Second Decade to Combat Racism and Racial Discrimination

 

Second Decade to Combat Racism and Racial Discrimination

  The General Assembly, Reaffirming its objective contained in the Charter of the United Nations to achieve international co-operation in solving international problems of an economic, social, cultural or humanitarian character, and in promoting and encouraging respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms for all without distinction as to race, sex, language or religion, Reaffirming its firm determination and its commitment to eradicate totally and unconditionally racism in all its forms, racial discrimination and apartheid, Recalling the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, 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 United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization on 14 December 1960, Recalling also its resolution 3057 (XXVIII) of 2 November 1973, on the first Decade for Action to Combat Racism and Racial Discrimination, and its resolution 38/14 of 22 November 1983, on the Second Decade to Combat Racism and Racial Discrimination, Recalling further the two World Conferences to Combat Racism and Racial Discrimination, held at Geneva in 1978 and 1983, respectively, Taking note once again of the Report of the Second World Conference to Combat Racism and Racial Discrimination, Convinced that the Second World Conference represented a positive contribution by the international community towards attaining the objectives of the Decade, through its adoption of a Declaration and an operational Programme of Action for the Second Decade to Combat Racism and Racial Discrimination, Noting with concern that, despite the efforts of the international community, the principal objectives of the first Decade for Action 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 of racism, racial discrimination and apartheid, Recalling its resolutions 39/16 of 23 November 1984 and 40/22 of 29 November 1985, Emphasizing the necessity of attaining the objectives of the Second Decade to Combat Racism and Racial Discrimination, Having considered the report of the Secretary-General and the studies on the implementation of the Programme of Action for the Second Decade, Convinced of the need to take more effective and sustained international measures for the elimination of all forms of racism and racial discrimination and the total eradication of apartheid in South Africa, Aware of the importance and magnitude of the phenomenon of migrant workers, as well as of the efforts undertaken by the international community to improve the protection of the human rights of migrant workers and their families,

1. Resolves once again that all forms of racism and racial discrimination, particularly in their institutionalized form, such as apartheid, or resulting from official doctrines of racial superiority or exclusivity, are among the most serious violations of human rights in the contemporary world and must be combated by all available means;

2. Decides that the international community, in general, and the United Nations, in particular, should continue to give the highest priority to programmes for combating racism, racial discrimination and apartheid, and to intensify their efforts, during the Second Decade to Combat Racism and Racial Discrimination, to provide assistance and relief to the victims of racism and all forms of racial discrimination and apartheid, especially in South Africa and Namibia and in occupied territories and territories under alien domination;

3. Appeals to all Governments and to 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. Takes note of the report submitted by the Secretary-General containing information on the activities of Governments, specialized agencies, regional intergovernmental organizations and non-governmental organizations, as well as United Nations organs, to give effect to the Programme of Action for the Second Decade to Combat Racism and Racial Discrimination;

5. Acknowledges the further progress made in preparing the study on the effects of racial discrimination in the field of education, training and employment as it affects the children of minorities, in particular those of migrant workers, authorizes the Secretary-General to make further efforts to obtain additional information and views from Governments, specialized agencies, regional intergovernmental organizations and non-governmental organizations in consultative status with the Economic and Social Council, and to solicit relevant information and views from those that have not yet replied, and requests him to submit the final study to the General Assembly at its forty-second session;

6. Requests the Secretary-General to transmit his study on the role of private group action to combat racism and racial discrimination to Governments, specialized agencies, regional intergovernmental organizations and non-governmental organizations in consultative status with the Economic and Social Council in order to obtain their views and an indication from them of further relevant materials, and to submit to the General Assembly at its forty-third session a final report on this topic;

7. Expresses its gratitude to the Government of Cameroon for acting as host to the Seminar on International Assistance and Support to Peoples and Movements Struggling against Colonialism, Racism, Racial Discrimination and Apartheid, held at Yaounde from 28 April to 9 May 1986;

8. Expresses its satisfaction at the convening of the Seminar and invites the Secretary-General to publicize widely the report of the Seminar;

9. Requests the Secretary-General to prepare and issue as soon as possible a collection of model legislation for the guidance of Governments in the enactment of further legislation against racial discrimination;

10. Reiterates its invitation to the Secretary-General to organize in New York in 1987 a training course for legislative draftsmen with the aim of focusing on the preparation of national legislation against racism and racial discrimination;

11. Renews its invitation to the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization to expedite the preparation of teaching materials and teaching aids to promote teaching, training and educational activities on human rights and against racism and racial discrimination, with particular emphasis on activities at the primary and secondary levels of education;

12. Reiterates its request to the Sub-Commission on Prevention of Discrimination and Protection of Minorities of the Commission on Human Rights to consider the possible need for updating the study on racial discrimination;

13. Once again authorizes the Secretary-General to organize in 1988 a global consultation on racial discrimination involving representatives of the United Nations system, regional intergovernmental organizations and interested non-governmental organizations in consultative status with the Economic and Social Council, to focus on the co-ordination of international activities to combat racism and racial discrimination;

14. Requests the Economic and Social Council to envisage the organization, within the framework of its programme of activities for 1985-1989, of a seminar of cultural dialogue between the countries of origin and the host countries of migrant workers;

15. Emphasizes the importance of adequate recourse procedures for victims of racism and racial discrimination and therefore requests the Secretary-General, in the light of the results of the seminars held on this topic, to prepare and finalize, with the appropriate assistance of qualified experts if possible, a handbook of recourse procedures;

16. Reiterates its invitation to the Secretary-General to proceed with the implementation of the activities outlined in his report on the plan of activities for the period 1985-1989 and requests him to submit to the General Assembly at its forty-second session a report on the outstanding activities;

17. Requests the Secretary-General to submit to the Economic and Social Council, at its first regular session of 1987, a report outlining a proposed plan of activities to be implemented during the second half, 1990-1993, of the Second Decade to Combat Racism and Racial Discrimination;

18. Considers that voluntary contributions to the Trust Fund for the Programme for the Decade for Action to Combat Racism and Racial Discrimination are indispensable for the implementation of the above-mentioned programmes;

19. Strongly appeals to all Governments, organizations and individuals in a position to do so to contribute generously to the Trust Fund and, to this end, requests the Secretary-General to undertake appropriate contacts and initiatives to encourage contributions;

20. Requests the Economic and Social Council, during the period of the Second Decade, to submit an annual report to the General Assembly, containing, inter alia:

(a) An enumeration of the activities undertaken or contemplated to achieve the objectives of the Second Decade, including the activities of Governments, United Nations bodies, the specialized agencies and other international and regional organizations, as well as non-governmental organizations;

(b) A review and appraisal of those activities;

(c) Its suggestions and recommendations;

21. Requests the Secretary-General to report to the General Assembly at its forty-second session on the implementation of the present resolution;

22. Decides that the item entitled "Implementation of the Programme of Action for the Second Decade to Combat Racism and Racial Discrimination" should be on its agenda throughout the Second Decade and should be considered as a matter of the highest priority at its forty-second session.