Page:United States Statutes at Large Volume 105 Part 1.djvu/1002

 105 STAT. 974 PUBLIC LAW 102-147—OCT. 28, 1991 Public Law 102-147 102d Congress Joint Resolution Oct. 28, 1991 [S.J. Res. 192] Designating October 30, 1991 as "Refugee Day". Whereas in the past decade, the plight of refugees world wide has been deepening as the world refugee population has more than doubled from 7,300,000 to 16,000,000; Whereas more than 80 percent of these refugees are women and children; Whereas one-third of the refugee population is found in Africa where the host countries have the weakest infrastructure and are the least able to sustain such large numbers of destitute people in night; Whereas the international effort to respond to the refugee crisis worldwide with the formulation of the United Nations Convention on Refugees and the founding of the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) marks its fortieth anniversary in 1991; Whereas the United States has always played a leading role in refugee matters worldwide; Whereas the origins of the United States as a land of refuge for those escaping persecution and the development of the United States as a nation of immigrants gives the country a deep understanding of and sympathy for the plight of the 16,000,000 refugees in the world; Whereas refugees who have come to the United States have made significant contributions to the country; Whereas the United States has consistently encouraged other countries to expand the effort to help the needy population of refugees and has worked to find both short-term and long-term solutions to the refugee crisis; and Whereas the current world refugee situation requires that the United States continue to be a leader in refugee affairs and in the efforts to meet the growing challenges of the refugee crisis: Now, therefore, be it 59-139 O - 91 (147)

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