Report of the Secretary-General on the Meeting on Refugees and Displaced Persons in South-East Asia

A/RES/34/62

34. RESOLUTIONS ADOPTED ON THE REPORTS OF THE THIRD COMMITTEE

62. Report of the Secretary-General on the Meeting on Refugees and Displaced Persons in South-East Asia

The General Assembly,

Having considered the report of the Secretary-General on the Meeting on Refugees and Displaced Persons in South-East Asia, held at Geneva on 20 and 21 July 1979¹ under his chairmanship, and having heard his statement,²

Taking note of the progress mentioned in the Secretary-General's report, indicating a decrease in the number of boat cases arriving in other South-East Asian countries since August 1979,

Expressing its deep concern with the serious plight of the refugees and displaced persons in South-East Asia and the severe burden that the problem causes for many countries and territories, particularly the developing countries of South-East Asia,

Noting that further action is required to deal adequately with the land cases,

Gravely concerned about the large number of refugees recently arrived in the region and their urgent need of prompt and effective international assistance,

Noting the results of the Pledging Conference for Emergency Humanitarian Relief to the People of Kampuchea, held at United Nations Headquarters on 5 November 1979 under the chairmanship of the Secretary-General,³

1. Commends the Secretary-General for his initiative in convening and for his chairmanship of the Meeting on Refugees and Displaced Persons in South-East Asia and the Pledging Conference for Emergency Humanitarian Relief to the People of Kampuchea;

2. Also commends the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees and his Office as the competent organ in the United Nations system for their active role;

3. Further commends Governments and international relief organizations for their assistance and pledges to increase such assistance, in cash and kind, for the immediate relief of the refugees in South-East Asia;

4. Urges all Governments concerned to continue to co-operate with the Secretary-General, the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees and other United Nations agencies in humanitarian activities to deal with this problem, while avoiding any action that may cause human suffering and while ensuring safe and orderly departures; such humanitarian activities should serve the needs of civilian refugees and displaced persons and not any other purpose;

5. Further urges the resettlement countries and other countries in a position to do so to increase the number and speed of their intake of refugees and displaced persons from Indo-China, with due priority given to those already in camps in South-East Asia and adjacent territories, for resettlement in their countries;

6. Requests specialized agencies and other United Nations bodies concerned to give priority, without prejudice to assistance provided to refugees and country programmes in other regions, to their participation in rendering assistance to alleviate the problem, and to co-operate closely with Governments to find durable solutions to the problem;

7. Also requests the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees to report to the General Assembly at its thirty-fifth session;

8. Further requests the Secretary-General to continue to follow the situation closely and to submit a report to the Member States if the situation so requires.

82nd plenary meeting
29 November 1979

1 A/34/627 and Corr.1.

2 Official Records of the General Assembly, Thirty-fourth Session, Third Committee, 42nd meeting, paras. 14-19.

3 See S9/CONF.1/SR.1 and 2.