International Assistance to refugees within the mandate of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees

E/RES/565 (XIX)

The Economic and Social Council,

Taking account of General Assembly resolution 832 (IX),

Having considered proposals submitted to it by the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees,¹ on the advice of his Advisory Committee,

1. Decides to amend Council resolution 393 B (XIII) in order to reconstitute the United Nations High Commissioner's Advisory Committee on Refugees as an Executive Committee, to be known as the United Nations Refugee Fund (UNREF) Executive Committee, with the following terms of reference:

A. Executive functions

The Executive Committee, during the period of the Fund's existence, in accordance with such principles as may be laid down by the General Assembly, shall, with respect to the programme for permanent solutions and emergency assistance:

(a) Give directives to the High Commissioner in carrying out this programme;

(b) Determine the general policies under which the operations of the Fund shall be planned, developed and administered;

(c) Determine an annual financial target for the Fund and an annual operational plan covering:

(i) The respective amounts to be allocated for permanent solutions and emergency aid;

(ii) The amount to be allocated for each country;

(d) Consider and act upon the High Commissioner's detailed proposals, including plans for adequate financial or other contributions from within the countries of residence;

(e) Exercise the necessary controls in the use of the funds made available to the High Commissioner for the purposes of the Fund;

(f) Adopt administrative regulations for the Fund, including provisions to ensure that the Committee shall have before it the financial implications for each project in its entirety before considering and acting upon it;

(g) Consider the annual financial report of the High Commissioner, and review the expenditure incurred under the Fund, including administrative expenditures charged to the Fund;

(h) Ensure that all necessary steps are taken to promote close co-operation of the administration of the Fund with governmental, inter-governmental and non-governmental organizations that are directly concerned with the problems of refugees;

(i) Ensure that all necessary steps are taken to provide appropriate continuing supervision of all approved projects;

B. Advisory functions

The Executive Committee shall advise the High Commissioner for Refugees, at his request, in the exercise of his functions under his Statute;

2. Decides that the Executive Committee shall:

(a) Consist of twenty States Members and non-members of the United Nations, selected on the basis of their demonstrated interest in and devotion to the solution of the refugee problem, including the present members of the Advisory Committee, the membership being subject to review at the twenty-third session of the Council;

(b) Elect its own officers and meet regularly twice a year and at such other times as it may be convened by the Chairman upon the request of any six of its members, or at the request of the High Commissioner in the exercise of his functions under his Statute;

3. Authorizes the Executive Committee to establish its own rules of procedure and such standing sub-committee or sub-committees as may be required for the execution of its functions;

4. Requests the High Commissioner to submit through the Secretary-General to the General Assembly an annual audit report of the accounts of the Fund;

5. Requests the High Commissioner to submit to the Executive Committee, six weeks prior to its regular meetings, a progress report, including a country-by-country project analysis;

6. Requests the High Commissioner to attach to his annual report to the General Assembly the report of the Executive Committee.

837th plenary meeting,
31 March 1955

1 Ibid, Nineteenth Session, Annexes, agenda item 9, document E/2678.