A/RES/68/141
Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees
18. Emphasizes the need for States to ensure that perpetrators of attacks
committed on their territory against humanitarian personnel and United Nations and
associated personnel do not operate with impunity and that the perpetrators of such
acts are promptly brought to justice as provided for by national laws and obligations
under international law;
19. Strongly condemns attacks on refugees, asylum seekers and internally
displaced persons and acts that pose a threat to their personal security and well-being,
and calls upon all States concerned and, where applicable, parties involved in an
armed conflict to take all measures necessary to ensure respect for human rights and
international humanitarian law;
20. Deplores the refoulement and unlawful expulsion of refugees and asylum
seekers, and calls upon all States concerned to ensure respect for the relevant
principles of refugee protection and human rights;
21. Urges States to uphold the civilian and humanitarian character of refugee
camps and settlements, inter alia, through effective measures to prevent the
infiltration of armed elements, to identify and separate any such armed elements
from refugee populations, to settle refugees in secure locations and to afford to the
Office of the High Commissioner and, where appropriate, other humanitarian
organizations prompt, unhindered and safe access to asylum seekers, refugees and
other persons of concern;
22. Notes with concern that asylum seekers, refugees and stateless persons
are subject to arbitrary detention in some situations, welcomes the increasing use of
alternatives to detention, and emphasizes the need for States to limit detention of
asylum seekers, refugees and stateless persons to that which is necessary;
23. Expresses concern at the large number of asylum seekers who have lost
their lives at sea trying to reach safety, and encourages international cooperation to
further strengthen search and rescue mechanisms;
24. Emphasizes that the international protection of refugees is a dynamic and
action-oriented function that is at the core of the mandate of the Office of the High
Commissioner and that it includes, in cooperation with States and other partners, the
promotion and facilitation of the admission, reception and treatment of refugees in
accordance with internationally agreed standards and the ensuring of durable,
protection-oriented solutions, bearing in mind the particular needs of vulnerable
groups and paying special attention to those with specific needs, and notes in this
context that the delivery of international protection is a staff-intensive service that
requires adequate staff with the appropriate expertise, especially at the field level;
25. Affirms the importance of age, gender and diversity mainstreaming in
analysing protection needs and ensuring the participation of refugees and other
persons of concern to the Office of the High Commissioner, as appropriate, in the
planning and implementation of programmes of the Office and State policies, also
affirms the importance of according priority to addressing discrimination, gender
inequality and the problem of sexual and gender-based violence, recognizing the
importance of addressing the protection needs of women, children and persons with
disabilities in particular, and underlines the importance of continuing to work on
those issues;
26. Notes that the lack of civil registration and related documentation makes
persons vulnerable to statelessness and associated protection risks, recognizes that
birth registration provides an official record of a child’s legal identity and is crucial
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