Co-operation between the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees and the Economic Commission for Africa, with a view to implementing development projects in the interests of refugees and the local population

\

ITED NATIONS _ ^ w.tr.

GENERAL

ECONOMIC _{a M r\} «2g|», mW&L&tlM ^.u/si 17 January 1967

_ Original: ENGLISH

SOCIAL COUNCIL

*V ECC9JOMIC COMMISSION FOR AFRICA

|T - Eighth session

Lagos, 13-25 February 1967

CO-OPERATION BETWEEN THE OFFICE OF THE UNITED NATIONS HIGH COMMISSIONER FOR REFUGEES AND THE ECONOMIC COMMISSION FOR AFRICA, WITH A VIEW TO IMPLEMENTING DEVELOPMENT PROJECTS

IN THE INTERESTS OF REFUGEES AND THE LOCAL POPULATION

(Note submitted by the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees)

M6S-I895

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CO-OPERATION BETWEEN THE OFFICE OF THE UNITED NATIONS HIGH COMMISSIONER FOR REFUGEES AND THE ECONOMIC COMMISSICN FOR AFRICA, WITH A VIEW TO IMPLEMENTING DEVELOPMENT PROJECTS

DT THE INTERESTS OF REFUGEES AND. THE LOCAL POPULATION

1. The High Commissioner has suggested that an item "Co-op©ration between his Office and the Economic Commission for Africa" he included on the Agenda of this session in view of the increasing scope of UNHCR activities in Africa and of the need for increased co-operation between UNHCR and other members of the United Nations family engaged in develop ment aid in various countries in Africa. The object of the present note

is to give members of the Commission a bird's-eye view of the problems which UNHCR is facing in Africa and a brief account of recent develop ments in respect of co-operation between UNHCR and other agencies of the United Nations. More detailed information on both subjects may be found

in the Annual Report of the High Commissioner to the General Assembly, Chapter I.C. and III, the relevant country sections of the Report on the

Implementation of UNHCR Current Operations in 1965? document A/AC-96/325>

and the Report on Inter-Agency Co-operation submitted to the sixteenth session of the Executive Committee of the High Commissioner's Programme in document VAC-96/343.

2. A brief statement concerning the functions and organization of UNHCR may be found in Annex I to these notes, and a summary of statistical data

concerning refugees in Africa in Annex II.

The problems of refugees in Africa

3. It was in 1961 that UNHCR was faced for the first time with the problem of refugees in Africa, south of the Sahara, when it received in rapid succession requests for assistance to refugees from the Governments

of Togo, the Democratic Republic of the Congo in respect of Angolan

refugees, and Tanzania, Uganda and the Democratic Republic of the Congo

and Burundi in. respect of Rwandese refugees. The problem of some 5,000

refugees in Togo was solved relatively rapidly. The problem of Angolan

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refugees rapidly grew from .the original first influivOf 60,000 to the present figure of 250,000. The majority* however, may now "be regarded as settled,

at least from a subsistence point of view,

4. After the first influx of refugees from Rwanda, their number considerably grew for several years, until more recently when an

increasing proportion were becoming settled. New problems however emerged contiguously, i.e. in 1964 refugees from Portuguese Guinea started coming into Senegal and Mozambiquan refugees into Tanzania, while large numbers of Sudanese started entering the Central African Republic, Uganda and the Democratic Republic of the Congo, In the meanwhile, a problem of

Congolese refugees emerged in .countries neighbouring on the Congo. More

recently, Angolan and Mozambiquan refugees started entering Zambia, while

there was an increase in the number of individual refugees from the southern part of Africa who seek resettlement opportunities in other African countries.

5. The common denominator of the above-mentioned problems of refugees is that, with the exception of a very limited numbers of individual cases, the vast majority have an agricultural background and possess no property or resources of their own, except a number of cattle—owners. Other main

characteristics of the problems of refugees in Africa are the suddenness

and considerable rate of influx as a result of which the refugees nearly

always constitute a mass problem and the fact that successful integration in agriculture depends on the planting season and various climatic

conditions so that the emergency relief stage during which refugees have

to receive oare and maintenance may last considerable periods of time, particularly in areas with a limited infrastructure and the absence of

food stooks.

