Responsibility for the violations of human rights and fundamental freedoms.
| Publisher | UN Commission on Human Rights |
| Author | UN Commission on Human Rights (46th sess. : 1990 : Geneva) |
| Publication Date | 6 March 1991 |
| Citation / Document Symbol | E/CN.4/RES/1991/72 |
| Reference | 47 |
| Cite as | UN Commission on Human Rights, Responsibility for the violations of human rights and fundamental freedoms., 6 March 1991, E/CN.4/RES/1991/72, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/3b00f0b11c.html [accessed 17 September 2023] |
1991/72. Responsibility for the violations of human rights and fundamental freedoms
The Commission on Human Rights, Guided by the purposes and principles of the Charter of the United Nations, the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights and the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights, Reaffirming that all Member States have the duty to promote and protect human rights and fundamental freedoms and to fulfil their obligations in accordance with the Charter of the United Nations and international instruments in the field of human rights, Recalling that, according to article 2 of both International Covenants on Human Rights, States parties should undertake, in conformity with their constitutional procedures, legislative and other measures necessary for the implementation of the rights enshrined in the Covenants, Expressing its grave concern at considerable losses caused to individuals, groups and peoples as a result of violations of human rights and fundamental freedoms, particularly those involving consistent patterns of gross violations, Stressing the importance of the question of responsibility for violations of obligations concerning human rights and fundamental freedoms, particularly gross and systematic violations, Noting that notwithstanding a number of existing separate norms and principles which establish such responsibility, further efforts should be undertaken with a view to elaborating legal régimes of responsibility, Convinced that the elaboration, where necessary, of further clear rules regulating responsibility for violations of obligations concerning human rights and fundamental freedoms would serve as a deterrent which could to a great extent prevent such violations,1. Expresses its concern at violations of human rights and fundamental freedoms still occurring in many parts of the world, in particular, gross and systematic violations, which mean the negation of the principles of the Charter of the United Nations, the provisions of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights the International Covenants on Human Rights and other international legal instruments in this field;
2. Considers that the establishment of further clear rules regulating responsibility for human rights violations could serve as one of the basic preventive guarantees aimed at averting any infringements of human rights and fundamental freedoms;
3. Invites the competent United Nations bodies to consider the question of State responsibility for violations of international obligations in the field of human rights and fundamental freedoms;
4. Appeals to States which have not yet done so to undertake the necessary legislative measures with a view to establishing appropriate legal responsibility under domestic law of those responsible for violations of human rights and fundamental freedoms;
5. Decides to consider the question again at its forty-eighth session.
54th meeting6 March 1991
[Adopted without a vote. See chap. XII.]