Advisory services and Voluntary Fund for Technical Cooperation in the Field of Human Rights.

1992/80.
Advisory services and Voluntary Fund for Technical Cooperation in the Field of Human Rights

The Commission on Human Rights, Recalling General Assembly resolution 926 (X) of 14 December 1955, in which the Assembly established the United Nations programme of advisory services in the field of human rights, in particular its provision that advisory services should be rendered by the Secretary-General solely at the request of Governments, Recalling its resolutions 1985/26 of 11 March 1985 and 1991/49 and 1991/50 of 5 March 1991., Recalling, in particular, the establishment by the Secretary-General on 16 November 1987 of the Voluntary Fund for Advisory Services and Technical Assistance in the Field of Human Rights pursuant to Commission resolution 1987/38 of 10 March 1987 and Economic and Social Council decision 1987/147 of 29 May 1987, Taking note of the relevant provisions of resolutions adopted by the Sub-Commission on Prevention of Discrimination and Protection of Minorities, inter alia, resolution 1991/35 of 29 August 1991, and of recommendations made in reports submitted to the Sub-Commission, inter alia, the report on the independence of the judiciary and the protection of practising lawyers (E/CN.4/Sub.2/1991/30 and Add.1-4) concerning advisory services, Convinced of the need for the Secretary-General to enhance efforts to coordinate system-wide advisory services and technical assistance in the field of human rights through flexible inter-agency collaboration, Convinced also of the need for the Centre for Human Rights to assume the functions of a focal point and clearing-house for inter-agency coordination with other organizations of the United Nations system, Reaffirming that within the common context of the comprehensive programme of advisory services and technical cooperation, a clear distinction should be made between technical cooperation projects financed under the Voluntary Fund for Technical Cooperation in the Field of Human Rights and activities under the regular budget of the United Nations, 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 mechanisms to meet international human rights standards, Noting also that the Centre for Human Rights, in executing projects under the Voluntary Fund, gives priority to activities aimed at building up or strengthening national and regional institutions and infrastructures in the field of human rights, Noting with interest the work of the Advisory Group in the Centre for Human Rights in assisting the Secretary-General to deal with requests submitted by Governments on the basis of project guidelines which have been drawn up in conformity with established practices of the United Nations Development Programme, Taking note with appreciation of the report of the Secretary-General on advisory services in the field of human rights, including the Voluntary Fund for Technical Cooperation in the Field of Human Rights (E/CN.4/1992/49),

I. ACTIVITIES UNDER THE REGULAR BUDGET OF THE UNITED NATIONS

1. Welcomes the efforts of the Secretary-General to ensure close coordination between the activities under the regular programme of human rights and those of the Voluntary Fund for Technical Cooperation in the Field of Human Rights and, at the same time, to make a clear distinction between activities under the regular programme of advisory services and the technical cooperation projects financed under the Voluntary Fund;

2. 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;

3. Requests the Secretary-General to give special attention to proposals of competent United Nations treaty bodies, as well as of special rapporteurs and representatives;

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

5. Requests its special rapporteurs and representatives, as well as the Working Group on Enforced or Involuntary Disappearances and the Working Group on Arbitrary Detention, 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;

6. 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;

7. Welcomes the increasing number of requests from Governments for support and technical assistance in the field of human rights, including the drafting of constitutions and other national legal instruments, as well as assistance in the preparation of democratic elections;

8. 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;

9. Calls upon the Secretary-General to implement such activities on the basis of clearly defined objectives and themes, as well as to follow up and evaluate them, taking into account the precise needs of the beneficiaries;

10. Suggests to the Secretary-General that all seminars, workshops and training courses be the subject of concise reporting in order to facilitate follow-up and evaluation;

11. Recommends to the Secretary-General that the provision of expert assistance and activities to assist Governments in the development of the necessary mechanisms to meet international human rights standards should continue to increase;

12. Requests the Secretary-General again to provide urgently more human and financial resources for the enlargement of advisory services, within existing overall United Nations resources and particularly from section 24 of the regular budget concerning technical cooperation, in order to meet the increased demand on this important instrument intended to invigorate the human rights spirit in the world;

13. Also requests the Secretary-General to pursue his efforts towards 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-seventh session of the Commission on Human Rights;

II. ACTIVITIES UNDER THE VOLUNTARY FUND FOR TECHNICAL

COOPERATION IN THE FIELD OF HUMAN RIGHTS

14. Expresses its appreciation to the Secretary-General for the projects realized since the establishment of the Voluntary Fund for Technical Cooperation in the Field of Human Rights;

15. Also expresses its appreciation to those Governments and non-governmental organizations that have made financial contributions to the Voluntary Fund;

