United Nations General Assembly A/RES/56/136 Distr.: General 15 February 2002 Fifty-sixth session Agenda item 114 Resolution adopted by the General Assembly [on the report of the Third Committee (A/56/578)] 56/136. Assistance to unaccompanied refugee minors The General Assembly, Recalling its resolutions 49/172 of 23 December 1994, 50/150 of 21 December 1995, 51/73 of 12 December 1996, 52/105 of 12 December 1997, 53/122 of 9 December 1998 and 54/145 of 17 December 1999, Aware of the fact that the majority of refugees are children and women, Bearing in mind that unaccompanied refugee minors are among the most vulnerable refugees and the most at risk of neglect, violence, forced military recruitment and sexual assault and therefore require special assistance and care, Mindful of the fact that the ultimate solution to the plight of unaccompanied minors is their return to and reunification with their families, Noting the revised Guidelines on Refugee Children issued by the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees in May 1994 and the development of an emergency kit to facilitate coordination and enhance the quality of responses to the needs of unaccompanied minors by the Office of the High Commissioner, the United Nations Children’s Fund and non-governmental organizations, Noting with appreciation the efforts of the Office of the High Commissioner and the United Nations Children’s Fund in the identification and tracing of unaccompanied minors, and welcoming their efforts in reunifying families of refugees, Welcoming the efforts exerted by the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees to reunite refugees with their families, Noting the efforts of the High Commissioner to ensure the protection of and assistance to refugees, including children and unaccompanied minors, and that further enhanced efforts need to be exerted to this effect, Recalling the provisions of the Convention on the Rights of the Child, 1 and the 1951 Convention 2 and 1967 Protocol thereto 3 relating to the Status of Refugees, _______________ 1 Resolution 44/25, annex. United Nations, Treaty Series, vol. 189, No. 2545. 3 Ibid., vol. 606, No. 8791. 2 01 48458

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