CHAPTER THREE: DEMOCRACY AND POLITICAL GOVERNANCE __________________________________________________________________________ recommended the formulation of an efficient action plan for disaster management. This should include training stakeholders, providing adequate equipment, constructing retirement homes, and all other measures aimed at promoting the self-fulfilment of senior citizens. ii. Conclusions of the CRM 321. The CRM complimented the information about refugees it gained in meetings with stakeholders, from the representative of the UNHCR, and from the UN website. In April 2005, and in the months following, over 26,500 people from Togo sought refuge in Benin. Of these, 10,300 settled in Comé and Agamé, while 15,000 were received by local communities. Apart from the Togolese refugees, citizens from different nationalities have also found a safe haven in Benin. 322. The law grants the right of asylum to in accordance with the United Nations Convention on the Status of Refugees and its 1967 protocol. In partnership with the UNHCR and other humanitarian organisations, the government has put in place a system to protect refugees and to provide assistance to these asylum seekers. 323. In Benin, refugees and nationals have equal access to common law rights and services. These include the right to work, the right to education, and the right to have access to social services. However, work is difficult to find and remains the biggest obstruction to their integration because of the economic environment of the host country. This remains a challenge. In recent years, additional emphasis has been placed on capacity building to speed up the process. In order to promote the integration of refugees, the UNHCR is implementing projects in education, vocational training and income-generating activities22. 324. Women are particularly vulnerable. Together with girls, they make up approximately 50% of the refugee population. They are deprived of shelter, their civic rights and sometimes a family structure, thereby ultimately exposing them to sexual harassment and abuse. The UNHCR has developed a specific series of programmes to ensure that they are protected and have equitable access to the basic goods and services required to rebuild their lives. 325. Children and adolescents under the age of 18 constitute half of the refugees, and their protection is the priority of the activities of the UNHCR. Particular attention is given to them so that their basic rights, such as the right to education, are respected. Through sensitisation and information campaigns, the UNHCR has been attempting to ensure that child refugees do not become the victims of child trafficking. 326. People living with disabilities. According to stakeholders, there is little information about the disabled, and extensive studies have often ignored this segment of the population. In the socio-cultural context of Benin, disability is 22 See www.onubenin.org. 125