Elimination of all forms of religious intolerance : resolution / adopted by the General Assembly

  • Author: UN General Assembly (42nd sess. : 1987-1988)
  • Document source:
  • Date:
    7 December 1987

The General Assembly,

Conscious of the need 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 resolution 36/55 of 25 November 1981, by which it proclaimed the Declaration on the Elimination of All Forms of Intolerance and of Discrimination Based on Religion or Belief,

Recalling its resolution 41/112 of 4 December 1986, in which it requested the Commission on Human Rights to continue its consideration of measures to implement the Declaration,

Encouraged by the efforts being made by the Commission on Human Rights and by the Sub-Commission on Prevention of Discrimination and Protection of Minorities to study relevant developments affecting the implementation of the Declaration,

Taking note of Commission on Human Rights resolution 1987/15 of 4 March 1987 and Economic and Social Council decision 1987/143 of 29 May 1987, whereby the mandate of the Special Rapporteur appointed to examine incidents and governmental actions in all parts of the world that are incompatible with the provisions of the Declaration and to recommend remedial measures as appropriate, was extended for one year,

Noting with satisfaction that the Sub-Commission on Prevention of Discrimination and Protection of Minorities examined at its thirty-ninth session the study concluded by the Special Rapporteur, in accordance with Sub-Commission resolution 1983/31 of 6 September 1983, on the current dimensions of the problems of intolerance and of discrimination on the grounds of religion or belief and laid the foundation in its resolution 1987/33 of 4 September 1987 for future in-depth study of aspects of the issues raised in the study,

Emphasizing that non-governmental organizations and religious bodies and groups at every level have an important role to play in the promotion of tolerance and the protection of freedom of religion or belief,

Seriously concerned that intolerance and discrimination on the grounds of religion or belief continue to exist in many parts of the world,

Believing that further efforts are therefore required to promote and protect the right to freedom of thought, conscience, religion and belief and to eliminate all forms of intolerance and discrimination based on religion or belief,

1.         Reaffirms that freedom of thought, conscience, religion and belief is a right guaranteed to all without discrimination;

2.         Urges States, therefore, in accordance with their respective constitutional systems and with such internationally accepted instruments as the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights and the Declaration on the Elimination of All Forms of Intolerance and of Discrimination Based on Religion or Belief to provide, where they have not already done so, adequate constitutional and legal guarantees of freedom of thought, conscience, religion and belief, including the provision of effective remedies where there is intolerance or discrimination based on religion or belief;

3.         Stresses, in this connection, the value of the work in progress in the Commission on Human Rights on the preparation of a compendium of national legislation and regulations on the question of freedom of religion or belief and invites States to provide the necessary information to the Secretary-General, with particular regard to the measures taken to combat intolerance or discrimination in this field;

4.         Urges all States to take all appropriate measures to combat intolerance and to encourage understanding, tolerance and respect in matters relating to freedom of religion or belief and, in this context, to examine where necessary the supervision and training of their civil servants, educators and other public officials to ensure that, in the course of their official duties, they respect different religions and beliefs and do not discriminate against persons professing other religions or beliefs;

5.         Invites the United Nations University and other academic and research institutions to undertake programmes and studies on the encouragement of understanding, tolerance and respect in matters relating to freedom of religion or belief;

6.         Considers it desirable to enhance the promotional and public information activities of the United Nations in matters relating to freedom of religion or belief;

7.         Invites the Secretary-General to continue to give high priority to the dissemination of the text of the Declaration on the Elimination of All Forms of Intolerance and of Discrimination Based on Religion or Belief, in all the official languages of the United Nations, and to take all appropriate measures to make the text available for use by United Nations information centres, as well as by other interested bodies;

8.         Requests the Secretary-General in this context to invite interested non-governmental organizations to consider what further role they could envisage playing in the implementation of the Declaration and in its dissemination in national and local languages;

9.         Urges all States to consider disseminating the text of the Declaration in their respective national languages and to facilitate its dissemination in national and local languages;

10.       Welcomes the renewal of the mandate of the Special Rapporteur appointed by the Commission on Human Rights to examine incidents and governmental actions in all parts of the world that are incompatible with the provisions of the Declaration and to recommend remedial measures as appropriate;

11.       Requests the Commission on Human Rights at its forty-fourth session to consider the study of the current dimensions of the problems of intolerance and discrimination on the grounds of religion or belief in the light of the observations transmitted to it by the Sub-Commission on Prevention of Discrimination and Protection of Minorities;

12.       Notes that the Commission on Human Rights intends to consider also at its forty-fourth session the question of a binding international instrument in this field and emphasizes, in this connection, the relevance of General Assembly resolution 41/120 of 4 December 1986 entitled "Setting international standards in the field of human rights";

13.       Requests the Commission on Human Rights to continue its consideration of measures to implement the Declaration and to report, through the Economic and Social Council, to the General Assembly at its forty-third session;

14.       Decides to include in the provisional agenda of its forty-third session the item entitled "Elimination of all forms of religious intolerance" and to consider the report of the Commission on Human Rights under that item.

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