CONCLUSIONS ADOPTED BY THE EXECUTIVE ... - UNHCR

The Executive Committee,
1989 (Executive Committee—40 th Session)
CONCLUSIONS ADOPTED
BY THE EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE
ON INTERNATIONAL PROTECTION OF REFUGEES 1
No. 55 (XL) GENERAL (1989)
a) Reiterated the primary nature and fundamental importance of the High Commissioner's protection
responsibilities;
b) Expressed deep concern about UNHCR's present financial situation and, in this context, called on
UNHCR as well as States, governmental and non-governmental organizations and the international community
at large to continue to give the necessary priority to protection activities and to work to ensure their efficiency
and effectiveness;
c) Recognized that the safety and physical integrity of refugees depend on respect for the basic protection
principles and urged States to continue to admit and receive refugees, pending identification of their status and
of an appropriate solution to their plight;
d) Expressed deep concern that refugee protection is seriously jeopardized in some States by expulsion
and refoulement of refugees or by measures which do not recognize the special situation of refugees and called
on all States to refrain from taking such measures and in particular from returning or expelling refugees contrary
to fundamental prohibitions against these practices;
e) Noted with concern that applications for refugee status by persons who clearly have no valid claim to
be considered as refugees under the relevant criteria continue to constitute a serious problem in a number of
States and may be detrimental to the interests of those applicants who have good grounds for requesting
recognition as refugees;
f) Emphasized in this context the importance of quick and effective status determination procedures in
accordance with internationally accepted criteria and appropriate legal guarantees;
g) Noted with deep concern that large numbers of refugees and asylum-seekers in different areas of the
world are currently the subject of detention or similar restrictive measures by reason of their illegal entry or
presence in search of asylum, pending resolution of their situation and reiterated its Conclusion No. 44
(XXXVII) which circumscribes the grounds for detention of such persons;
h) Expressed strong concern about serious violations of the rights and security of refugees and asylumseekers
in different parts of the world including through forced recruitment of refugees into armed forces;
i) Reiterated its Conclusion No. 48 (XXXVIII) concerning military or armed attacks on refugee camps
and settlements and urged all parties concerned to respect the guidelines, including on UNHCR access,
contained therein;
j) Expressed concern about the lack of adequate international protection for various groups of refugees in
different parts of the world, including a large number of Palestinians, and hoped that efforts would continue
within the United Nations system to address their protection needs;
k) Expressed the strong hope that, consistent with international practice, States will ensure that their
extradition legislation or arrangements maintain the protections or exemptions necessary to safeguard the basic
rights of refugees;
l) Noted with satisfaction that large numbers of refugees had found a durable solution to their problem by
availing themselves of voluntary repatriation and recalled in this context the relevance of Conclusion No. 40
(XXXVI) on Voluntary Repatriation;
1 Contained in United Nations General Assembly Document No. 12A (A/44/12/Add.1)
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