A/RES/54/144 Page 3 Noting and reaffirming the importance of the 1951 Convention5 and the 1967 Protocol6 relating to the Status of Refugees, 1. Takes note of the reports of the Secretary-General1 and of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees;2 2. Calls upon the Governments of the countries of the Commonwealth of Independent States, in cooperation with the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, the International Organization for Migration and the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe, to strengthen their efforts and mutual cooperation relating to the follow-up to the Regional Conference to Address the Problems of Refugees, Displaced Persons, Other Forms of Involuntary Displacement and Returnees in the Countries of the Commonwealth of Independent States and Relevant Neighbouring States, and welcomes the positive results achieved by them in the implementation of the Programme of Action adopted by the Conference;4 3. Endorses the broad consensus reached by the participants in the steering group of the Conference that implementation of the issues outlined in the Programme of Action should be continued and that consideration should be given to a continuation of the follow-up to the Conference after 2000; 4. Calls upon the countries of the Commonwealth of Independent States and other interested States, in cooperation with the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, the International Organization for Migration and the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe, to elaborate concrete proposals for a mechanism for possible follow-up to the Conference after 2000; 5. Invites all States that have not yet done so to accede to and implement fully the 1951 Convention5 and the 1967 Protocol6 relating to the Status of Refugees, while welcoming the accession of Georgia and Kazakhstan to the Convention; 6. Calls upon States and interested international organizations, in a spirit of solidarity and burdensharing, to provide appropriate forms and levels of support for the practical implementation of the Programme of Action; 7. Invites international financial and other institutions to contribute to the financing of projects and programmes within the framework of the implementation of the Programme of Action; 8. Invites the countries of the Commonwealth of Independent States to intensify bilateral, subregional and regional cooperation in maintaining the balance of commitments and interests in the process leading up to the implementation of the Programme of Action; 9. Calls upon the Governments of the countries of the Commonwealth of Independent States to continue to strengthen their commitment to the principles underpinning the Programme of Action, in particular principles of human rights and refugee protection, and to lend high-level political support to ensure progress in its implementation; 5 United Nations, Treaty Series, vol. 189, No. 2545. 6 Ibid., vol. 606, No. 8791. /...