Question of the impunity of perpetrators of violations of human rights.

1993/43. Question of the impunity of perpetrators of violations of human rights

The commission on Human Rights, Guided by the principles enshrined in the Charter of the United Nations, the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, the International Covenant on Economic, social and Cultural Rights, the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, other relevant human rights instruments and the Geneva Conventions of 12 August 1949, Convinced that the increasingly widespread practice of impunity for perpetrators of violations of human rights in various regions of the world is a fundamental obstacle to the observance of human rights, Recalling the comments that have been made for a number of years on this subject by, in particular, the Working Group on Enforced or Involuntary Disappearances, the Special Rapporteur on extrajudicial, summary or arbitrary executions, the Special Rapporteur on the question of torture and the Special Rapporteurs of the Sub-Commission,

1. Takes note with satisfaction of the working paper (E/CN.4/Sub.2/1992/18) prepared by Mr. El Hadji Guissé and Mr. Louis Joinet pursuant to Sub-Commission on Prevention of Discrimination and Protection of Minorities decision 1991/110 of 29 August 1991;

2. Endorses the decision of the Sub-Commission in its resolution 1992/23 of 27 August 1992 to request Mr. Guissé and Mr. Joinet to draft a study on the impunity of perpetrators of violations of human rights in order, in particular, to determine the scope of the phenomenon of impunity and to propose measures to combat that practice;

3. Requests the Secretary-General to provide the Special Rapporteurs with any assistance they require in order to discharge their tasks;

4. Recommends the following draft decision to the Economic and Social Council for adoption:

[For the text, see chap. I, sect. B, draft decision 16)

57th meeting
5 March 1993
[Adopted without a vote. See chap X.]