determination ofrefugee statusinenabling refugees totakeadvantage ofthe various rightsandstandards oftreatment accorded thembytheinternational community andtoavailthemselves oftheinternational protection extended to refugees bytheHighCommissioner's Office. 80.Theneedfortheestablishment ofprocedures forthedetermination ofrefugee statushasrepeatedly beenstressed bytheExecutive Committee sinceits twenty-eighth session whenthehopewasexpressed thatallStatesparties tothe international refugee instruments whichhadnotyetdonesowouldtakestepsto establish suchprocedures. TheCommittee alsorecommended thatprocedures forthe determination ofrefugee statusshouldsatisfy certain specified minimum requicements andthatStatesshouldgivefavourable consideration toUNHCR p~rticipation insuchprocedures inanappropriate form.16/ 81.Therecognition oftheimportance ofthedetermination ofrefugeestatusis reflected inthesteadyincrease inthenumberofStateswhich,duringthe reporting period, adopted newprocedures fordetermining refugeestatusortook measures toimprove orstreamline theexisting procedures. InSpain,procedures fordealing withapplications forasylumandrefugeestatuscameintoeffectin September 1984following theenactment ofabasicAsylum LawinMarchofthesame year.Underthenewlaw,provision hasbeenmadeforasinglecentral authority competent tomaketheinitial determination, withpossibilities forreviewand appeal. Thelawalsoprovides foraUNHCRadvisory roleatboththeinitial and reviewstages. InLatinAmerica, Nicaragua adopted legislation, whichbecame operative inApril1984,outlining rules,of procedure forthedetermination of refugee statustobefollowed bytheNational Refuge, Office. Colombia andPeru alsoadopted national legislation toimplement theprovisions ofthe1951United Nations Refugee Convention andthe1967Protocol inlate1984andearly1985, respectively, providing inbothcountries fordetailed procedures andforthe application ofliberalcriteria inthedet~rmination ofrefugee status. InAfrica, Benin,GabonandSomalia adopted newprocedures fortheindividual determination o~ -17-r g 86. are Uni thel'i I.'r, I'refugee statusduring1984,whileintheIvoryCoast,active consideratio~j was giventotheestablishment ofarefugee statuseligibility commission. 82.Itisencouraging tonotethatsome40Stateshavenowadopted refDgee status determination procedures. This,however, represents onlyaboutonehalfthenumber ofStatespresently parties totheinternational refugee instruments. Itishoped therefore thatmoreStatesparties willseetheirwaytoestablishing such procedures induecourse. Itisalsoimportant thatprocedures forthe determination ofrefugee status, onceestablished, shouldfunction effectively, a matter whichneedstobekeptunderconstant review. Itistherefore en\~ouraging tonotethatduringthereporting period anumberofStates.adopted orwere considering theadoption ofmeasures aimedatmakingtheirprocedures more effective. ThusintheCongo,inSenegal, inSomalia andinZimbabwe, measures weretakentocomplete thenecessary institutional framework tomakeexisting procedures operational. InNorthAmerica, bothCanada andtheUnitedStates were intheprocess ofintroducing majormodifications intotheirexisting procedures. 83.Theneedtokeepasylumprocedures constantly underreviewisofparticular importance incountries facedwithanincreasing numberofasylum-seekers, inorder toprevent thedevelopment ofaserious backlog andtominimize potential abusesof theasylumprocess. Insuchsituations itisimportant toensurethatprocedures continue tofunction expeditiously whileatthesametimemaintaining legal guarantees andpreserving theliberal asylumtraditions ofthecountry concerned. Duringthereporting period anumberofStatestookpositive stepsinthisregard anditishopedthatotherStatesconfronted withaperceptible increase inasylum applications willadoptsimilar measures. 84.Itshouldalsobementioned thatthejudiciary inanumberofcountries has continued toplayanimportant andlargely liberalizing roleinthedetermination process. Itisencouraging tonoteinthisregardthat,inelaborating criteria fordetermining refugee status, reliance hasbeenplaced bycourtsinvarious countries ontheUNHCRHandbook onProcedures andCriteria forDetermining Refugee Status. 85.Finally, itshouldberecalled thatprocedures forthedetermination of
**Analysis**
This text appears to be related to the legal and administrative processes surrounding refugees and asylum seekers. It discusses the importance of establishing procedures for determining refugee status, the role of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), and the efforts of various countries to implement such procedures. The text also touches on the need for these procedures to be effective, fair, and expeditious.

**Category**
Humanitarian aid and relief, International relations