A/RES/55/74
3.
Expresses sincere appreciation and gratitude to Sadako Ogata for her
unrelenting efforts throughout her tenure as United Nations High Commissioner for
Refugees to promote innovative humanitarian solutions to the refugee problem in
various parts of the world, and for her inspiring example in performing her functions
in an effective and dedicated manner;
4.
Reaffirms that the 1951 Convention 3 and the 1967 Protocol 4 relating to
the Status of Refugees remain the foundation of the international refugee regime and
recognizes the importance of their full application by States parties, notes with
satisfaction that one hundred and forty States are now parties to one instrument or to
both, welcomes the fact that an intergovernmental event involving those States is
planned on the occasion of the fiftieth anniversary of the Convention, and
encourages the Office of the High Commissioner and States to strengthen their
efforts to promote broader accession to those instruments and their full
implementation;
5.
Notes that fifty-two States are now parties to the 1954 Convention
relating to the Status of Stateless Persons 5 and that twenty-three States are parties to
the 1961 Convention on the reduction of statelessness, 6 and encourages the High
Commissioner to continue her activities on behalf of stateless persons;
6.
Reaffirms that, as set out in article 14 of the Universal Declaration of
Human Rights, 7 everyone has the right to seek and enjoy in other countries asylum
from persecution, and calls upon all States to refrain from taking measures that
jeopardize the institution of asylum, in particular by returning or expelling refugees
or asylum-seekers contrary to international standards;
7.
Emphasizes that the protection of refugees is primarily the 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, welcomes the proposal of the Office of the High Commissioner to
commence a process of global consultations on international protection, and requests
a report thereon;
8.
Welcomes measures taken by the Office of the High Commissioner to
make protection effective, recognizing that international protection is a dynamic and
action-oriented function, carried out in cooperation with States and other partners,
inter alia, to promote and facilitate the admission, reception and treatment of
refugees and to ensure protection-oriented solutions;
9.
Stresses the importance of international solidarity, burden-sharing and
international cooperation to share responsibilities and partnerships in reinforcing the
international protection of refugees, urges all States and relevant non-governmental
and other organizations, in conjunction with the Office of the High Commissioner,
to cooperate and to mobilize resources with a view to reducing the heavy burden
borne by States, in particular developing countries, that have received large numbers
of asylum-seekers and refugees, and calls upon the Office of the High Commissioner
to continue to play its catalytic role in mobilizing assistance from the international
3
United Nations, Treaty Series, vol. 189, No. 2545.
Ibid., vol. 606, No. 8791.
5
Ibid., vol. 360, No. 5158.
6
Ibid., vol. 989, No. 14458.
7
Resolution 217 A (III).
4
2