Hostage-taking.

1988/38. Hostage-taking

The Commission on Human Rights, Recalling its resolution 27 (XXXVII) of 11 March 1981, in which it affirmed that the taking of hostages constituted a grave violation of human rights, exposing the hostages to privation, hardship, anguish and danger to life and health, Recalling its resolutions 1986/49 of 12 March 1986 and 1987/28 of 10 March 1987, in which it condemned the taking of any person hostage, Bearing in mind, among other things, Security Council resolution 579 (1985) of 18 December 1985 on hostage-taking, as well as the, statement made by the President of the Security Council on 28 January 1987 (S/18641), again condemning all cases of hostage-taking, Considering that everyone has the right to life, liberty and security and that hostage-taking is a serious violation of fundamental rights and of the dignity of the human being, Considering that arbitrary detention of persons is an unquestionable violation of human rights, Alarmed by the growing number of cases of hostage-taking throughout the world, some of which have been going on for a long time, and by the odious practice they constitute, Noting with concern the increasing number of instances of hostage-taking involving, more and more often, nationals of States chosen in order to put pressure on those States or on third parties, Expressing its distress at these unacceptable displays of violence towards innocent victims and at the anxiety and suffering of the families concerned,

1. Strongly condemns, whoever is responsible and whatever the circumstances, the taking of any person hostage, whether or not he is chosen at random and whatever is his nationality;

2. Censures the actions of all persons responsible for taking hostages, whatever their motives, and demands that they should immediately release those they are holding;

3. Calls upon States to take any measures necessary to prevent and punish the taking of hostages and to put an immediate end to cases of abduction and unlawful restraint on their territory;

4. Requests the Secretary-General, whenever so requested by a State, to employ all means at his disposal in order to secure the immediate release of persons held hostage;

5. Decides to remain seized of this question at its forty-fifth session.

52nd meeting
8 March 1988
[Adopted without a vote. See chap. X.]