Human Rights and Mass Exoduses

Urges the Secretary-General to continue to give high priority to the consolidation and strengthening of emergency preparedness and response mechanisms, including early warning activities in the humanitarian area, so that, inter alia, effective action is taken to identify all human rights abuses that contribute to mass exoduses of persons;

Encourages States that have not already done so to consider acceding to the 1951 Convention3 and the 1967 Protocol4 relating to the Status of Refugees and to other relevant regional instruments concerning refugees, as applicable, and relevant international instruments of human rights and humanitarian law, to take appropriate measures to disseminate and implement those instruments domestically, to encourage compliance with provisions against arbitrary and forcible displacement and greater respect for the rights of those who flee and, as appropriate, to address the situation of the forcibly displaced in their reports to the human rights treaty bodies;

Calls upon States to ensure the effective protection of refugees by, inter alia, respecting the principle of non-refoulement, emphasizes the responsibility of all States and international organizations to cooperate with those countries, particularly developing countries, which are affected by mass exoduses of refugees and displaced persons, and also calls upon all relevant international and non-governmental organizations to continue to respond to the assistance and protection needs of refugees and displaced persons, including through the promotion of durable solutions to their plight;

Urges States to uphold the civilian and humanitarian character of refugee camps and settlements, consistent with international law, 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 at safe locations, where possible away from the border, and to afford prompt and unhindered access to them by humanitarian personnel;

Encourages the special rapporteurs, special representatives and working groups of the Commission on Human Rights and the United Nations human rights treaty bodies, acting within their mandates, to seek information, where appropriate, on human rights problems that may result in mass exoduses of populations or impede their voluntary return home, where appropriate, to include such information, together with recommendations thereon, in their reports and to bring such information to the attention of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights for appropriate action in fulfilment of his mandate, in consultation with the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees;

Requests all United Nations bodies, acting within their mandates, the specialized agencies and governmental, intergovernmental and non-governmental organizations to cooperate fully with all mechanisms of the Commission on Human Rights and, in particular, to provide them with all relevant information in their possession on the human rights situations creating or affecting refugees and displaced persons, and to exchange such information among themselves, within their mandates, in order to encourage effective international responses;

Requests the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, in the exercise of his mandate, as set out in General Assembly resolution 48/141 of 20 December 1993, and in cooperation with the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, to pay particular attention to situations that cause or threaten to cause mass exoduses or displacements and to contribute to efforts to address such situations effectively and promote sustainable returns through promotion and protection measures, including human rights monitoring of those who have fled or returned as part of mass exoduses, emergency preparedness and response mechanisms, early warning and information-sharing, technical advice, expertise and cooperation in countries of origin as well as host countries;

Requests the Secretary-General to prepare and submit to the General Assembly at its sixtieth session a report on the implementation of the present resolution as it pertains to all aspects of human rights and mass exoduses, with particular emphasis on the efforts of the United Nations system to enhance the protection of those who become displaced during mass exoduses, and to facilitate their return and reintegration, as well as information on efforts to continue to enhance the capacity of the United Nations to avert new flows of refugees and other displaced persons and to tackle the root causes of such flows;