Implementation of the Programme of Action for the Second Decade to Combat Racism and Racial Discrimination.

1991/11. Implementation of the Programme of Action for the Second Decade to Combat Racism and Racial Discrimination

The Commission on Human Rights, Reaffirming the obligation of States under the Charter of the United Nations to promote universal respect for, and observance of, human rights and fundamental freedoms for all without distinction as to race, sex, language or religion, Reaffirming its conviction that racism, racial discrimination and apartheid constitute a total negation of the purposes and principles of the Charter of the United Nations and the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, Reaffirming its firm determination and its commitment to eradicate totally and unconditionally racism in all its forms, racial discrimination and apartheid, Recalling its resolution 1990/13 of 23 February 1990, Bearing in mind General Assembly resolution 39/16 of 23 November 1984 on the Second Decade to Combat Racism and Racial Discrimination, in which the Assembly invited the Commission on Human Rights to continue exercising vigilance in identifying actual or emergent situations of racism and racial discrimination, to draw attention to them where discovered and to suggest remedial measures, Convinced of the need to take more effective and sustained international measures for the elimination of all forms of racism and racial discrimination and the total eradication of apartheid in South Africa, Noting with concern that, despite the efforts of the international community, the principal objectives of the First Decade for Action to C Racism and Racial Discrimination were not attained and that millions of beings continue to this day to be the victims of varied forms and new t of racism, racial discrimination and apartheid, Recalling General Assembly resolution 45/105 of 14 December 1990, which the Assembly noted once again with regret that the current situation the Trust Fund for the Programme for the Decade for Action to Combat R and Racial Discrimination was not encouraging, and strongly appealed to Governments, organizations and individuals in a position to do so to contribute generously to the Trust Fund, Noting that the topic for thematic consideration in 1992 will be "Treatment of political prisoners and detainees in South Africa, particularly women and children", Taking note of the report of the Secretary-General (E/CN.4/1991/4: Convinced of the need for the General Assembly to proclaim in 199 Third Decade to Combat Racism and Racial Discrimination, as a means of intensifying international efforts in this field,

1. Commends all States that have ratified or acceded to the relevant international instruments to combat racism and racial discrimination;

2. Appeals to those States that have not yet done so to take the necessary steps to ratify, accede to and implement the relevant intern, instruments, particularly the International Convention on the Elimination All Forms of Racial Discrimination, the International Convention on the Suppression and Punishment of the Crime of Apartheid, the International Convention against Apartheid in Sports and the Convention against Discrimination in Education adopted by the General Conference of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization on 14 December 1960;

3. Emphasizes again the importance of adequate recourse procedures victims of racism and racial discrimination, and therefore requests on the Secretary-General, in the light of the results of the seminars held this topic, to prepare and finalize, with the assistance of experts in field, a handbook of recourse procedures;

4. Invites all Governments and international and non-government organizations to increase and intensify their activities to combat racism, racial discrimination and apartheid and to provide relief and assistance the victims of these evils;

5. Urges all States and international organizations to cooperate with the Secretary-General in the implementation of those activities of period 1985-1989 (see A/39/167-E/1984/33 and Add.1 and 2) not yet undertaken and of the plan of activities for the period 1990-1993 listed in the annex to General Assembly resolution 42/47 of 30 November 1987;

6. Strongly appeals to all Governments, organizations and individuals in a position to do so to contribute generously to the Trust Fund for the Programme for the Decade of Action to Combat Racism and Racial Discrimination;

7. Requests the Secretary-General to continue to inform the Commission on Human Rights of the measures taken, pursuant to General Assembly resolutions 42/47 of 30 November 1987, 44/52 of 8 December 1989 and 45/105 of 14 December 1990, to ensure that the necessary and additional resources are included in the programme budget for the biennium 1990-1991 and in the proposed programme budget for the biennium 1992-1993 to provide for the implementation of the activities of the Second Decade to Combat Racism and Racial Discrimination;

8. Also requests, the Secretary-General to inform the Commission on Human Rights annually of the progress made in carrying out the plan of activities for 1992-1993 so that the Commission can make its contribution thereto;

9. Takes note with satisfaction that the General Assembly, in its resolution 45/105, reiterated its request to the Economic and Social Council to submit to it annually, throughout the Second Decade, a report on the activities undertaken or contemplated to achieve the objectives of the Second Decade;

10. Notes and commends the efforts made to coordinate all the programmes currently under implementation by the United Nations system that relate to the objectives of the Second Decade and encourages the Co-ordinator for the Second Decade to Combat Racism and Racial Discrimination to continue his efforts;

11. Welcomes the readiness of the Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination to play an active part in the Second Decade and any successive programme, and encourages it to do so;

12. Decides to give thematic consideration each year to a selected topic within the plan of activities for 1990-1993, as listed in the annex to General Assembly resolution 42/47 ;

13. Recalls its resolution 1990/13 in which it decided that the topic for such thematic consideration in 1992 will be "Treatment of political prisoners and detainees in South Africa, particularly women and children";

14. Decides that the topic for 1993 will be "Global survey on the extent of dissemination of the International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination";

15. Takes note with satisfaction of the report on the Seminar on the political, historical, economic, social and cultural factors contributing to racism, racial discrimination and apartheid, held at Geneva from 10 to 14 December 1990 (E/CN.4/1991/63), and requests the Secretary-General to give it wide distribution among Governments, the competent United Nations organs, the specialized agencies and other intergovernmental and non-governmental organizations;

16. Invites the Secretary-General to ensure the effective implementation of those activities proposed for the first half of the Second Decade that have not yet been undertaken and to proceed with the implementation of the activities for the period 1990-1993 listed in the annex to General Assembly resolution 42/47 , and requests him, in that context, to continue to accord the highest priority to measures to combat apartheid;

17. Requests the Secretary-General to organize in 1991 a meeting of representatives of national institutions and organizations promoting tolerance and harmony and combating racism and racial discrimination with a view to exchanging experience on the promotion of such objectives, which was scheduled for 1990;

18. Recommends that the General Assembly take appropriate steps, in due course, to launch a Third Decade to Combat Racism and Racial Discrimination, to begin in 1993;

19. Decides to consider at its forty-eighth session, as a matter of high priority, the implementation of the Programme of Action for the Second Decade to Combat Racism and Racial Discrimination.

38th meeting
22 February 1991
[Adopted without a vote. See chap. XVI.]
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