The 11th Triennial Congress of the Women’s International League for Peace and Freedom, 15-19 August, 1949 in Copenhagen, Denmark:

The XIth International Congress of the Women’s International League for Peace and Freedom, assembled at Copenhagen from August 15-19, 1949,

Expresses its profound anxiety over the decision make by the General Council of the International Refugee Organization of June 30, 1950.

In view of the distressing fact that there will still be in various parts of the world, mainly in Europe, and more specially in Germany, large numbers of refugees at present under the International Refugee Organization’s mandate who are stateless and will not enjoy governmental protection,

This Congress urges speedy action on the following proposals:

1. That the international protection, legal and political, of refugees should continue without bread;

2. That the Office of a High Commissioner be established within the framework of the United Nations entrusted with this responsibility;

3. That an international fund be established to be administered by the High Commissioner for the purpose of granting material assistance to refugees after June 30, 1950;

4. That Governments be urged to adopt the most liberal immigration policies so as to enable the International Refugee Organization to complete its tasks to the fullest degree possible and to give homes and citizenship to those who are stateless.

To National Sections of the Women’s International League for Peace and Freedom this Congress appeals to impress upon their Governments their grave concern and the very great seriousness of the situation which is bound to arise, unless far reaching arrangements are make NOW to cope with the human problems of the most miserable of the miserable victims of persecution and war.

While making this appeal for immediate measures,

this Congress is fully aware of the fact that such measures would be mere palliatives unless the fundamental problems of Statelessness, neglected for so long, receive early concentrated attention and urges prompt action by the United Nations organs concerned for the elimination of Statelessness at its source.  Such action alone will permanently remove a situation which has long been a shame of civilization.