Executive Committee of the High Commissioner’s Programme Conclusion No. 117 (LXXV) on durable solutions and complementary pathways (2024) The Executive Committee, Recognizing the mandate of UNHCR to provide international protection and seek durable solutions for refugees; to identify and protect stateless persons and to prevent and reduce statelessness; and to contribute to inter-agency responses by protecting and assisting internally displaced persons under State leadership; Noting with concern the increasing number of refugees worldwide in recent years and the limited number of those finding durable solutions; noting with particular concern the growing number of refugees in protracted displacement; and recognizing the impacts thereof on refugees and, in many cases, on host countries and communities; Considering that international cooperation in solving international problems of a humanitarian nature and uniting our strength to maintain international peace and security are among the purposes of the United Nations, as defined in its Charter; noting that violent conflict continues to be a major driver of displacement across borders; and considering that the 1951 Convention relating to the Status of Refugees underscores the importance of international cooperation for achieving solutions to the situation of refugees; Recognizing the major efforts made by host countries to welcome, assist, protect and provide access to services to asylum-seekers and refugees, amidst the ongoing financial pressures faced by host countries and by UNHCR, and recalling the urgent need for support to host countries to facilitate durable solutions; Reaffirming its commitment to international solidarity and more equitable responsibility- and burden-sharing involving all members of the international community, and recalling the importance of international cooperation, in particular to support communities and countries hosting refugees, in ensuring protection and assistance and achieving solutions for refugees; Recognizing that States need to demonstrate strong political will to address the root causes of displacement for the purpose of achieving durable solutions; Noting that a combination of solutions, taking into account the specific circumstances of each refugee situation, need to be pursued; although voluntary repatriation in conditions of safety and dignity remains the preferred solution in the majority of refugee situations; Recognizing that complementary pathways are not a substitute for but are additional and complementary to voluntary repatriation, local integration and resettlement, and can play an important role in facilitating solutions for many refugees; Recalling the right to seek and enjoy asylum, which paves the way for durable solutions; Recognizing that solutions are often interconnected and may be realized on a progressive basis; Recalling the Global Compact on Refugees, which defined the facilitation of access to durable solutions as a primary objective and recognized that eliminating root causes is the most effective way to achieve solutions; and recalling the second Global Refugee Forum of 2023, where member States and other 1