Establishment of the Executive Committee of the Programme of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees

E/RES/672 (XXV)

The Economic and Social Council,

Having considered General Assembly resolution 1166 (XII) of 26 November 1957 concerning international assistance to refugees within the mandate of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees,

Noting that under the terms of the above-mentioned resolution the Council is to establish an Executive Committee of the High Commissioner's Programme consisting of representatives of from twenty to twenty-five States Members of the United Nations or members of any of the specialized agencies, elected by the Council on the widest possible geographical basis from those States with a demonstrated interest in, and devotion to, the solution of the refugee problem,

1. Decides:

(a) To establish an Executive Committee of the Programme of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees to take the place of the Executive Committee of the United Nations Refugee Fund;

(b) That the Executive Committee of the United Nations Refugee Fund shall cease to exist after 31 December 1958 and that the Executive Committee of the High Commissioner's Programme shall take office on 1 January 1959;

(c) That the Executive Committee of the High Commissioner's Programme shall consist of twenty-four States,¹ the membership being subject to review at the thirty-first session of the Council;

2. Decides further that the Executive Committee of the High Commissioner's Programme, being entrusted with the terms of reference set forth in General Assembly resolution 1166 (XII), shall:

(a) Determine the general policies under which the High Commissioner shall plan, develop and administer the programmes and projects required to help solve the problems referred to in resolution 1166 (XII);

(b) Review at least annually the use of funds made available to the High Commissioner and the programmes and projects being proposed or carried out by his Office;

(c) Have authority to make changes in, and give final approval to, the use of funds and the programmes and projects referred to in sub-paragraphs (a) and (b) of the present paragraph;

3. Requests the High Commissioner to submit to the Executive Committee of the High Commissioner's Programme, for its review at its first session, draft financial rules, to be drawn up in accordance with paragraph 8 of General Assembly resolution 1166 (XII), for the use of all funds received by the High Commissioner under the terms of that resolution;

4. Authorizes the Executive Committee of the High Commissioner's Programme to elect its own officers, to establish its own rules of procedure, and to set up such standing sub-committee or sub-committees as may be required for the execution of its functions;

5. Further requests the High Commissioner to attach to his annual report to the General Assembly the report or report of the Executive Committee of the High Commissioner's Programme;

6. Further decides that from 31 December 1958 this resolution shall supersede Council resolutions 393 B (XIII) of 10 September 1951, 565 (XIX) of 31 March 1955 and 639 (XXIII) of 24 April 1957.

1019th plenary meeting,
30 April 1958

1 See "Other decisions taken by the Council during its twenty-fifth session", p. 7.