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

1992/8.
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 1991/11 of 22 February 1991, 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, Bearing in mind the measures taken by the South African authorities to repeal or amend the major laws which had constituted the pillars of apartheid, as well as the progress made towards the establishment of a democratic, non-racial and united South Africa, Convinced of the need to take 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 and Second Decades to Combat Racism and Racial Discrimination were not attained and that millions of human beings continue to this day to be the victims of varied forms and new trends of racism, racial discrimination and apartheid, Recalling General Assembly resolution 46/85 of 16 December 1991, in which the Assembly noted with regret that the current situation of the Trust Fund for the Programme for the Decade for Action to Combat Racism and Racial Discrimination was not encouraging, and strongly appealed to all Governments, organizations and individuals in a position to do so to contribute generously to the Trust Fund, Noting that the topic for its 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.4/1992/39), Convinced of the need for the General Assembly to proclaim in 1993 a 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 consider ratifying, acceding to and implementing the relevant international instruments particularly the International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination, the International Convention on the Suppression and Punishment of the Crime of Apartheid 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. Invites all Governments and international and non-governmental organizations to increase and intensify their activities to combat racism, racial discrimination and apartheid and to provide relief and assistance to the victims of these evils;

4. 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;

5. 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, 45/105 of 14 December 1990 and 46/85 of 16 December 1991 to ensure that the necessary and additional resources are included 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;

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

7. Takes note of the report of the Meeting of Experts to review the experience of countries in the operation of schemes of internal self-government for indigenous peoples (E/CN.4/1992/42 and Add.1), which took place at Nuuk, Greenland, from 24 to 28 September 1991;

8. 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 Coordinator for the Second Decade to Combat Racism and Racial Discrimination to continue his efforts;

9. Welcomes the publication of the global compilation of national legislation against racism and racial discrimination (HR/PUB/1990/8) and requests the Secretary-General to transmit it to Governments as soon as possible;

10. Requests the Secretary-General to continue the study on the effects of racial discrimination on the children of minorities, in particular those of migrant workers, in the field of education, training and employment, and to submit, inter alia , specific recommendations for the implementation of measures to combat the effects of that discrimination;

11. Welcomes the progress made in preparing model legislation for the guidance of Governments in the enactment of further legislation against racial discrimination, and requests the Secretary-General to finalize the text of the model legislation and the handbook of recourse procedures for victims of racial discrimination and to publish and distribute those texts as soon as possible;

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 that in its resolution 1991/11, it decided that the topic for such thematic consideration in 1992 would be "Treatment of political prisoners and detainees in South Africa, particularly women and children";

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

15. 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;

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

37th meeting
21 February 1992
[Adopted without a vote. See chap. XIV.]