refugees.196 In its resolutions, the General Assembly has repeatedly called for the return of those displaced as a result of the June 1967 and subsequent hostilities.197 UNRWA maintains that, as a humanitarian and human development agency, its role is “to highlight the urgent need for that solution and to help ensure that in its elaboration the rights and interests of the refugees are safeguarded.”198 The Agency also acknowledges that “a just and durable solution is the key to the enjoyment of national protection and the realization of other rights,”199 although responsibility for the Palestinian refugee question lies with the parties to the conflict and other political actors.200 Without an explicit protection mandate, UNRWA provides limited protection while promoting its identity as “a major provider of public services.”201 UNRWA updates the only existing database of 1948 Palestinian refugees and issues registration cards based on those records. Although unsystematic, partial and not statistically valid, UNRWA’s database includes invaluable information about 5 million refugees and their families. The Agency’s general assistance and emergency response during humanitarian crises guarantee basic economic and social rights. Limited protection is also provided through monitoring, reporting and intervention, sometimes in cooperation with UNHCR.202 From 1968 onwards, UNRWA’s mandate was expanded to include the provision 196 See, for example, UN General Assembly, “Resolution 59/118 - Persons Displaced as a Result of the June 1967 and Subsequent Hostilities,” December 10, 2004, para. 3, UN Doc. A/RES/59/118: “Endorses, in the meanwhile, the efforts of the Commissioner-General of the United Nations Relief and Work Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East to continue to provide humanitarian assistance, as far as practicable, on an emergency basis, and as a temporary measure, to persons in the area who are currently displaced and in serious need of continued assistance as a result of the June 1967 and subsequent hostilities.” The current mandate was renewed until 30 June 2014; see http://www.unrwa.org/who-we-are. 197 Ibid., para. 1: “Reaffirms the right of all persons displaced as a result of the June 1967 and subsequent hostilities to return to their homes or former places of residence occupied by Israel since 1967.” 198 Nicholas Morris, What Protection Means for UNRWA in Concept and Practice, Consultant’s Report (U.N. Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA), March 31, 2008), para. 3.2. 199 Ibid., para. 4.1. 200 UNRWA and UNHCR, “The United Nations and Palestinian Refugees,” January 2007, 5, http://www. unrwa.org/userfiles/2010011791015.pdf. 201 UNRWA, “Programme Budget 2014-2015,” August 2013, para.5.3, http://www.unrwa.org/sites/ default/files/2014-2015_programme_budget_blue_book.pdf. 202 In 1991, following the expulsion of the Palestinian from Kuwait, the then Commissioner-General of UNRWA affirmed during a meeting with the donors that the Agency had a responsibility towards Palestinians being “persecuted, hounded, and expelled by the Kuwaiti government for supposed support of the Iraqi occupation.” Although UNRWA’s mandate is limited to its five areas of operation, the Commissioner General made it clear that he favored a pragmatic approach: “I consider that the responsibility of UNRWA extends to Palestinians in all parts of the Middle East [including Kuwait]. If ambivalence is allowed to persist in this respect, this can only delay ad hoc UN protection and humanitarian activities.” As a result, UNRWA sent a special mission to Kuwait from July to September 1992 to assess the situation of the remaining Palestinians in Kuwait (UN doc. A/48/13, 7). The mission operated in close cooperation with UNHCR, yet the effects of this mission were limited. Takkenberg, The Status of Palestinian Refugees in International Law, 300–301. The Palestinian Refugee Problem: An Overview 35