Refugee rights to be promoted under OAS-UNCHR agreeement

The Organization of American States (OAS) has signed an agreement with the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) to jointly promote the rights of refugees and raise awareness of the issue.
The agreement between the two institutions covers, among other elements, “the promotion of the continental ratification of the international instruments relating to refugees, reduction of statelessness and protection of stateless persons.” It also provides for the “adoption by States of national enactment mechanisms and safeguards in accordance with international and regional human rights standards.”
Among other elements, the agreement provides for the “undertaking of joint comparative research studies on the situation of refugees, asylum seekers, returnees, stateless persons, internally displaced and other persons in need of protection in the Americas.”