Ashgabad, May 14, 2012 (MAP)
Morocco’s Permanent Representative to the UN office in Genevan, Ambassador Omar Hilale stressed that conducting a head count of the refugees is a precondition for protecting their rights.
The Moroccan diplomat made the remark during the international ministerial conference on “Refugees in the Muslim World”, held in the Turkemen capital by the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) in coordination with the United Nations High Commission for Refugees (UNHCR).
Hilale called for alleviating the suffering of refugees through upholding the mandate of the UNHCR notably in terms of conducting a census of refugees as a precondition for guaranteeing their human rights.
The Moroccan Ambassador shed light on the adverse conditions lived by refugees in the Sahel and Sahara region where terrorist groups and drug and human trafikcing networks are proliferating, thus threatening the security of humanitarian workers and UNHCR stuff.
Hilale also recalled Morocco’s humanitarian efforts, pointing out to the aid sent to the refugees who were displaced in Mauritania and Niger following the crisis in Mali as well as the humanitarian assistance delivered by the Kingdom in 2011 to the Libyan refugees.
Held on May 11-12, the conference adopted a ministerial declaration in support of refugees in the Muslim world.
