IV 
112TH CONGRESS 
2D SESSION 
H. RES. 690 
Recognizing the Proclamation of the Refugee Congress. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
JUNE 19, 2012 
Ms. ZOE LOFGREN of California (for herself, Mr. CONYERS, Mr. PETERS, and 
Mr. DIAZ-BALART) submitted the following resolution; which was referred 
to the Committee on Foreign Affairs 
RESOLUTION 
Recognizing the Proclamation of the Refugee Congress. 
Whereas on August 3, 2011, refugees who had come to the 
United States between 1947 and 2011 gathered in a Ref-
ugee Congress to serve as the voice for the more than 
3,000,000 refugees who have found protection in this 
country during the last 60 years; 
Whereas the Refugee Congress Delegates approved that day 
a Proclamation expressing their gratitude for having re-
ceived refuge and sanctuary in the United States and for 
the spirit of generosity in which they had been received 
by the people of the United States; 
Whereas the Proclamation recognizes that there are still more 
than 43,000,000 people forcibly displaced worldwide, of 
whom 15,000,000 are refugees in need of protection, as-
sistance, and a durable solution; 
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Whereas the Proclamation recognizes that each year less than 
1 percent of the world’s refugees are resettled globally; 
Whereas the Proclamation recognizes that the majority of 
refugees are women, children, and elderly individuals, and 
that they continue to need protection, assistance, and 
hope for a life beyond a refugee camp; 
Whereas the Proclamation recognizes that 2011 marked the 
60th Anniversary of the 1951 Convention Relating to the 
Status of Refugees and the 50th Anniversary of the 1961 
Convention on the Reduction of Statelessness and that 
the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees 
(UNHCR) has called on nations to renew their commit-
ments to these historic documents; 
Whereas the Proclamation supports the pledges proposed by 
UNHCR to the Government of the United States to use 
its moral authority to address issues of resettlement, pro-
tection, assistance, and durable solutions for refugees, 
asylum seekers, and stateless persons; 
Whereas the Proclamation declares that the voices of all refu-
gees should be heard and that the real faces and stories 
behind the statistics about forcibly displaced people must 
not be forgotten; 
Whereas the Proclamation calls upon all nations, including 
the United States, and UNHCR, to make every effort to 
find solutions for these displaced communities, to pro-
mote conditions for safe voluntary return and reintegra-
tion, to encourage local integration where feasible, and to 
support resettlement; 
Whereas the Proclamation recommends that each refugee re-
ceive relevant and comprehensive orientation, starting 
during selection for resettlement and extending through-
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out the early stages of integration, in order to empower 
refugees and their families to achieve financial self-suffi-
ciency and personal fulfillment; 
Whereas the Proclamation recommends the promotion of ref-
ugees’ increased awareness of, and access to, resources 
and opportunities through ongoing orientation and indi-
vidualized guidance, strengthening collaboration among 
refugees to advocate for their communities, and greater 
community understanding of refugees and their potential, 
so that refugees achieve successful integration that en-
ables them to be contributors to their new country; 
Whereas the Proclamation encourages UNHCR and govern-
ments to recognize that refugees and asylees represent an 
untapped resource when responding to refugee situations 
around the world, and it calls upon them to incorporate 
refugees and asylees as actors and decisionmakers in pro-
viding protection and delivering humanitarian support, 
such as— 
(1) encouraging the election of refugees by their 
peers to participate in the distribution of aid; 
(2) bringing refugee educators from the diasporas as 
volunteer teachers of other refugees; 
(3) including refugees in the evaluation of the effec-
tiveness of all aspects of refugee protection through sur-
veys and interviews, and as researchers and monitors; 
and 
(4) educating and training refugees to be ambas-
sadors who communicate about, and promote greater 
public awareness of, refugee situations; 
Whereas the Proclamation recommends that an independent 
domestic advisory and advocacy council be established to 
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represent the unique refugee perspectives and experi-
ences; 
Whereas the Proclamation requests that UNHCR finalize the 
proceedings from the Refugee Congress, and share the 
findings and recommendations at the UNHCR Ministe-
rial meeting, with the Administration and the Congress 
of the United States and other refugee program stake-
holders; 
Whereas the Proclamation calls upon UNHCR to include the 
voices of refugees as an integral and essential element in 
all discussions affecting refugees and in carrying out its 
mandate to protect and seek solutions for refugees; and 
Whereas the Proclamation pledges to continue to do its ut-
most to remember, to represent, and to help fellow refu-
gees, stateless persons, and other forcibly displaced indi-
viduals around the world: Now, therefore, be it 
Resolved, That the House of Representatives— 
(1) supports the ideals and values of the Ref-
ugee Congress and the Proclamation adopted by the 
Refugee Congress Delegates; and 
(2) affirms its support for the objectives and 
principles of the 1951 Convention Relating to the 
Status of Refugees and the 1961 Convention on the 
Reduction of Statelessness. 
Æ 
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