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set the standard for impartial, non-political humanitarian aid. serve on the board of governors of the American Red Cross. I am glad to note that that organization is expanding its international involvement, under the able leadership of its president, my friend and former colleague, Richard Schubert.
I want to commend the leadership of Alexander Hay, The president of the ICRC who has presided over that organization's major expansion. I have had the pleasure of meeting with President Hay and other ICRC leaders. I found their counsel always wise and useful, not only on humanitarian programs but also in terrorist situations such as the hijacking of TWA flight 847, in which the ICRC assisted in its usual quiet, effective way in the arrangements for the release of the hostages. Mr. Hay has announced his decision to step down as ICRC president. We welcome his successor, Mr. Cornelio Sommaruga, who has been secretary of state for Foreign Economic Affairs in the Swiss
government.
The third organization that enables us to work multilaterally to aid refugees is The Intergovernmental Committee for Migration (ICM), ably led by James L. Carlin, a former distinguished foreign service officer. ICM was founded in 1951 to provide safe, secure migration assistance in the major movements of displaced persons and refugees following the second World War and the communist takeovers in Eastern Lurope. Since that time it has helped move nearly four million refugees and migrants throughout the world. Today ICM serves as the lead organization for medical processing and resettlement
In recent transportation for the U.S. refugee admissions program. years ICM has been especially resourceful in aiding skilled migrants originally from third-world countries to return to productive positions in their homelands.
Benefits of Cooperation
In concrete terms, the benefits of cooperation are obvious. While the United States has been the leading refugee resettlement country in the past decade, other countries have also made important contributions, in some cases overcoming long-standing antipathy Lo immigration by foreign groups. We continue to seek ways in which the financial burden of providing refugee assistance can be shared equitably by the international community.
In short, the United States is not alone in its efforts to aid refugees. We make vital contributions to a functioning global system
This of international organizations and private voluntary agencies. multiplies the resources that the U.S. government brings to these humanitarian efforts. The pattern of international cooperation that has developed through the years, with its emphasis on non-political, impartial assistance on the basis of need, serves our interests well
it serves those of the world's refugees.
Aiding Refugees in Home Regions
Probably the most significant result of cooperation has been the growing recognition that refugee problems are best resolved in the regions from which the refugees come. Leadership by the UNHCR and prudent management of refugee programs worldwide has made it possible to reduce significantly the numbers of refugees for whom third-country resettlement is a necessary or even desirable solution. This has been a major objective of U.S. policies, one that is shared by other countries aiding refugees, and by the international system as a whole. The best way to resolve a refugee situation is to enable refugees to return freely and voluntarily to their homes in their countries of origin. Although this can only rarely be accomplished in the short run, in many cases it has been possible for refugees to remain nearby and to return home when the situation has changed enough to permit voluntary repatriation. That remains the best hope even for those whose homelands remain under foreign occupation, like the almost three million Afghans in Pakistan. These people require and deserve the full-hearted support of the international community as they continue to suffer the deprivations of a limited, impermanent existence in temporary asylum. In our judgment, international resettlement is the correct solution for only relatively small numbers of refugees
Even where return to the homeland appears unlikely, there are advantages for refugees to be cared for in the region in which they
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