A/RES/72/152 Assistance to refugees, returnees and displaced persons in Africa 2. Calls upon African States that have not yet signed or ratified the African Union Convention for the Protection and Assistance of Internally Displaced Persons in Africa to consider doing so as early as possible in order to ensure its wider implementation; 3. Notes the need for African States to resolutely address the root causes of all forms of forced displacement in Africa and to foster peace, stability and prosperity throughout the African continent so as to forestall flows of refugees; 4. Notes with great concern that, despite all the efforts made so far by the United Nations, the African Union and others, the situation of refugees and displaced persons in Africa remains precarious and the number of refugees and internally displaced persons has dramatically increased, and calls upon States and other parties to armed conflict to observe scrupulously the letter and spirit of international humanitarian law, bearing in mind that armed conflict is one of the principal causes of forced displacement in Africa; 5. Welcomes decisions EX.CL/Dec.854 (XXVI), EX.CL/Dec.877 (XXVII) and EX.CL/899 (XXVIII) adopted by the Executive Council of the African Union at its twenty-sixth ordinary session, held in Addis Ababa from 23 to 27 January 2015, its twenty-seventh ordinary session, held in Johannesburg, South Africa, from 7 to 12 June 2015, and its twenty-eighth ordinary session, held in Addis Ababa from 23 to 28 January 2016, on the humanitarian situation in Africa, insofar as they relate to persons of concern to the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees; 6. Expresses its appreciation for the leadership shown by the Office of the High Commissioner, and commends the Office for its ongoing efforts, with the support of the international community, to assist African States hosting large numbers of refugees, including by providing support to vulnerable local host communities, and to respond to the protection and assistance needs of refugees, returnees and displaced persons in Africa; 7. Notes with appreciation the initiatives taken by the African Union, the Subcommittee on Refugees, Returnees and Internally Displaced Persons of its Permanent Representatives Committee and the African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights, in particular the role of its Special Rapporteur on Refugees, Asylum Seekers, Migrants and Internally Displaced Persons in Africa, to ensure the protection of and assistance to refugees, returnees and displaced persons in Africa; 8. Underlines the need to provide an efficient response to internally displaced persons, and recognizes in this regard the importance of the African Union Convention for the Protection and Assistance of Internally Displaced Persons in Africa; 9. Acknowledges the important contribution of age, gender and diversity mainstreaming in identifying, through the full participation of women, children, older persons and persons with disabilities, the protection risks faced by the different members of the refugee communities, in particular the non-discriminatory treatment and protection of women, children, older persons and persons with disabilities; 10. Affirms that children, because of their age, social status and physical and mental development, are often more vulnerable than adults in situations of forced displacement, recognizes that forced displacement, return to post -conflict situations, integration into new societies, protracted situations of displacement and statelessness can increase child protection risks, taking into account the particular vulnerability of displaced children to forcible exposure to the risks of physical and psychological injury, exploitation and death in connection with armed conflict, as well as the 4/8 17-22957