The General Assembly,
 
      Recalling its resolution 49/174 of 23 December 1994,
 
      Having considered the report of the Secretary-General and the report of
the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees,
 
      Bearing in mind the fact that most of the affected countries are least
developed countries,
 
      Convinced of the necessity of strengthening the capacity within the
United Nations system for the implementation and overall coordination of
relief programmes for refugees, returnees and displaced persons,
 
      Welcoming the prospects for voluntary repatriation and durable solutions
to the refugee problems throughout Africa,
 
      Recalling its resolution 49/7 of 25 October 1994, in which it endorsed
the convening of a regional conference for assistance to refugees, returnees
and displaced persons in the Great Lakes region,
 
      Taking into account resolution CM/Res.1588 (LXII) on refugees, returnees
and displaced persons in Africa, adopted by the Council of Ministers of the
Organization of African Unity at its sixty-second ordinary session, held at
Addis Ababa from 21 to 23 June 1995,
 
      Recognizing the need for States to create conditions conducive to the
prevention of flows of refugees and displaced persons and to voluntary
repatriation,
 
      Bearing in mind that the majority of refugees and displaced persons are
women and children,
 
      1.    Takes note of the report of the Secretary-General and the report
of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees;
 
      2.    Notes with concern the effects of political instability, internal
strife, human rights violations, foreign intervention, poverty and natural
disasters, such as drought, in increasing the number of refugees and displaced
persons in some countries of Africa;
 
      3.    Expresses deep concern at the serious and far-reaching
consequences of the presence of large numbers of refugees and displaced
persons in the receiving countries and the implications for their security,
their long-term socio-economic development and the environment;
 
      4.    Expresses its appreciation and strong support for those African
Governments and local populations which, in spite of the general deterioration
of socio-economic and environmental conditions, as well as over-stretched
national resources, continue to accept the additional burdens imposed by
increasing numbers of refugees and displaced persons, in compliance with the
relevant principles of asylum;
 
      5.    Commends the Governments concerned for their sacrifices, for
providing assistance to refugees, returnees and displaced persons and for
their efforts to promote voluntary repatriation and other measures taken to
find appropriate and lasting solutions;
 
      6.    Expresses its gratitude to the international community for the
humanitarian assistance it has continued to render to refugees and displaced
persons and to the countries of asylum, and calls upon it to continue to
provide assistance to the millions of refugees and displaced persons in
Africa;
 
      7.    Expresses its concern regarding instances, in some parts of
Africa, where the fundamental principle of asylum is jeopardized as a result
of unlawful expulsion, refoulement, or other threats to life, physical
security, dignity and well-being;
 
      8.    Welcomes the strengthening of cooperation, at all levels, between
the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees and the
Organization of African Unity, and urges both organizations, with relevant
subregional bodies, United Nations and non-governmental organizations, the
international community and the Governments concerned, to increase their
efforts to address the root causes, work out strategies and find durable
solutions to the problems of displacement in Africa;
 
      9.    Also welcomes the initiatives of the United Nations High
Commissioner for Refugees to implement General Assembly resolution 49/7, and
endorses the Plan of Action adopted by the Regional Conference on Assistance
to Refugees, Returnees and Displaced Persons in the Great Lakes Region, held
at Bujumbura from 15 to 17 February 1995, as a framework for solution-oriented
approaches to the humanitarian problems in the Great Lakes region;
 
      10.   Calls upon the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for
Refugees to intensify its protection activities by, inter alia, supporting the
efforts of African Governments through appropriate training of relevant
officers and other capacity-building activities, disseminating information
about refugee instruments and principles and providing financial, technical
and advisory services to accelerate the enactment or amendment and
implementation of legislation relating to refugees;
 
      11.   Expresses its appreciation for the efforts of Governments and for
the important work being done by the Office of the United Nations High
Commissioner for Refugees, United Nations organizations, the International
Organization for Migration, non-governmental organizations and other
cooperating bodies on the implementation of voluntary repatriation of refugees
in Africa, and calls upon the Office of the High Commissioner, in conjunction
with the Organization of African Unity and Governments concerned, subregional
groupings and other interested parties, actively to continue to seek
sustainable solutions to the refugee problem in Africa, in particular through
facilitating voluntary return in a dignified and orderly manner;
 
      12.   Appeals to Governments, United Nations and non-governmental
organizations and the international community to create conditions that can
facilitate the voluntary return and the early rehabilitation and reintegration
of refugees;
 
