alleviate the immediate and growing suffering of millions of people. Additional resources were urgently required even as the international community's response to the phenomenon of involuntary migration was being rationalized. Traditional donor Governments must therefore demonstrate that they still subscribed, in deeds as well as in words, to the humanitarian principles which their countries had always advocated in the past. 2. Voluntary agencies agreed with the High Commissioner's emphasis, from the outset of his mandate, on the fact that protection of refugees was the main element of his activities. In that regard, the granting of asylum and recognition of refugee status were a precondition for upholding human rights principles. 3. The non-governmental organization community welcomed the greater involvement of UNHCR in some of the policy-making forums of the European institutions. The European non-governmental organizations working under the auspices of the European Consultation on Refugees and Exiles (ECRE) had long expressed the opinion that the exclusion of UNHCR from that process was contrary to article 35 of the 1951 Convention. They urged UNHCR and all members of the Executive Committee to ensure that regular consultation took place in the coming months, when fundamental decisions relating to asylum policy in Europe were being made by European Governments. They supported those who wished to move the discussion away from ever more ingenious measures of deterrence and procedures at the frontiers which effectively prevented asylum-seekers from filing their applications, and towards a comprehensive set of policies rooted in adherence to human rights standards. They believed that the complex measures required to address the long-term implications of migration could be developed only if the international community was far more active in attacking the causes of human rights violations and the many factors that forced people from their homes. In addition, European Governments needed 
**Analysis**
The text discusses the international community's response to involuntary migration, asylum policies, and human rights violations. It emphasizes the need for humanitarian aid and relief, protection of refugees, and adherence to human rights standards. The text also touches on the role of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) and the involvement of non-governmental organizations (NGOs) in policy-making forums.

**Category**
Humanitarian aid and relief