CM/Res.989 (XLII) RESOLUTION ON THE SITUATION OF REFUGEES IN AFRICA
The Council of Ministers of the Organization of African Unity, meeting in its Forty- second Ordinary Session in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, from 10 to 17 July, 1985,
Having carefully considered the report of the Secretary-General a.i. on the activities of the General Secretariat in relation to refugees and the report on the activities of the OAU Commission of Fifteen on Refugees and its report on missions undertaken to the Horn of Africa,
Considering the dramatic increase in the refugee population in Africa and the continuing deterioration of the living conditions of the refugees exacerbated by the current severe drought and famine affecting more than one half of the OAU Member States,
Considering further the enormous burden of the current refugee situation is causing on the countries hosting refugees which are affected by drought and famine,
Deeply appreciating the positive measures taken by Member States hosting refugees, the UNHCR and other international organizations and volunteer agencies to adequately contain the current refugee situation aggravated by drought and famine,
Reaffirming the need for increased assistance to both countries of asylum and countries of origin in order to facilitate the integration and rehabilitation of refugees and returnees:
TAKES NOTE of the report of the Secretary-General a.i. on the activities of the General Secretariat in relation to refugees;
ADOPTS the report on the activities of the OAU Commission of Fifteen on Refugees and its report on missions to the Horn of Africa (Document CM/1306 (XLII) and CM/1305 (XLII) respectively);
COMMENDS Member States for continuing to accept and make available to refugees, in spite of serious economic problems which have been aggravated by the current drought; facilities and services necessary for their care and well-being;
COMMENDS FURTHER the UNHCR, other inter-governmental organizations voluntary agencies and donor communities for the positive measures they have taken to contain the current refugee situation;
APPEALS to the international community to redouble its assistance to the countries of asylum in order to enable them to cater for refugees and to the countries of origin in rehabilitating voluntary returnees;
FURTHER APPEALS urgently to the international community to substantially increase the resources put at the disposal of the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees in order to enable it to deal more adequately with the recent influxes of refugees and returnees and to intensify the programmes leading to durable solutions to the refugee and returnee problem;
APPEALS ALSO to donor countries to urgently contribute funds to ICARA II projects in order to ensure the implementation of the projects which would facilitate the provision of assistance to refugees and returnees;
WELCOMES the results of the mission undertaken by the OAU Commission of Fifteen to the Horn of Africa and the initiative to consider the recent implications of drought and famine on the refugee problem in Africa;
APPEALS to OAU Member States to closely co-operate among themselves and with UNHCR in order to improve on the living and working conditions of the refugees and promote voluntary repatriation;
REQUESTS the Secretary-General to closely follow-up the current situation of refugees and to submit a report to the Forty-third Session of the Council of Ministers.