Separate sections of this document deal with refugee concerns in terms of a global approach, definitions of a refugee, alternatives for refugees, the international response, and long-term prospects. The booklet states that the present number of 16 million refugees is bound to increase given increasing rivalry over land and resources. The global community must improve its ability to anticipate conflicts that have a high potential for generating refugees. In the international community, however, the definition of the term refugee is constantly evolving. It now extends beyond the persecuted individual to whole groups of people fleeing from dangerous circumstances. According to the United Nations High Commissioner, the task of the international community is to see that those who become refugees cease to be refugees within a reasonable amount of time. The three routes to this end are voluntary repatriation, settlement in the country of first asylum, or resettlement in a third country. International support takes the form of United Nations support, bilateral aid, and private, voluntary organizations. In the long term, a new consensus among nations must be made explicitly: that a government has an obligation to protect the interests of all its citizens. If not, it sacrifices its claim to sovereignty over them. Legally establishing a fundamental right of asylum and ensuring that neutral relief operations have guaranteed access to refugees are high priorities for the United Nations. (Author/KC)