Chapter I. MINISTERIAL COMMUNIQUÉ MINISTERIAL COMMUNIQUÉ (Geneva, 8 December 2011) 1. We, the Ministers and representatives of Member States of the United Nations, gathered in Geneva, Switzerland, on 7 and 8 December 2011, for a ministerial-level meeting facilitated by UNHCR to mark the 60th anniversary of the 1951 Convention relating to the Status of Refugees and the 50th anniversary of the 1961 Convention on the Reduction of Statelessness. 2. We reaffirm that the 1951 Convention relating to the Status of Refugees and its 1967 Protocol are the foundation of the international refugee protection regime and have enduring value and relevance in the twenty-first century. We recognize the importance of respecting and upholding the principles and values that underlie these instruments, including the core principle of non-refoulement, and where applicable, will consider acceding to these instruments and/or removing reservations. 3. We recognize that the 1961 Convention on the Reduction of Statelessness and the 1954 Convention relating to the Status of Stateless Persons are the principal international statelessness instruments, which provide important standards for the prevention and resolution of statelessness and safeguards for the protection of stateless people. We will consider becoming a party to them, where appropriate, and/or strengthening our policies that prevent and reduce statelessness. 4. We express our concern that millions of people live without a nationality which limits enjoyment of their human rights, and we will work towards addressing statelessness and protecting stateless persons, including, as applicable, through national legislation and strengthening mechanisms for birth registration. 5. We are committed to strengthening and enhancing international protection and assistance to refugees through international cooperation in a spirit of solidarity, responsibility and burden sharing among all States and to improving ways to support countries hosting refugees, including in protracted refugee situations. 6. We commend the countries that host large numbers of refugees for their generosity and acknowledge the security, socio-economic and environmental impact of the presence of large-scale refugee populations on 15