Rabat – The plight of refugees is ascribed to malfunctioning at the level of international relations and the UN refugee protection agency (UNHCR) should not be solely tasked with the noble mission of protecting refugees, Interministerial delegate for Human Rights, Mahjoub El Haiba, said.
Speaking at a conference in Geneva marking the 60th anniversary of the UN Convention relating to the Status of Refugees, El Haiba stressed the need for the international community to prevent conflicts and internal, regional and international crises.
The international community, he said, is called upon to uphold its responsibilities through dialogue, peaceful resolution of conflicts and respect for human rights, territorial integrity of states and good neighbourliness.
In recent years, the world went through profound changes, El Haiba said, adding that such changes affected the concept of “refugees” itself to be extended to include “ecological and climate refugees”.
The commemoration of the 60th anniversary of the UN Convention on the status of refugees is an occasion to ponder on the challenges posed by refugees and humanitarian issues.
