian traditions
of African States, the durable solutions of local integration and voluntary
repatriation have been effected for massive numbers of refugees in Africa.
Australia for its part has contributed to programs to assist refugees in
Africa to achieve durable solutions. The refugee problems in Africa none-
the less remain colossel. It will receive the concerned attention of my
Government especially in the context of the forthcoming Second International
Conference on Assistance to Refugees in Africa.
In South East Asia, the durable solution of resettlement has
since 1975 been achieved for over 1,000,000 Indochinese refugees. Australia
No comments yet.
Private notes are available after approval.