International Refugee Organization

The General Council of the International Refugee Organization held its third (special) session in Geneva from June 28 to July 8, 1949. The Council was concerned chiefly with the problems of completion of the program of IRO by June 30, 1950, and future international action concerning refugees. Further recommendations on the termination of activities, as well as estimates of the number of persons who would remain registered for IRO services on June 30, 1950, were submitted by the Director-General. Mr. Tuck reported that this number would be approximately 304,000 of whom 172,000 would be receiving care and maintenance. Certain amendments to the recommendations of the Director-General were proposed and on July 6, 1949, the Council adopted a resolution instructing the Director-General to: 1) discontinue on August 31, 1949, with certain stated exceptions, all registration whereby refugees and displaced persons might be determined to fall within the mandate of the organization; 2) discontinue after December 31, 1949, admissions to displaced persons' assembly centers, and, after March 31, 1950, admissions to care and maintenance; 3) discontinue care and maintenance by June 30, 1950, for all persons other than those in process of repatriation or resettlement and those refugees or displaced persons who required permanent assistance, such as institutional care, and for whom other satisfactory arrangements would not have been completed; 4) institute an intensive counselling program with the aim of interviewing by November 1, 1949, all refugees and displaced persons receiving care and maintenance whose future had not been provided for; and 5) report to the fourth session of the General Council on the arrangements made for completing the several programs.