A/RES/67/149
Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees
3.
Acknowledges the sixtieth anniversary of the 1951 Convention relating to
the Status of Refugees 3 and the fiftieth anniversary of the 1961 Convention on the
Reduction of Statelessness 4 in 2011, expresses appreciation for the convening and
facilitation by the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees of an
intergovernmental ministerial event in recognition of the importance of respecting
and upholding the values and principles enshrined in those two instruments, 5 and
welcomes the adoption at that meeting of a ministerial communiqué, 6 as well as the
submission of pledges by 105 States and 3 international organizations;
Reaffirms the 1951 Convention relating to the Status of Refugees and the
4.
1967 Protocol thereto 7 as the foundation of the international refugee protection
regime, recognizes the importance of their full and effective application by States
parties and the values they embody, notes with satisfaction the number of States that
are now parties to one or both instruments, encourages States not parties to consider
acceding to those instruments, underlines, in particular, the importance of full
respect for the principle of non-refoulement, and recognizes that a number of States
not parties to the international refugee instruments have shown a generous approach
to hosting refugees;
Welcomes pledges by States to accede to the statelessness conventions,
5.
the 1954 Convention relating to the Status of Stateless Persons 8 and the 1961
Convention on the Reduction of Statelessness, as well as pledges to remove
reservations to them, also welcomes the recent increase in the number of accessions
to the two Conventions, notes the work of the High Commissioner in regard to
identifying stateless persons, preventing and reducing statelessness and protecting
stateless persons, and urges the Office of the High Commissioner to continue to
work in this area in accordance with relevant General Assembly resolutions and
Executive Committee conclusions;
Re-emphasizes that the protection of refugees is primarily the
6.
responsibility of States, whose full and effective cooperation, action and political
resolve are required to enable the Office of the High Commissioner to fulfil its
mandated functions, and strongly emphasizes, in this context, the importance of
active international solidarity and burden- and responsibility-sharing;
Also re-emphasizes that prevention and reduction of statelessness are
7.
primarily the responsibility of States, in appropriate cooperation with the
international community;
Further re-emphasizes that protection of and assistance to internally
8.
displaced persons are primarily the responsibility of States, in appropriate
cooperation with the international community;
Encourages the Office of the High Commissioner to continue responding
9.
adequately, in cooperation with States, to emergencies and to pursue its efforts to
_______________
3
United Nations, Treaty Series, vol. 189, No. 2545.
Ibid., vol. 989, No. 14458.
5
Intergovernmental event, held in Geneva on 7 and 8 December 2011 at the ministerial level, of States
Members of the United Nations on the occasion of the sixtieth anniversary of the 1951 Convention relating
to the Status of Refugees and the fiftieth anniversary of the 1961 Convention on the Reduction of
Statelessness.
6
A/AC.96/1110/Add.1, annex.
7
United Nations, Treaty Series, vol. 606, No. 8791.
8
Ibid., vol. 360, No. 5158.
4
2/6