16. Emphasizes that the objective of the Voluntary Fund is to provide financial support for international cooperation aimed at building up and strengthening national and regional institutions and infrastructures which will have a long-term impact on improved implementation of international conventions and other international instruments on human rights promulgated by the United Nations, the specialized agencies or regional organizations;

17. Requests the Secretary-General to continue to elaborate comprehensive programmes of advisory services and technical cooperation on the basis of careful preparations, maintaining a clear distinction between technical cooperation projects financed under the Voluntary Fund and other activities, such as seminars, fellowships and dissemination of documentation, to be financed under the regular budget of the United Nations and within the World Public Information Campaign for Human Rights;

18. Considers that advisory services through the Voluntary Fund constitute a potent factor for strengthening the relevant national and regional institutions in requesting countries;

19. Underlines that any assistance for strengthening human rights and democracy through advisory services of the Voluntary Fund has to be well prepared, and that there should be a regular follow-up between the involved national bodies and the Centre for Human Rights;

20. Encourages the Secretary-General and the Centre for Human Rights to participate actively in the formulation of projects regarding technical cooperation in the field of human rights, in close consultation with the Governments concerned, taking into account relevant suggestions made by human rights treaty bodies, special rapporteurs and non-governmental organizations and efforts for wider cooperation at the regional level;

21. Takes note with appreciation of the establishment of the Technical Cooperation Unit in the Centre for Human Rights to assist the Secretary-General in the administration and operation of the Voluntary Fund in accordance with Commission resolution 1987/38 and Economic and Social Council decision 1987/147;

22. Underlines the importance of streamlining and rationalizing working methods and procedures as is currently being undertaken by the Technical Cooperation Unit, including efforts to improve evaluation and follow-up, as well as of coordination within the Centre for Human Rights, and requests the Secretary-General to continue examining ways and means to improve further the administration and operation of the Voluntary Fund;

23. Invites the Centre for Human Rights in this regard to consider developing model projects for legal protection and the strengthening of the independence of the judiciary as part of the core activities of the Voluntary Fund, bearing in mind the need to adapt these projects to specific situations;

24. Encourages the Secretary-General to pay due attention to the particular needs of developing countries from all regions and to explore fully the possibilities offered by the cooperation of the relevant specialized agencies with the Centre for Human Rights;

25. Requests the Secretary-General to bring regularly to the attention of the competent human rights organs and of all Governments, especially those that as yet have not been notified, of the possibilities that exist under the Voluntary Fund of providing technical cooperation in the field of human rights to Governments at their request;

26. Encourages Governments interested in technical cooperation in the field of human rights, particularly those of developing countries, to make use of the Voluntary Fund;

27. Also encourages Governments to seek contact and to cooperate with non-governmental human rights organizations in formulating and implementing programmes under the Voluntary Fund;

28. Requests the Secretary-General to guarantee transparency of the criteria applied and of the rules of procedure to be followed in carrying out technical cooperation in the field of human rights;

III. SYSTEM-WIDE COOPERATION

29. Requests the Secretary-General to explore yet further the possibilities offered by cooperation between the Centre for Human Rights and specialized bodies and other organizations of the United Nations system, such as the Centre for Social Development and Humanitarian Affairs, the United Nations Children's Fund, the United Nations Development Programme, the United Nations Institute for Training and Research, the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, the United Nations Interregional Crime and Justice Research Institute, the International Labour Organisation, the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization, the World Health Organization and the World Bank;

30. 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 the specialized agencies that are active in providing assistance in the field of development with a view to promoting human rights in the development strategies and policies of the United Nations system;

31. Encourages, in this regard, the Secretary-General to explore fully the possibilities for a system-wide use of model projects for legal protection and the independence of the judiciary to be developed by the Centre for Human Rights;

32. Also encourages the cooperation between the Centre for Human Rights and the United Nations Development Programme, and the leadership of both organizations to enhance further coordination and cooperation between them, in particular with a view to preparing and executing jointly individual projects benefiting from the opportunities offered by resident representatives of the Programme;

33. Further encourages the Secretary-General in his efforts to attribute to the Centre for Human Rights the functions of a focal point and clearing-house for inter-agency coordination with other organizations of the United Nations system;

34. Requests the Secretary-General to report annually to the Commission on Human Rights on the progress made in the implementation of the programme of advisory services and technical cooperation in the field of human rights and, in a distinct part of his annual report, on the operation and administration of the Voluntary Fund for Technical Cooperation in the Field of Human Rights.

56th meeting
5 March 1992
[Adopted without a vote. See chap. XIX.]
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