[Congressional Bills 112th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H. Res. 690 Introduced in House (IH)]

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 Refugee 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 received 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, assistance, and a durable solution;
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 commitments 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, protection, assistance, and durable solutions 
        for refugees, asylum seekers, and stateless persons;
Whereas the Proclamation declares that the voices of all refugees 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 promote conditions for safe voluntary return and 
        reintegration, to encourage local integration where feasible, and to 
        support resettlement;
Whereas the Proclamation recommends that each refugee receive relevant and 
        comprehensive orientation, starting during selection for resettlement 
        and extending throughout the early stages of integration, in order to 
        empower refugees and their families to achieve financial self-
        sufficiency and personal fulfillment;
Whereas the Proclamation recommends the promotion of refugees' increased 
        awareness of, and access to, resources and opportunities through ongoing 
        orientation and individualized 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 enables them to be contributors to their new 
        country;
Whereas the Proclamation encourages UNHCR and governments 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 
        providing 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 effectiveness of all 
aspects of refugee protection through surveys and interviews, and as 
researchers and monitors; and

    (4) educating and training refugees to be ambassadors 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 represent the unique refugee 
        perspectives and experiences;
Whereas the Proclamation requests that UNHCR finalize the proceedings from the 
        Refugee Congress, and share the findings and recommendations at the 
        UNHCR Ministerial meeting, with the Administration and the Congress of 
        the United States and other refugee program stakeholders;
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 utmost to remember, to 
        represent, and to help fellow refugees, stateless persons, and other 
        forcibly displaced individuals around the world: Now, therefore, be it
    Resolved, That the House of Representatives--
            (1) supports the ideals and values of the Refugee 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.
                                 <all>