6. The first need of any new group of refugees in Africa is emergency

assistance, in the form of food and medical help, as a result of which the

risks of famine and epidemics have been avoided. Assistance is normally provided by the authorities of the country of reception, with the support

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of UNBCR as well as other governments (through bilateral assistance) and

other organizations where necessary. On most occasions the World Food Programme has played a major role in supplying foodstuffs. Already at this first emergency stage, co-operation between UHHCR and other members of the United Nations family can be of major importance- Apart fTom the help of the World Food Programme, advioe is required on the part of UNDP, FAO, ILO, WHO and UNESCO, whose experts may help in determining the most

effective manner in which the refugees may beoome self-supporting ee soon as possible, through local settlement, in so far as they do not winh to avaril" themselves of the possibilities of voluntary repatriation.

7. Local settlement in agriculture is the solution to the problems of the great majority of the refugees in Africa. While the production of foodstuff in itself does not raise insuperable problems, the successful

economic and social integration of the refugees in agricultural settlements in. Africa- is greatly affected by the fact that rural communities in Afrioa ar© not numerous % they are widely dispersed and usually rather limited in

s:wre- ■ It follows that new refugees, who arrive in large numbers* cannot be just brought into an existing community as is being done in other parts of the world* It has therefore been necessary to select new land for the refugees and to help them to build up entirely new communities which are often located in sparsely populated areas-

8m The projects are drawn up by the local authorities in co-operation

with UNHCR, experts available from other UN bodies and with the assistance of the operational agencies which are to assume responsibility for the implementation of the projects. The land is provided free by the country of asylumj it must, of course, be carefully selected from an agronomic point of-view and the projects must provide for bush-clearing, draining of marshes and elimination of special hazards, e*g. tse-tse fly or vermin*

Furthermore, it must be provided with a water supply by digging wslls or

%y irrigation, access roads must be built, the crops must be chosen carefully to suit olimatic and geological conditibnsi finally, essential community installations must be set up, starting with a dispensary and primary sohools.

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9. Such projects usually provide for the distribution of food rations during an initial period in order to give the refugees time to cultivate the land. It has so far taken 2 years on the average to implement a rural settlement programme for refugees in Africa. Although in most cases they may be regarded self-supporting after such a period, if they are to become fully integrated in their country of reception and if the risk is to be avoided that they should fall back into need through a poor harvest or unexpected climatic conditions, it is essential that their establishment be consolidated through the extension of their crops, the provision of

vocational training to shose who wish to improve their skill and the setting up, wherever possible, of small local industries with a view to giving.the

settlement areas the necessary degree of autonomy. In this way durable solutions may be found to the problems of refugees, while at th* sam* tim«

they are being fully utilized in terms of human roaouroes.

10- It is clear that to achieve thin objective the whole, infrastructure of the area of settlement must "be considerably improved for the benefit of the refugees and of the local population alike, for it would be inoon©#ivable to try and give the refugees facilities beyond those which are enjoyed by the local inhabitants,. Assistance to this end can best be given in th«

frame of development aid which is mainly the responsibility of the Develop ment Programme and specialized agencies of the United Nations.

11, There are several examples already of fruitful co-operation between UNHCR and other agencies with a view to consolidating the Battlement of "

refugees. Thus in Burundi an integration and zonal development project haB been put into effect by the ILO and FAQ for the benefit of Rwandese refugees and the local population; in the Kivu provinces of the Congo a similar plan has also been put into effect by the ILO, In "both cases experts were provided through the courtesy of UNDP.

Co-operation between UNHCR and other members of the United Nations family*

12, The question of co-operation between UNHCR and other membere of the

United Nations family is accordingly assuming growing importance. Upon

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the request of the Executive Committee of the HCR Programme, the whole subject was considered "by the Executive Committee at its sixteenth session, held in October 1966, when a special note on inter-agency co-operation was

submitted to the Committee, copy of which has been distributed to members

of the present session of ECA (document A/AC.96/343). After consideration

of this note, the Executive Committee:

"(l) Expressed the wish that the Administrator of the United Nations Development Programme be invited, upon the request of Goverxunentaj

to include in its projects, wherever possible, provision for the settlement, retraining and readjustment of refugees in developing countries;

(2) Invited Governments Members of various specialized agenoies of the

United Nations to take due note of the particular needs for assistance

to refugees in developing countries;

(3) Invited Governments contributing to development assistance programmes,

in working out their bilateral and multilateral co-operation programmes, to take into account whenever possible the needs of refugees In

developing countries;

(4) Requested the High Commissioner to keep the Committee informed of

developments in this important field."

