Regional arrangements for the promotion and protection of human rights in the Asian and Pacific region.

Regional arrangements for the promotion and protection of human rights in the Asian and Pacific region

Commission on Human Rights resolution 1998/44

The Commission on Human Rights, Recalling resolution 45/2 adopted by the Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific on 5 April 1989, Recalling also its resolution 1997/45 of 11 April 1997 on regional arrangements for the promotion and protection of human rights in the Asian and Pacific region and welcoming the call to practical action on this issue by the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, Recognizing the valuable contribution that independent national institutions and non-governmental organizations can make in the field of human rights to the concept of regional arrangements, Welcoming the convening of the sixth workshop on regional arrangements for the promotion and protection of human rights in the Asian and Pacific region held in Tehran from 28 February to 2 March 1998,

1. Welcomes the report of the Secretary-General (E/CN.4/1998/50) and the progress achieved in the implementation of Commission on Human Rights resolution 1997/45;

2. Also welcomes the conclusions of the regional workshops on various human rights issues which have been held in the Asian and Pacific region, including the workshop held in Manila from 7 to 11 May 1990, the workshop held in Jakarta from 26 to 28 January 1993, the workshop held in Seoul from 18 to 20 July 1994, the workshop held in Kathmandu from 26 to 28 February 1996 and the workshop held in Amman from 5 to 7 January 1997;

3. Endorses the conclusions of the sixth workshop including the Framework for Regional Technical Cooperation in the Asian and Pacific Region (E/CN.4/1998/50, annex II) adopted at the workshop to strengthen national capacities for the promotion and protection of human rights in the region;

4. Commends the efforts of the Government of the Islamic Republic of Iran as the host of the sixth workshop on regional arrangements for the promotion and protection of human rights in the Asian and Pacific region;

5. Notes the contribution of representatives of non-governmental organizations to the workshop;

6. Also notes that the Asian and Pacific countries have developed a number of models of national institutions in accordance with their own national conditions;

7. Further notes that national institutions can make an important contribution to the ongoing process of developing regional human rights arrangements in the Asian and Pacific region, including in areas such as human rights education, mutual cooperation and information sharing, and welcomes, in this respect, the work of the Asia-Pacific Forum of National Human Rights Institutions;

8. Encourages all Governments in the Asian and Pacific region to consider making use of the facilities offered by the United Nations, under the programme of advisory services and technical cooperation for the promotion and protection of human rights, to further strengthen national human rights capacities, and in this regard calls upon the High Commissioner to give adequate attention to the programme;

9. Encourages States in the Asian and Pacific region to hold regional and subregional workshops, seminars and information exchanges designed to strengthen regional cooperation for the promotion and protection of human rights with the assistance of the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights;

10. Also encourages all States and regional and subregional organizations in the Asian and Pacific region to develop programmes for human rights education in that region;

11. Requests the Secretary-General to submit to the Commission at its fifty-fifth session a further report incorporating information on the progress achieved in the implementation of the present resolution;

12. Decides to continue its consideration of the question at its fifty-fifth session under the agenda item entitled "Further promotion and encouragement of human rights and fundamental freedoms, including the question of the programme and methods of work of the Commission".

52nd meeting 17 April 1998 [Adopted without a vote. See chap. IX.]