1999 (Executive Committee—50th Session) continue its close collaboration with the Organization of African Unity with a view to enhancing the protection of refugees in Africa; Access to protection (j) Reiterates that the institution of asylum is of crucial importance to the international protection of refugees; re-emphasizes the importance of ensuring access to asylum procedures; recalls Conclusions No. 15 (XXX) of 1979 and No. 58 (XL) of 1989 on refugees without an asylum country and irregular movement of asylum-seekers; and affirms, in this regard, that notions such as "safe country of origin", "internal flight alternative" and "safe third country", should be appropriately applied so as not to result in improper denial of access to asylum procedures, or to violations of the principle of non-refoulement ; (k) Acknowledges the need for States to address the problem of misuse or abuse of refugee status determination procedures, both at the national level and through international cooperation, and urges States to ensure that national law and administrative practices, including migration control measures, are compatible with the principles and standards of applicable refugee and human rights law, as set out in relevant international instruments; (l) Reaffirms Conclusion No. 58 (XL) on irregular movements; notes with concern that refugees who have already found and continue to enjoy protection in a first country of asylum continue to move in an irregular manner to other countries on a significant scale; and encourages UNHCR, States and other relevant actors to enhance cooperation to address the causes of such movements, in particular with a view to ensuring treatment of asylum-seekers and refugees in accordance with the highest possible standards of protection in first countries of asylum, and to creating awareness as to the risks and dangers linked to irregular movements, notably exploitation by traffickers; and further encourages UNHCR to work with transit and destination countries to ensure that the protection and assistance needs of such asylum-seekers and refugees are met; (m) Recalls Conclusion No. 15 (XXX) relating to refugees without an asylum country, Conclusion No. 30 (XXXIV) on the problem of manifestly unfounded or abusive applications for refugee status or asylum, and Conclusion No. 58 (XL) on the problem of refugees and asylum-seekers who move in an irregular manner from a country in which they had already found protection; and invites UNHCR to continue to study the issues arising from the concept of manifestly unfounded claims and to report to this Committee in due course; Special protection needs (n) Notes with appreciation special efforts by States to incorporate gender perspectives into asylum policies, regulations and practices; encourages States, UNHCR and other concerned actors to promote wider acceptance, and inclusion in their protection criteria of the notion that persecution may be gender-related or effected through sexual violence; further encourages UNHCR and other concerned actors to develop, promote and implement guidelines, codes of conduct and training programmes on gender-related refugee issues, in order to support the mainstreaming of a gender perspective and enhance accountability for the implementation of gender policies; (o) Calls on States to promote and protect the human rights of all refugees; expresses its particular and deep concern that refugees with special protection needs, including refugee women and children, are increasingly targets of exploitation, forced military service and various forms of violence; and calls on States to tailor their protection responses accordingly; (p) Taking into account that elderly refugees are particularly affected by social disintegration, chronic dependency and other adverse aspects of the refugee condition, calls on States, UNHCR and other concerned actors to make renewed efforts to ensure that the rights, needs and dignity of elderly refugees are fully respected and addressed through appropriate programme activities; Security of refugees (q) Recalls United Nations Security Council resolution S/RES/1208 (1998); remains gravely preoccupied with the continuing occurrence of military or armed attacks and other threats to the security of refugees, including the infiltration of armed elements in refugee camps and settlements; re-emphasizes the responsibility of States, working, where appropriate, with UNHCR in collaboration with each other and with other parts of the UN system, to uphold the civilian and humanitarian character and to ensure the security of refugee camps and settlements, inter-alia, by identifying and separating armed elements from refugee populations and settling refugees in secure locations; and encourages States and UNHCR, in collaboration with each other and with other parts of the UN system, to continue their efforts to enhance the security and civilian nature of refugee camps and settlements; 133