Advisory services in the field of human rights.

1988/54. Advisory services in the field of human rights

The Commission on Human Rights, Recalling General Assembly resolution 41/154 of 4 December 1986, in which the Assembly requested The Commission on Human Rights to continue to pay special attention to the most appropriate ways of assisting, at their request, countries of the different regions under the programme of advisory services and to make, where necessary, the relevant recommendations, Recalling further its resolution 1985/26 of 11 March 1985, in which it encouraged the Secretary-General to continue and enhance his efforts under the programme of advisory services in the field of human rights to provide practical assistance to States in the implementation of international conventions on human rights, particularly the International Covenants on Human Rights, and its resolutions 1986/52 of 13 March 1986 and 1987/37 and 1987/38 of 10 March 1987, Taking note with appreciation of the report of the Secretary-General (E/CN.4/1988/40 and Add.1) on the activities carried out within the framework of the programme of advisory services and on the establishment of the Voluntary Fund for Advisory Services and Technical Assistance in the Field of Human Rights, Noting with appreciation that a regional training course for the Asian and Pacific Region was held at Bangkok from 12 to 23 October 1987 on the teaching of human rights, Noting with appreciation that a subregional training course for Spanish-speaking countries in Central America and the Caribbean was held at San José, Costa Rica, from 23 November to 4 December 1987 on the preparation and presentation of national reports pursuant to United Nations conventions on human rights, Noting further that a similar subregional training course for government officials from English-speaking African countries was held at Lusaka from 9 to 20 November 1987, Noting that 39 States receiving aid from the United Nations Development Programme have indicated their specific need for advisory services and technical assistance in the legal field (E/CN.4/1988/40/Add.1), Noting the importance of expert services, fellowships and scholarships, training courses and seminars under the programme of advisory services as forms of practical assistance to States with a view to enabling them to develop the necessary infrastructure to meet international human rights, standards, Welcoming, therefore, the outline for a medium-term plan of activities for a developed advisory services programme contained in the report of the Secretary-General (E/CN.4/1988/40), in particular the subprogramme on practical assistance in the creation and development of national infrastructures for the promotion and protection of internationally recognized human rights norms and assistance to Governments in this respect,

1. Reaffirms that the programme of advisory services in the field of human rights should continue to provide practical assistance in the implementation of international conventions on human rights to those States which indicate a need for such assistance;

2. Requests the Secretary-General to pursue his efforts for a medium-term plan for advisory services and technical assistance in the field of human rights, taking into account the comments and views expressed by Governments at the forty-fourth session of The Commission on Human Rights;

3. Recommends to the Secretary-General that increasing emphasis should be placed on expert assistance and on activities to assist Governments in the development of the necessary infrastructures to meet international human rights standards;

4. Welcomes the efforts by the Secretary-General to undertake restructuring within the Centre for Human Rights in order to provide fresh impetus and effective management for the provision of advisory services in all their aspects;

5. Requests the Secretary-General to ensure that the Centre for Human Rights becomes a focal point for the co-ordination, as appropriate, within the United Nations, of the activities for the provision of advisory services in all their aspects;

6. Requests the Secretary-General to ensure close co-ordination between the activities of the regular programme of advisory services and those of the Voluntary Fund;

7. Also requests the Secretary-General to bring the need for further technical assistance in the legal field that has been indicated by a number of States to the attention of the United Nations bodies and agencies that are active in providing assistance in the field of development;

8. Invites competent United Nations bodies, such as the committees set up under the International Covenants on Human Rights and the Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination, to make suggestions and proposals for the implementation of advisory services;

9. Requests its special rapporteurs and representatives, as well as the Working Group on Enforced or Involuntary Disappearances, to inform Governments, whenever appropriate, of the possibility of availing themselves of the services provided for under the programme of advisory services and to include in their recommendations, whenever appropriate, proposals for specific projects to be realized under the programme of advisory services;

10. Appeals to all Governments to consider making use of the possibility offered by the United Nations of organizing, under the programme of advisory services in the field of human rights, information and/or training courses at the national level for appropriate government personnel on the application of international human rights standards and the experience of relevant international organs;

11. Encourages Governments in need of technical assistance in the field of human rights to avail themselves of the advisory services of experts in the field of human rights, for example, for drafting basic legal texts in conformity with international conventions on human rights;

12. Expresses its appreciation to all Governments and intergovernmental and non-governmental organizations which have responded to the Secretary-General's call to provide assistance to States that indicated their need for technical assistance in the field of human rights, and requests the Secretary-General to pursue his efforts to co-ordinate and facilitate the flow of bilateral assistance in such cases;

13. Requests the Secretary-General to report to the Commission at its forty-fifth session on the progress made in the implementation of the programme for advisory services in the field of human rights.

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