Torture and other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment.

31. RESOLUTIONS ADOPTED ON THE REPORTS OF THE THIRD COMMITTEE*
85. Torture and other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment

The General Assembly, Recalling the Declaration on the Protection of All Persons from Being Subjected to Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment, unanimously adopted in its resolution 3452 (XXX) of 9 December 1975, Recalling also its resolution 3453 (XXX) of 9 December 1975, in which it requested the competent bodies to conduct further work on the elaboration of:

(a) A body of principles for the protection of all persons under any form of detention or imprisonment,

(b) A draft code of conduct for law enforcement officials,

(c) Principles of medical ethics relevant to the protection of persons subjected to any form of detention or imprisonment against torture and other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment,

Noting Economic and Social Council resolution 1993 (LX) of 12 May 1976 and resolution 10 (XXXII) adopted by the Commission on Human Rights on 5 March 1976,[1] Welcoming the work of the Committee on Crime Prevention and Control at its fourth session, in particular with respect to a draft code of conduct for law enforcement officials as well as the range of application and the implementation of the Standard Minimum Rules for the Treatment of Prisoners,[2] Noting further the decision of the Sub-Commission on Prevention of Discrimination and Protection of Minorities at its twenty-ninth session to appoint a Rapporteur to prepare the first draft of a body of principles for the protection of all persons under any form of detention or imprisonment, and resolution 3 A (XXIX) of 31 August 1976 in which the Sub-Commission recommended the appointment of a working group to analyse the material received in connexion with its annual review of developments relating to the question of the human rights of persons subjected to any form of detention or imprisonment,[3] Reiterating its belief that further efforts are needed to help ensure adequate protection for all against torture and other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment,

1. Calls upon Governments, as well as intergovernmental and non-governmental organization with human rights, to give maximum publicity to the Declaration on the Protection of All Persons from Being Subjected to Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment;

2. Invites the Economic and Social Council to give due priority to the examination of the draft code of conduct for law enforcement officials proposed by the Committee on Crime Prevention and Control,[4] in order that the Council at its sixty-second session and the General Assembly at its thirty-second session may take further steps with a view to the adoption of this instrument;

3. Also invites the Economic and Social Council to consider with due priority the recommendation of the Committee on Crime Prevention and Control at its fourth session, contained in new draft rule 95 of the Standard Minimum Rules for the Treatment of Prisoners,[5] seeking to assure the applicability of the Standard Minimum Rules to all persons arrested or imprisoned with or without charge and conviction, as well as the procedures for the effective implementation of the Rules;[6]

4. Requests the Commission on Human Rights, through the Economic and Social Council, to submit a comprehensive report on the elaboration of a body of principles for the protection of all persons under any form of detention or imprisonment to the General Assembly at its thirty-third session;

5. Invites the World Health Organization to prepare a draft code on medical ethics relevant to the protection of persons subjected to any form of detention or imprisonment against torture and other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment, and to bring it to the attention of the General Assembly at its thirty-second session;

6. Decides to include in the provisional agenda of its thirty-second session the item "Torture and other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment".

97th plenary meeting
13 December 1976

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[1] See Official Records of the Economic and Social Council, Sixtieth Session, Supplement No. 3 (E/5768), chap. XX, sect. A. [2] First United Nations Congress on the Prevention of Crime and the Treatment of Offenders: report by the Secretariat (United Nations publication, Sales No. 1956.IV.4), annex I.A. [3] See E/CN.4/1218, chap. XVII. [4] See E/CN.5/536, annex V [5] Ibid., para. 95. [6] Ibid., annex VI.