in a settlement for displaced persons in Port-au-Prince, Haiti. l The ministerial-level meeting facilitated by UNHCR in Geneva in December 2011 to mark the 50th and 60th anniversaries, respectively, of the Refugee and Statelessness Conventions saw a number of countries in the subregion either pledge to implement refugee laws or accede to the Statelessness Conventions. Some countries made commitments to reactivate refugee status determination (RSD) mechanisms and close protection gaps. l UNHCR’s monitoring activities in the subregion contributed to parole releases, improvements in detention conditions and the favourable consideration of alternatives to detention. UNHCR interventions in asylum procedures and in the courts led to positive results for a significant number of asylum-seekers. l Training and public awareness programmes conducted by UNHCR resulted in a better understanding of the key precepts of international refugee law and the plight of persons of concern to UNHCR among government authorities and general populations. UNHCR / C. TOOZE OPERATIONAL HIGHLIGHTS UNHCR Global Report 2011 333