Prince of Asturias Awards 1981–2014. Speeches

3 P rince of A sturias A wards 1981-2014. S peeches Laureates. Excerpts acnur 1 embodies the concern and cooperation of the international community on the refugee cause. Created in 1951 to deal with what was then perceived as a residual refugee problem in Europe, acnur’s role and activities have evolved over the decades as the refugee problem has dramatically increased in scale and scope, spreading from Europe to Africa, Asia, Latin America and the Middle East. The importance of international cooperation has never been greater; the need for solidarity has never been stronger than now. Profound political changes during the past two years foreshadow an end to many conflicts and augur concrete solutions to the plight of millions of refugees. At the same time, new clouds darken the horizon. This year alone we faced unprecedented challenges posed by some of the largest and swiftest population movements in the Persian Gulf area and the Horn of Africa. There are fears of new displacement as nationalistic, ethnic and religious tensions tear communities apart. There are concerns of growing migration as the gap between the rich and the poor widens in a world where distances are being reduced by technological advances. The free movement of people, which was the harbinger of political change in the East, has become a source of concern, if not fear, in many circles in the West. Western countries face an important dilemma: how to preserve the principles of human rights and humanitarian traditions, how to respect the principle of asylum, how to humanely treat those who try to emigrate, without compromising the security and stability of their societies? The answer to this dilemma could give shape to the new emerging world order. (…) It is evident that the root causes of refugee flows are ultimately related to political conflict and violation of human rights. Democracy and human rights are essential for the prospects of development and together the three —that is democracy, human rights and development— can create conditions which make a real difference to the lives of the people so that they are not compelled to move. The responsibility as well as the capacity for creating such conditions lie with governments. At a time when states are adopting a common and assertive approach to global concerns, the elimination of root causes of refugee movements must be placed high on the political agenda. 1 Spanish acronym for UNHCR Sadako Ogata, on behalf of unhcr — Prince of Asturias Award for International Cooperation 1991 Sadako Ogata was the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees from 1991 to 2001. — Excerpt from the speech given on the occasion of receiving the Prince of Asturias Award for International Cooperation on 18/10/1991.