IV 
117TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION 
H. RES. 490 
Reaffirming the importance of the United States to promote the safety, 
health, and well-being of refugees and displaced persons. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
JUNE 22, 2021 
Mr. LIEU (for himself, Ms. LOFGREN, Mr. NEGUSE, Ms. OMAR, Ms. GARCIA 
of Texas, Mr. DEUTCH, Ms. BASS, Mr. GRIJALVA, Mr. SMITH of Wash-
ington, Mr. MCGOVERN, Ms. SCHAKOWSKY, Mr. COHEN, Mr. SCHNEI-
DER, Ms. PRESSLEY, Mr. SHERMAN, Mr. CICILLINE, Mrs. NAPOLITANO, 
Ms. BONAMICI, Ms. LEE of California, Mr. RASKIN, Mr. LOWENTHAL, 
Ms. MOORE of Wisconsin, Ms. TITUS, Mr. ESPAILLAT, Mr. PALLONE, 
Mr. RUSH, Mr. CONNOLLY, Mr. VARGAS, Mr. FOSTER, Mr. KHANNA, Mr. 
GARCI´A of Illinois, Mr. HIGGINS of New York, Mr. DESAULNIER, Mr. 
POCAN, Ms. JACOBS of California, Mr. NADLER, Mr. JOHNSON of Geor-
gia, Mrs. TORRES of California, Ms. JAYAPAL, Ms. SPEIER, Mr. SIRES, 
Mrs. CAROLYN B. MALONEY of New York, Mr. MCNERNEY, Mr. WELCH, 
Ms. DELBENE, Mr. AUCHINCLOSS, Ms. MATSUI, Mr. BERA, Ms. 
SA´NCHEZ, Mr. BOWMAN, Ms. NORTON, Mr. JONES, Mrs. LAWRENCE, Mr. 
KILMER, and Mr. KIND) submitted the following resolution; which was 
referred to the Committee on Foreign Affairs, and in addition to the 
Committee on the Judiciary, for a period to be subsequently determined 
by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall 
within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned 
RESOLUTION 
Reaffirming the importance of the United States to promote 
the safety, health, and well-being of refugees and dis-
placed persons. 
Whereas June 20 is observed as ‘‘World Refugee Day’’, a 
global event to acknowledge the courage, resilience, and 
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•HRES 490 IH 
determination of individuals and families who are forced 
to flee their homes due to persecution; 
Whereas December 2020 signified 70 years since the found-
ing of the Office of the United Nations High Commis-
sioner for Refugees (UNHCR); 
Whereas July 28, 2021, is the 70th anniversary of the Con-
vention Relating to the Status of Refugees, held in Gene-
va on July 28, 1951, which defines the term ‘‘refugee’’ 
and outlines the rights of refugees and the legal obliga-
tions of states to protect them; 
Whereas, in 2020, according to the UNHCR— 
(1) there were more than 82,400,000 forcibly dis-
placed people worldwide, the worst displacement crisis in 
recorded history, including 26,400,000 refugees, more 
than 
48,000,000 
internally 
displaced 
people, 
and 
4,100,000 people seeking asylum; 
(2) on average, 1 out of every 95 people worldwide 
was a refugee, an internally displaced person, or a person 
seeking asylum; 
(3) 11,200,000 people were newly displaced due to 
recent conflict or persecution; 
(4) 68 percent of the world’s refugees came from 
Syria, Venezuela, Afghanistan, South Sudan, and Burma; 
(5) 2,600,000 Afghan refugees are currently dis-
placed worldwide, making them one of the world’s largest 
and longest-running displaced populations; 
(6) more than 50 percent of the population of Syria, 
at least 13,500,000 people, were displaced, either across 
the international border or within Syria, which represents 
the largest displacement crisis in the world today; 
(7) children accounted for 30 percent of the world’s 
population but 42 percent of all forcibly displaced people, 
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millions of whom were unable to access basic services, in-
cluding education; and 
(8) 86 percent of all refugees were hosted by devel-
oping nations, and less than 1 percent of vulnerable refu-
gees in need of resettlement had the opportunity to reset-
tle because sufficient numbers of places do not exist; 
Whereas refugees are major contributors to local economies 
and served as critical frontline health professionals and 
essential workers combating the COVID–19 pandemic 
worldwide; 
Whereas the United States has an obligation to provide hu-
manitarian protection to refugees, as well as interpreters, 
translators, and others in Afghanistan who served along-
side United States and NATO troops, diplomats, and de-
velopment workers; 
Whereas the United States supports the UNHCR to increase 
protection for LGBTQI+ refugees overseas and to sup-
port global resettlement of LGBTQI+ refugees; and 
Whereas the United States resettlement program, which was 
established over 40 years ago, is a lifesaving solution cru-
cial to global humanitarian efforts, strengthens global se-
curity, advances United States foreign policy goals, sup-
ports regional host countries, and assists individuals and 
families in need: Now, therefore, be it 
Resolved, That the House of Representatives— 
(1) reaffirms the bipartisan commitment of the 
United States to promote the safety, health, and 
well-being of millions of refugees, including the edu-
cation of refugee children and displaced persons who 
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flee war, persecution, or torture in search of peace, 
hope, and freedom; 
(2) recognizes those individuals who have risked 
their lives working, either individually or for non-
governmental organizations and international agen-
cies, such as the United Nations High Commissioner 
for Refugees, to provide lifesaving assistance and 
protection for people displaced around the world; 
(3) underscores the importance of the United 
States refugee resettlement program as a critical 
tool for the United States Government to strengthen 
national and regional security and encourage inter-
national solidarity with host countries; 
(4) calls upon the Secretary of State and 
United States Ambassador to the United Nations 
to— 
(A) continue providing robust funding for 
refugee protection overseas and resettlement in 
the United States; 
(B) uphold the United States international 
leadership role in responding to displacement 
crises with humanitarian assistance, and restore 
its leadership role in the protection of vulner-
able refugee populations that endure sexual vio-
lence, human trafficking, persecution and vio-
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