13- The General Assembly, having considered the annual report of the High Commissioner at its 21st session, shortly thereafter adopted a resolution in which it endorsed the decision of the Executive Committee as follows:

Considering the increasing number and scope of refugee problems in

Africa and in other regions of the world, and the additional responsibilities incumbent upon the High Commissioner as a result of the extension of his activities to new countries, most of them in a developing stage,

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1* Requests the United Nations High Co:naiissioner for Refugees to continue to provide international protection to refugees who are his ■■

concern within the limits of his competence and to promote permanent solutions to their problemss

(c) By ensuring that in developing* countries, the plans for the economic and social integration of refugees; penuing their possible inclu sion in the economic and Eoci-nl prcgrar..::;e3 carried out by the competent organs and specialised agencies of the United Nations* are properly

co-ordinated with thos3 prograrjnoe, as wsl] as with such other programmes as might be carried out "by :?e^icnal organizations;

2* J^g^est^ ":iie competent organs end specialised agencies of the United Nations to takb into accent; at tho request of the Governments

concernedj tho nccis o.? tlio rc-u^'jes wUen cons? de:?irg development plans.

14» In. view of tho close co-operation which exista between ECA and other members of the Uai-:od Nati—is /V.:;ly in Africa, ths High Commissioner thinks that -sLj Ccr_r.:-v;.: -^ wi"! :. 1^ ^.l^-e^t--' iii robing ths afore

mentioned developments in m.-pect of the relationship between UNHCR and other nembcro of th.6 ITr.itod lTati-013 fanily and ho Gxpz-esscs the hope that the Commission will nns its >rc/ to :l;-.clude the problems of refugees in - • Africa and the aot-v-'ibie^ of U'THi'll in its ci-'hcre of Interest so that UNHCR may bs.is^j-t irom ix^ conpe'lc.i.v-i ar.;l ;ride experience in respect of"

problems of economic a:_d r.ocial dovolop".:ont in ifric?.. ■ ■ 15* In this connsxicnj tho K:.^h Co.i^l£E\on&-? would liko tentatively to suggest the foilo-riaff; f5e3c.K j'n ir.ic'i this co-operation ruight be ' v

particular^ beneficial j ' : *

(a) In censaitation with other competent mezborc of the United

Nations fdaily, wc-Tkrjag c-.-.t :-.id co—^rdirrrfcing noet appropriate methods with a view to the Icn^-torn: iri!:o£ration of refugees' in reception* *'

countries 'hi Afri«ij :Md to thia eud

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("b) Preparing surveys of existing refugee settlements in Africa

with a view to ascertaining the type of long-term measures required to consolidate the establishment of refugees and help their settlements to become part and. parcel of the economic system of the country of reception onoe UNHCR projects for local settlement have been completed;

(o) ©rawing up of economic and social surveys in rural areas to

study the situation of refugee settlements and their impact on tke lifs of the local population.

16. Recommendations arising from such surveys, if adopted on the inter

national plane, would ensure not only the smooth integration of the masses of refugees into their new communities, but would make it easier for

governments of asylum to exercise their responsibility for viable settle ments constituting an asset to the country,

17• Within the socio-economic surveys special studies could be mad© of the manpower potential of refugees. The results of such surveys would

"be a useful guide to satisfy some of the manpower requirements of African asylum countries. Such a study would give a breakdown of refugee man power into groups? such as:

(a) those needing education;

(b) those needing special training; and (c) those needing employment.

