A/RES/48/116 Page 2 Commending the High Commissioner and her staff for the dedicated manner in which they discharge their responsibilities, and paying special tribute to those staff members who have lost their lives in the course of their duties, Noting with satisfaction that one hundred and twenty-three States are now parties to the 1951 Convention 5/ and/or the 1967 Protocol 6/ relating to the Status of Refugees, Also noting with satisfaction the participation of the High Commissioner in the commemoration of the anniversaries of the Cartagena Declaration on Refugees of 1984 7/ and the Organization of African Unity Convention governing the specific aspects of refugee problems in Africa, concluded at Addis Ababa on 10 September 1969, 8/ Welcoming the continuing strong commitment of States to provide protection and assistance to refugees and the valuable support extended by Governments to the High Commissioner in carrying out her humanitarian tasks, Commending those States, particularly the least developed and those serving as host to millions of refugees, that, despite severe economic and development challenges of their own, continue to admit large numbers of refugees into their territories, and emphasizing the need to share the burden of those States to the maximum extent possible through international assistance, including development-oriented assistance, Noting with concern that the number of refugees and other persons to whom the Office of the High Commissioner is called upon to provide assistance and protection has continued to increase and that their protection continues to be seriously jeopardized in many situations as a result of denial of admission, unlawful expulsion, refoulement, unjustified detention, other threats to their physical security, dignity and well-being and failure to respect and ensure their fundamental freedoms and human rights, Recognizing that, in certain regions, the misuse by individuals of asylum procedures jeopardizes the institution of asylum and adversely affects the prompt and effective protection of refugees, Emphasizing the need for States to assist the High Commissioner in seeking durable and timely solutions to the problems of refugees, as well as to take part in efforts to prevent conditions that might give rise to the flight of refugees, and to address the root causes of refugee outflows, and underlining, in this connection, State responsibility, particularly as it relates to countries of origin, ______________ 5/ United Nations, Treaty Series, vol. 189, No. 2545. 6/ Ibid., vol. 606, No. 8791. 7/ International Journal of Refugee Law, vol. 3, No. 2 (April 1991). 8/ United Nations, Treaty Series, vol. 1001, No. 14,691. /...