A/RES/61/137
progressive implementation of mechanisms and standards through relevant national
public policies supported by the international community;
3.
Reaffirms the 1951 Convention relating to the Status of Refugees 5 and
the 1967 Protocol thereto 6 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 that one hundred and
forty-six States are now parties to one instrument or to both, 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;
Notes that sixty-two States are now parties to the 1954 Convention
4.
relating to the Status of Stateless Persons 7 and that thirty-three States are parties to
the 1961 Convention on the Reduction of Statelessness, 8 encourages States that have
not done so to give consideration to acceding to these instruments, 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;
Takes note of the current activities of the Office of the High
5.
Commissioner related to protection of and assistance to internally displaced persons,
including in the context of inter-agency arrangements in this field, emphasizes that
such activities should be consistent with relevant General Assembly resolutions and
should not undermine the mandate of the Office for refugees and the institution of
asylum, and encourages the High Commissioner to continue his dialogue with States
on the role of his Office in this regard;
Re-emphasizes that the protection of refugees is primarily the
6.
responsibility of States, whose full and effective cooperation, action and 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;
Emphasizes that prevention and reduction of statelessness are primarily
7.
the responsibility of States, in appropriate cooperation with the international
community;
Also emphasizes that protection of and assistance to internally displaced
8.
persons are primarily the responsibility of States, in appropriate cooperation with
the international community;
Urges all States and relevant non-governmental and other organizations,
9.
in conjunction with the Office of the High Commissioner, in a spirit of international
solidarity and burden- and responsibility-sharing, to cooperate and to mobilize
resources with a view to enhancing the capacity of and reducing the heavy burden
borne by host countries, in particular those that have received large numbers of
refugees and asylum-seekers, and calls upon the Office to continue to play its
_______________
5
United Nations, Treaty Series, vol. 189, No. 2545.
Ibid., vol. 606, No. 8791.
7
Ibid., vol. 360, No. 5158.
8
Ibid., vol. 989, No. 14458.
6
2