      13.   Commends the Governments of the Great Lakes region and the United
Nations High Commissioner for Refugees on their initiatives to promote
repatriation within the framework of tripartite agreements on voluntary
repatriation of refugees in the region;
 
      14.   Encourages the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for
Refugees to continue to cooperate with the office of the United Nations High
Commissioner for Human Rights in the promotion and protection of human rights
and fundamental freedoms in emergency humanitarian situations in Africa;
 
      15.   Calls upon the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for
Refugees, in conjunction with host Governments, United Nations and
non-governmental organizations and the international community, to undertake
an early assessment of the negative impacts of large refugee concentrations on
the host communities, with a view to initiating timely and concrete measures
to prevent damage and to assist in its repair, especially damage caused by
mass refugee influxes to the environment and ecosystems in host countries;
 
      16.   Notes with satisfaction the voluntary return of millions of
refugees to their homelands following the successful repatriation and
reintegration operations carried out by the Office of the United Nations High
Commissioner for Refugees, with the cooperation and collaboration of many
countries hosting refugees, and looks forward to other programmes to assist
the voluntary repatriation of all refugees in Africa;
 
      17.   Expresses its concern about the long stay of refugees in certain
African countries, and calls upon the United Nations High Commissioner for
Refugees to keep under review her programmes in those countries, taking into
account the increasing requirements there;
 
      18.   Expresses its appreciation to the Secretary-General, the United
Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, the specialized agencies, the
International Committee of the Red Cross, the International Federation of Red
Cross and Red Crescent Societies, donor countries and intergovernmental and
non-governmental organizations for their assistance in mitigating the plight
of the large number of refugees, returnees and displaced persons;
 
      19.   Expresses the hope that additional resources will be made
available for general refugee programmes to keep pace with refugee needs;
 
      20.   Calls upon Governments, United Nations organizations,
non-governmental organizations and the international community as a whole to
strengthen the emergency response capacity of the Office of the United Nations
High Commissioner for Refugees on the basis of the experience of the emergency
in Rwanda, and to continue providing needed resources and operational support
to Rwandese refugees and the host countries until a permanent solution can be
implemented;
 
      21.   Calls upon the international donor community to provide material
and financial assistance for the implementation of programmes intended for the
rehabilitation of the environment and infrastructure in areas affected by
refugees in countries of asylum;
 
      22.   Calls upon Member States and intergovernmental and
non-governmental organizations to continue to provide the necessary support
and financial assistance to the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees
to enhance her capacities and abilities to implement emergency operations,
care and maintenance activities and repatriation and reintegration programmes
for the benefit of refugees, returnees and, as appropriate, internally
displaced persons;
 
      23.   Appeals to Member States and international and non-governmental
organizations to provide adequate financial, material and technical assistance
for relief and rehabilitation programmes for the large number of refugees,
voluntary returnees and displaced persons and victims of natural disasters and
to the affected countries;
 
      24.   Requests all Governments and intergovernmental and
non-governmental organizations to pay particular attention to meeting the
special needs of refugee women and children;
 
      25.   Calls upon the Secretary-General, the United Nations High
Commissioner for Refugees, the Department of Humanitarian Affairs of the
Secretariat, United Nations humanitarian organizations, the International
Committee of the Red Cross, the International Federation of Red Cross and Red
Crescent Societies, regional and international financial institutions, the
International Organization for Migration and non-governmental organizations to
increase the capacity for coordination and delivery of humanitarian emergency
assistance and disaster relief in general, with States and others concerned in
respect of asylum, relief, repatriation, rehabilitation and resettlement of
refugees, returnees and displaced persons, including those refugees in urban
areas;
 
      26.   Requests the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees to
review her general programmes in Africa to take account of the increasing
requirements in that region and with a view to continuing her efforts and
expanding her activities in close collaboration with the Organization of
African Unity, regional organizations and governmental and non-governmental
organizations in Africa, in order to consolidate aid and increase essential
services to refugees, returnees and displaced persons;
 
      27.   Requests the Secretary-General to submit a comprehensive and
consolidated report on the situation of refugees, returnees and displaced
persons in Africa to the General Assembly at its fifty-first session, under
the item entitled "Report of the United Nations High Commissioner for
Refugees, questions relating to refugees, returnees and displaced persons and
humanitarian questions", and an oral report to the Economic and Social Council
at its substantive session of 1996.