1970~1980년대 동남아 난민 위기와 ‘포괄적 행동계획’(1989): ‘보호’와 ‘억제’의 긴장과 절충

The 1989 Comprehensive Plan of Action Revisited: A Dilemma of Obligations and Problem Solving in Times of Refugee Crisis

This study aims to explore the true implications of the 1989 Comprehensive Plan of Action (CPA), a pivotal event in the history of international refugee protection. Designed as a collective initiative to resolve the Indochina refugee crisis, the CPA has received high praise and recognition as an exemplar in international cooperation. However, this study seeks to shed light on the underlying tension between protection and deterrence within the CPA framework. The article first explains the characteristics, achievements, and limitations of the 1979 Consensus, which was the international community’s first major response to the refugee crisis. It then examines the CPA, another structured response by the international community to the re-emergence of regional refugee crisis in the late 1980s. Through this historical analysis, the article argues that the CPA exemplifies the deep tension between protection and deterrence that we have faced in our dealings with the refugee crisis. In conclusion, while the CPA may be considered a landmark success in terms of international cooperation and problem-solving, it arguably fell short in embedding the core values and principles of international refugee law.