A/RES/73/150
Assistance to refugees, returnees and displaced persons in Africa
Commissioner at its fifty-second session, 11 notes the many forms of harassment faced
by refugees and asylum seekers who remain without any form of documentation
attesting to their status, recalls the responsibility of States to register refugees on their
territories and, as appropriate, the responsibility of the Office of the High
Commissioner or mandated international bodies to do so, reiterates in this context the
central role that early and effective registration and documentation can play, guided
by protection considerations, in enhancing protection and supporting efforts to find
durable solutions, and calls upon the Office, as appropriate, to help States to conduct
this procedure should they be unable to register refugees on their territory;
18. Welcomes the adoption of the conclusion on machine-readable travel
documents for refugees and stateless persons by the Executive Commi ttee at its sixtyeighth session; 12
19. Calls upon the international community, including States and the Office of
the High Commissioner and other relevant United Nations organizations, within their
respective mandates, to take concrete action to meet the protection and assistance
needs of refugees, returnees and displaced persons and to contribute generously to
projects and programmes aimed at alleviating their plight, facilitating durable
solutions and supporting vulnerable local host communities;
20. Acknowledges the efforts made by the African countries applying the
comprehensive refugee response framework, and underscores the importance for the
international community of ensuring appropriate and timely support;
21. Reaffirms the importance of timely and adequate assistance and protection
for refugees, returnees and displaced persons, also reaffirms that assistance and
protection are mutually reinforcing and that inadequate material assistance and food
shortages undermine protection, notes the importance of a rights- and communitybased approach in engaging constructively with individual refugees, returnees and
displaced persons and their communities so as to achieve fair and equitable access to
food and other forms of material assistance, and expresses concern with regard to
situations in which minimum standards of assistance are not met, including those in
which adequate needs assessments have yet to be undertaken;
22. Also reaffirms that respect by States for their protection responsibilities
towards refugees is strengthened by international solidarity involving all members of
the international community and that the refugee protection regime is enhanced
through committed international cooperation in a spirit of solidarity and burden - and
responsibility-sharing among all States;
23. Further reaffirms that host States have the primary responsibility to ensure
the civilian and humanitarian character of asylum, calls upon States, in cooperation
with international organizations, within their mandates, to take all measures necessary
to ensure respect for the principles of refugee protection and, in particular, to ensure
that the civilian and humanitarian nature of refugee camps is not compromised by the
presence or the activities of armed elements or used for purposes that are incompatible
with their civilian character, and encourages the High Commissioner to continue
efforts, in consultation with States and other relevant actors, to ensure the civilian and
humanitarian character of camps;
24. Condemns all acts that pose a threat to the personal security and well-being
of refugees and asylum seekers, such as refoulement, unlawful expulsion and physical
attacks, calls upon States of refuge, in cooperation with international organizations,
where appropriate, to take all measures necessary to ensure respect for the principles
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12
6/9
Ibid., Fifty-sixth Session, Supplement No. 12A (A/56/12/Add.1), chap. III, sect. B.
Ibid., Seventy-second Session, Supplement No. 12A (A/72/12/Add.1), chap. III, sect. A.
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