Assistance to meet the economic needs of refugees through the provision of food and shelter is as important as protecting their lives and assuring them asylum and to consider protection and assistance as two separate spheres of work is nothing but an artificial distinction. Along with international solidarity and burden sharing and the need to address root causes, an element basic to the strengthening of the international refugee regime is a re- dedication by all States to the human rights of refugees and asylum seekers. It is a matter of deep disappointment that as the world celebrates the 50th anniversary of the Universal Declaration on Human Rights, commitment to Article 14 which enshrines for all the right to seek and enjoy asylum is being undermined by some of the very nations who drafted the Declaration. While tremendous progress has been made in the last 50 years in enlarging and expanding respect for human rights, refugee law and protection appear to be moving in the opposite direction. A wave of restrictive practices is today sweeping across the most prosperous parts of the world and traditional generosity and openness towards refugees is being replaced by approaches based on partial solutions and diminished regard for the welfare of refugees.
All societies have a natural inclination to preserve their own prosperity.
However, building walls to shut out refugees and violating the rights of refugees and asylum seekers is not the right solution. Despite all the difficulties developing countries are confronted with in their attempts to meet the basic needs of their own people, the large majority of them have not shut their doors to those in their neighborhood seeking refuge. It is important, Mr. Chairman, that their faith in humanitarianism and the principles of refugee protection are not compromised by efforts aimed at eroding the principles of refugee protection in other parts of the world. The international community must correct all trends that hinder refugee protection and seek to transfer the burden on to other regions of the world. Political will must be marshaled by States to live up to their commitments and to put in place systems that do not undermine the integrity of the institution of asylum and treat asylum seekers as commodities that can be shipped from country to country.