114 Pledges 2011 - Ministerial Intergovernmental Event on Refugees and Stateless Persons SOUTH AFRICA PLEDGE FORM Pledge on the protection of refugees and the status and reduction of statelessness The Government of the Republic of South Africa pledges to remain unwavering and steadfast in its commitment to the protection of refugees. The Republic of South Africa has identified a number of areas that need strengthening in relation to the reception of asylum-seekers, the determination of status, and the treatment and integration of refugees. The Government has initiated a number of legal, administrative and institutional measures in this regard that will enable the security and other needs of refugees to be met more effectively. The reception of asylum-seekers • Given that South Africa is a major destination of choice of asylum-seekers, the Government is actively exploring ways of dealing with this unprecedented demand for asylum within the context of regional cooperation and domestic legislation. A large number of those applying for asylum are economic migrants and this is impacting negatively on the processing of persons who have a well-founded fear of persecution as defined in the 1951 Refugee Convention. Determining refugee status • The efficiency of adjudicating the status of those who seek asylum is being addressed through a number of initiatives, including the amending of legislation and improving structures and processes. These measures will serve to deal with backlogs while establishing efficient adjudication systems that will benefit refugees. An important part of this process will be strengthening regional cooperation and the partnership between the South African Government and UNHCR. Treatment and integration of refugees • The security and welfare of persons accorded refugee status will be improved by strengthening cooperation between spheres of government, between government departments, and between Government, UNHCR and civil society stakeholders. The approach will enable the complexities of the urban environment characterising South Africa to be managed effectively. The special needs of refugees, such as more vulnerable groups, will be addressed through strengthening partnerships with UNHCR and a range of NGOs.