The General Assembly,
 
      Taking note of Economic and Social Council decision 1996/221 of 2 May
1996 concerning the enlargement of the Executive Committee of the Programme of
the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees,
 
      Taking note also of the requests regarding the enlargement of the
Executive Committee contained in the note verbale dated 11 April 1996 from the
Permanent Representative of Poland to the United Nations addressed to the
Secretary-General and the note verbale dated 12 April 1996 from the Permanent
Representative of South Africa to the United Nations addressed to the
Secretary-General,
 
      1.    Decides to increase the number of members of the Executive
Committee of the Programme of the United Nations High Commissioner for
Refugees from fifty-one to fifty-three States;
 
      2.    Requests the Economic and Social Council to elect the additional
members at its organizational session of 1997.