A/RES/72/152 Assistance to refugees, returnees and displaced persons in Africa solutions, within a multilateral context, and recalls that those solutions include voluntary repatriation and, where appropriate and feasible, local integration and resettlement in a third country, while reaffirming that voluntary repatriation, supported, as necessary, by rehabilitation and development assistance to facilitate sustainable reintegration, remains the preferred solution; 32. Expresses grave concern about the plight of internally displaced persons in Africa, welcomes the efforts of African States in strengthening the regional mechanisms for the protection of and assistance to internally displaced persons, calls upon States to take concrete action to pre-empt internal displacement and to meet the protection and assistance needs of internally displaced p ersons, recalls in that regard the Guiding Principles on Internal Displacement, 14 notes the current activities of the Office of the High Commissioner related to the protection of and assistance to internally displaced persons, including in the context of inter-agency arrangements in this field, emphasizes that such activities should be consistent with relevant General Assembly resolutions and should not undermine the refugee mandate of the Office and the institution of asylum, and encourages the High Commiss ioner to continue his dialogue with States on the role of his Office in this regard; 33. Encourages African States, together with development and humanitarian actors, to work closely on multi-year strategies for refugees and internally displaced persons, factoring in the subregional dimension of many forced displacement crises; 34. Invites the Special Rapporteur of the Human Rights Council on the human rights of internally displaced persons to continue the ongoing dialogue with Member States and the intergovernmental and non-governmental organizations concerned, in accordance with the Council’s mandate, and to include information thereon in all reports to the Council and the General Assembly; 35. Requests the Secretary-General to submit a comprehensive report on assistance to refugees, returnees and displaced persons in Africa to the General Assembly at its seventy-third session, taking fully into account, inter alia, the situation of their host communities, refugee camps and the efforts expended by countries of asylum and those aimed at bridging funding gaps, under the item entitled “Report of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, questions relating to refugees, returnees and displaced persons and humanitarian questions”. 73rd plenary meeting 19 December 2017 __________________ 14 8/8 E/CN.4/1998/53/Add.2, annex. 17-22957