Implementation of the Declaration on the Elimination of All Forms of Intolerance and of Discrimination Based on Religion or Belief.

1990/27. Implementation of the Declaration on the Elimination of All Forms of Intolerance and of Discrimination Based on Religion or Belief

The Commission on Human Rights, Conscious of the need to promote universal respect for, and observance of, human rights and fundamental freedoms for all without distinction as to race, sex, language or religion, Recalling General Assembly resolution 36/55 of 25 November 1981, in which the Assembly proclaimed the Declaration on the Elimination of All Forms of Intolerance and of Discrimination Based on Religion or Belief, Noting General Assembly resolution 44/131 of 15 December 1989, in which the Assembly requested the Commission on Human Rights to continue its consideration of measures to implement the Declaration and to report, through the Economic and Social Council, to the General Assembly at its forty-fifth session, Noting also Sub-Commission on Prevention of Discrimination and Protection of Minorities resolution 1989/23 of 31 August 1989, Recognizing that it is desirable to enhance the promotional and public information activities of the United Nations in matters relating to freedom of religion or belief and that both Governments and non-governmental organizations have an important role to play in this domain, Conscious of the importance of education in ensuring tolerance of religion and belief, Recognizing the valuable contribution that can be made to the encouragement of understanding, tolerance and respect in matters relating to freedom of religion or belief by activities undertaken on a regional basis, Recognizing also that non-governmental organizations and religious bodies and groups at every level have an important role to play in the promotion of tolerance and the protection of freedom of religion and belief, Recalling its resolutions 1988/55 of 8 March 1988 and 1989/44 of 6 March 1989, in which it requested the Sub-Commission to prepare a working paper comprising a compilation of provisions relevant to the elimination of intolerance and discrimination based on religion or belief and to examine the issues and factors to be considered before any drafting of a further binding international instrument on freedom of religion takes place, and to report thereon to the Commission at its forty-sixth session, Taking note with appreciation of the working paper prepared in response to the Commission's request by Mr. Theo van Boven, member of the Sub-Commission (E/CN.4/Sub.2/1989/32), Recalling its decision in resolution 1988/55 to extend for two years the mandate of the Special Rapporteur of the Commission appointed to examine incidents and governmental actions in all parts of the world which are inconsistent with the provisions of the Declaration on the Elimination of All Forms of Intolerance and of Discrimination Based on Religion or Belief and to recommend remedial measures, as appropriate, Having carefully examined the report of the Special Rapporteur, Mr. Angelo Vidal d'Almeida Ribeiro (E/CN.4/1990/46), Seriously concerned that intolerance and discrimination on the grounds of religion or belief continue to occur in many parts of the world, as outlined in the aforementioned report of the Special Rapporteur, Believing that further efforts are therefore required in order to promote and protect the right to freedom of thought, conscience, religion and belief and to eliminate all forms of intolerance and of discrimination based on religion or belief,

1. Reaffirms that freedom of thought, conscience, religion and belief is a right guaranteed to all without discrimination;

2. Expresses its thanks to the Special Rapporteur and takes note of his report and the various views expressed thereon during the forty-sixth session of the Commission;

3. Urges States, in accordance with their respective constitutional systems and with such internationally accepted instruments as the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights and the Declaration on the Elimination of All Forms of Intolerance and of Discrimination Based on Religion or Belief, to provide, where they have not already done so, adequate constitutional and legal guarantees of freedom of thought, conscience, religion and belief, including the provision of effective remedies where there is intolerance or discrimination based on religion or belief;

4. Also urges all States to take all appropriate measures to combat intolerance and to encourage understanding, tolerance and respect in matters relating to freedom of religion or belief and, in this context, to examine, where necessary, the supervision and training of their civil servants, educators and other public officials to ensure that, in the course of their official duties, they respect different religions and beliefs and do not discriminate against persons professing other religions or beliefs;

5. Invites the United Nations University and other academic and research institutions to undertake programmes and studies on the encouragement of understanding, tolerance and respect in matters relating to freedom of religion or belief;

6. Considers it desirable to enhance the promotional and public information activities of the United Nations in matters relating to freedom of religion or belief, and to ensure that appropriate measures are taken to this end in the World Public Information Campaign for Human Rights;

7. Invites, therefore, the Secretary-General to continue to give high priority to the dissemination of the text of the Declaration on the Elimination of All Forms of Intolerance and of Discrimination Based on Religion or Belief, in all official languages of the United Nations and in national languages, and to take all appropriate measures to make the text available for use by the United Nations information centres as well as by other interested bodies;

8. Welcomes the efforts of non-governmental organizations to promote the implementation of the Declaration, including at the Second International Conference on the Elimination of All Forms of Intolerance and of Discrimination Based on Religion or Belief, held in Warsaw from 14 to 18 May 1989;

9. Requests the Secretary-General in this context to invite interested non-governmental organizations to consider what further role they could envisage playing in the dissemination of the Declaration in national and local languages;

10. Welcomes with appreciation the working paper prepared by Mr. Theo van Boven, member of the Sub-Commission on Prevention of Discrimination and Protection of Minorities, which contains a compilation of provisions relevant to the elimination of intolerance and discrimination based on religion or belief, as well as the issues and factors to be considered before any drafting of a further binding international instrument;

11. Decides to extend for a further two years the mandate of the Special Rapporteur appointed to examine incidents and governmental actions in all parts of the world which are inconsistent with the provisions of the Declaration on the Elimination of All Forms of Intolerance and of Discrimination Based on Religion or Belief and to recommend remedial measures, as appropriate;

12. Invites the Special Rapporteur, in carrying out his mandate, to continue to bear in mind the need to be able to respond effectively to credible and reliable information that comes before him, to seek the views and comments of the Government concerned on any information which he intends to include in his report and to carry out his work with discretion and independence;

13. Calls upon Governments which have not done so co-operate with the Special Rapporteur, inter alia, by responding expeditiously to requests for such views and comments, and, in this connection, calls especially for the co-operation of the Governments whose failure to respond has been noted in successive reports of the Special Rapporteur;

14. Requests the Secretary-General to provide all necessary assistance to the Special Rapporteur to enable him to report to the Commission at its forty-seventh session;

15. Requests also the Secretary-General to report to the Commission at its forty-seventh session on measures to implement the present resolution;

16. Decides to continue its consideration of the question at its forty-seventh session under the agenda item "Implementation of the Declaration on the Elimination of All Forms of Intolerance and of Discrimination Based on Religion or Belief".

48th meeting
2 March 1990
[Adopted without a vote. See chap. XXIII.]