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SOUTHERN AFRICAN DEVELOPMENT COMMUNITY
5.
Undertake to put in place modalities to determine refugee status of persons seeking
asylum in a fair and efficient manner, and to ensure that those who do not need or
deserve international protection do not abuse the humanitarian institution of asylum;
6.
Appeal to the international community and co-operating partners to assist in ensuring
that the social and economic structures, community services, and the environment of
host countries or communities are not unduly stretched as a result of having to host
refugees;
7.
Undertake to respond effectively to situations which may contribute to deterioration
in security, law and order in the refugee-hosting areas through, inter alia, isolating
and disarming individuals or groups among the refugee populations who may be
armed and threatening the lives of innocent refugees, local citizens, and humanitarian
personnel, or engaging in other criminal acts;
8.
Further undertake to trace and impound for safe custody or destruction, dangerous
weapons circulating or hidden, particularly in refugee-hosting areas;
9.
Undertake to adopt measures, individually and collectively, to address the issues of
xenophobia towards refugees, irregular movement, return of unsuccessful asylum
seekers and (burden sharing2 )through, among other means, harmonisation of
procedures and criteria for the protection and provision of material and social support
to refugees within our individual countries;
10.
Encourage voluntary repatriation of refugees to their countries of origin whenever
feasible, as the best solution to the problem of refugees, in keeping with the 1969
OAU Convention, which calls upon Governments of asylum and Governments of
origin to create conducive conditions for the return home of refugees in safety and
dignity;
11.
Call upon the international community to provide assistance for the rehabilitation and
reconstruction of the social and economic infrastructures, including clearance of
mines and other munitions, in the areas of return so that conditions for successful
repatriation are created;
12.
Call upon the Member States, in collaboration with the United Nations High
Commissioner for Refugees, to provide durable solutions for those refugees for whom
voluntary repatriation is not possible through local integration and resettlement;
13.
Call upon members of the international community, and UNHCR in particular, to
provide technical support to the governments in the SADC Region, including in
capacity building and capacity sustaining.
Declaration on Refugee Protection
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