18. In this connexion, it should be mentioned that one of the ehronio

problems facing the High Commissioner for Refugees in his effort to integrate individual refugees, particularly the educated or those being educated, is that of finding a country that would give the refugee employment. It is envisaged that at a future date, detailed and more specific co-operation between UNHCR and ECA on the basis of the results of the above-mentioned socio-economic survey would bring to light tho existing and potential employment possibilities for African refugees

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••■" --frica. At the same time, a more detailed analysis of the refugee manpower would help not only to locate the best institutions suitable for the training of the refugees, but also to achieve the maximum use of such individual refugee manpower. In this way, it is expected that, apart from settling the refugees as groups, the individual refugees would

also get a chance to aohieve the most appropriate solution to their

problems and to put their "talent to good use in their country of reception*

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Annex I

ANNEX I

. Statement concerning funotions and organizations of UNHCR

Introductory

1# On 14 December 1950, the General Assembly adopted the Statute of the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UHHCR).

Ihe Office came into existence on 1 January 1951, originally for a period of three years. Since then, however, its mandate has been renewed by

the General Assembly, for three five-year periods.

•2, The High Commissioner is elected by the General Assembly upon

nomination of the Seoretary-General. He is responsible to the Assembly and 'the Economic and Social Council. Ihe present High Commissioner,

Prince Sadruddin Aga Khan (Iran), was elected by acclamation on 3 Decem ber I965. His term of Office runs from 1 January 1966 to 31 December 1968, when the present mandate of the Office has to be reviewed.

3»-. The High Commissioner's programme is administered by a thirty—member Committee which has executive as well as advisory functions. The

Committee consists of representatives of States Members of the United Nations and of the specialized agencies. They are elected by the Economie and Social Council (ECOSOC) on the widest geographical basis from among those States with a demonstrated interest in, and devotion to, the solution of the refugee problem. The Committee usually meets

twice a year in Geneva.

4-' UNHCR is a subsidiary organ of the General Assembly and therefore forms part of the United Nations, it may be referred to as a United Nations Programme. UNHCR staff are part of the Secretariat of the

United Nations.

Role of UNHCR

5. In accordance with its Statute the task of UNHCR In of a stirotly

humanitarian and non—political character. Its role in respect of

material assistance activities is that of a catalyst. Its main object

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is to foster the spirit of international co-operation and solidarity which is indi.apsnsable to achieve solutions for the problems of refugees.

In practice it oncourages other members of the international community,

including Governments, international organizations, non-governmental f agencies and the public at large, each to share out the concerted effort

needed to settle refugees as rapidly as possible. Its primary objective is to help refugees to cease being refugees either through voluntary repatriation or the acquisition of a new nationality in their country of asylum. In the field of material assistance to refugees one of th«

guiding principles of the Office is to help refugees to help themselves, i.e. to become self-supporting as rapidly as possible in order to avoid

any recurrence of the post-war accumulation of refugee problems e.g.

such' as those constituted by the presence of thousands of refugees in

camps in Europe, .

Refugees who are the concern of UI9HCR

6. TJUHCR concerns itself with refugees defined as such in its Statute and with those refugees whom it is called upon to assist under th«

terms of the good offices resolutions adopted by the General Assembly of the United Nations. Refugees meeting these conditions are entitled to the protection of the Office of the High Commissioner irrespective of their geographical location. Refugees who are assisted by other ' United Nations agencies, or who have the same rights or obligations as nationals of their country of residence, are outside the mandate of UKHCR. The total number of refugees who are at present the concern of UMHCR in estimated at approximately 2,250,000,* of whom some 700,000 are in Africa, south of the Sahara, as shown in more detail in Annex II

attaohed.

* Not including Chinese refugees in Hong Kong for whom UHHCR channels funds in accordance with United Nations General Assembly resolutions 1167{XII) andl784(X7Il). On 1 January 1966 their number was estimated

at some X,250,000.

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Organization

7- the Office has its headquarters at the Palais des Nations, Geneva.

It has Branch Offices and Correspondents throughout the five continents.

In Africa the Office is represented in the following countries*

■Algeria, UMCR Correspondent

Burundi, UNHCR Representative

■ Central African Republic, ITHHCR Representative

Democratic Republic of the Congo, UJJHCR Representative, Kinshasa

Charge de Mission, Ooma

Ethiopia, UNHCR Regional Liaison Office for Africa

The Gambia, UNHCR Representative Morocoo,UMCR Representative . Senegal, UMHCR Representative Tanzania, UHHCR Representative

■ Tunisia, TTHEGR Honorary Representative

• Uganda, UHHCR Representative

United Arab Republic, UBHCR Representative Zambia, EHZCX Representative

In most of these places the representative is assisted by a very small

staff of only one or two persons.

