United Nations
General Assembly
A/RES/58/150
Distr.: General
24 February 2004
Fifty-eighth session
Agenda item 112
Resolution adopted by the General Assembly on 22 December 2003
[on the report of the Third Committee (A/58/503)]
58/150. Assistance to unaccompanied refugee minors
The General Assembly,
Recalling its resolutions 49/172 of 23 December 1994, 50/150 of 21 December
1995, 51/73 of 12 December 1996, 52/105 of 12 December 1997, 53/122 of
9 December 1998, 54/145 of 17 December 1999 and 56/136 of 19 December 2001,
Aware of the fact that the majority of refugees are children and women,
Bearing in mind that unaccompanied refugee minors are among the most
vulnerable refugees and the most at risk of neglect, violence, forced military
recruitment, sexual assault, abuse and vulnerability to infectious disease, such as
human immunodeficiency virus/acquired immunodeficiency syndrome, malaria and
tuberculosis, and therefore require special assistance and care,
Mindful of the fact that the ultimate solution to the plight of unaccompanied
minors is their return to and reunification with their families,
Bearing in mind that the most important steps in working with unaccompanied
minors are rapid identification, immediate registration and documentation and
tracing of family,
Recalling the outcome document entitled “A world fit for children”, adopted
on 10 May 2002 by the General Assembly at its twenty-seventh special session, 1
Noting with appreciation the efforts of the Office of the United Nations High
Commissioner for Refugees and the United Nations Children’s Fund in the
identification and tracing of unaccompanied minors, and welcoming their efforts in
reunifying families of refugees,
Welcoming the efforts exerted by the United Nations High Commissioner for
Refugees to reunite refugees with their families,
Noting the efforts of the High Commissioner to ensure the protection of and
assistance to refugees, including children and unaccompanied minors, and that
further enhanced efforts need to be exerted to this effect,
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03 50358
Resolution S-27/2, annex.