Resources of UNHC3

8* Administrative expenditures is financed under the United Nations

budget. UHHCR material assistance programmes are financed through

voluntary contributions from Governments and also from non-governmental

sources. Governmental contributions are announced each year at the

Pledging Conference held in the framework of the General Assembly. In

keeping with the catalytic character of UNHCR's functions the financial

target of the material assistance programme is relatively limited. It

amounted to $4.2 million in 1966, whilst the Executive Committee of

the High Coinmissioner's Programme set.the target of the I967 Programoe

at $4*5 million, in view of the increasing requirements of refugee

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problems in Africa. In addition, the High Commissioner has at his disposal a $500,000 Emergency Fund which is reserved for assistance t'o refugees in emergency situations.

Functions of UUHCR

9. The main functions of IOTCR are to provide international proteo^- tion for refugees who are its concern and to seek permanent solutions to their problems by facilitating their voluntary repatriation or their assimilation within new national communities, either through local integration or through resettlement in another country. The main objective of international protection is to safeguard the legitimate rights and interests of refugees and to encourage Governments to put them as much as possible on a par with their own nationals. TflJHCR pursues these objectives largely through promoting the conclusion of, and accession to, intergovernmental and legal instruments relating to the status of refugees, the inclusion of clauses of benefit to re—

fugees in more general legal instruments and, on the national plane, the enactment of legislation and administrative regulations in favour of refugees.

10. To achieve permanent solutions for refugees, UflHCR puts into effect a limited material assistance programme which is submitted each year for approval to the Executive Committee. One of the main objectives of the programme is to assist Governments which have a primary responsi bility for assistance to refugees to discharge this responsibility in . those cases where they cannot fully face the burden involved. Since UMCE is not operational, projects for assistance to refugees in the framework of UMHCR programmes are implemented by voluntary agencies, specialized technical organizations or local authorities.

11. The projects included in the'UBHCR programme vary widely accord

ing to the nature of the refugee problem, the composition of the refugee

group conoerned and the local conditions. They may include housing, establishment assistance-, assistance towards settlement in agriculture,

counselling, special oare of the physically handioapped, promotion of

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resettlement through migration to other countries, help towards access to employment, education and vocational training, rehabilitation of the handicapped. The UKHCR Programmes include legal counselling on an individual "basis and emergency aid which is only provided for the neediest pending a permanent solution being found to their case. In addition, •aergenoy relief may be required which inoludes oare and maintenance and medical assistance on a temporary basis in the case of a sudden influx of new groups of refugees, or of an emergency situa tion ufaioh cannot be immediately and fully dealt with by the oountry

of asylum,

12, Refugees remain the concern of ITKHCR, at any event as far as

international protection is concerned, until sueh time as they eea«e

to be refugees in the legal sense of the term (i,«# -through voluntary

repatriation or acquisition of a new nationality).

ANNEXII REFUGEESWHOARETHECONCERNOFUHHCRINAFRICASOUTHOFTHESAHARA Estimatednumberasat30June1966

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AnnexII LocationBurundiCentral GroupofrefugeesAfrioanCongo, Democrat1cRwandaTanzaniaUgandaZambia

Republic Re7ublicof

TOTAL Angolans Burundi Congolese Mozambiquans Refugeesfrom PortugueseGuinea Rvrandese Sudanese

250,0002,000 3,000 30,0006,500 57,000 52,000 25,000

25,000 30,000

1,00025,000 15,000 13,50070,000 45,000

3,000

252,000 3,000 62,500 18,000 57,000 160,500 100,000

653,000s/

TOTAL:82,00031,500305,0003,00057,00029,500140,0005,000 a/Duringthesecondhalfof1966,theover-allnumberofrefugeesinAfricaincreasedbyanestimated50,000, bringingtheover-alltotaltocover7C0,000,includingafewhundredindividualcases.