Report of the Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination : resolution / adopted by the General Assembly

The General Assembly,

Recalling its previous resolutions concerning the reports of the Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination and resolution 43/95 of 8 December 1988 on the status of the International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination,as well as its other relevant resolutions on the implementation of the Programme of Action for the Second Decade to Combat Racism and Racial Discrimination,

Reiterating the importance of the International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination, which is the most widely accepted human rights instrument adopted under the auspices of the United Nations,

Aware of the importance of the contributions of the Committee to the efforts of the United Nations to combat racism and all other forms of discrimination based on race, colour, descent or national or ethnic origin,

Welcoming the report of the Committee on the work of its thirty-seventh session,

Reiterating once again the need to intensify the struggle for the elimination of racism and racial discrimination throughout the world, especially the elimination of the system of apartheid in South Africa and Namibia,

Emphasizing the obligation of all States parties to the Convention to take legislative, judicial and other measures in order to secure full implementation of the provisions of the Convention,

Recalling the urgent appeals made by the Secretary-General, the General Assembly, the eleventh and twelfth meetings of States parties to the Convention and the Committee itself to the States parties to honour their financial obligations under the Convention,

Gravely concerned that, despite those appeals and other efforts, the meeting schedule of the Committee has been interrupted and the proper functioning of the Committee continues to deteriorate,

Expressing its appreciation for the efforts of the members of the Committee to explore ways and means to overcome the Committee's current financial crisis,

Having considered the report of the Secretary-General on the question of financing the expenses of the members of the Committee,

1.         Expresses its profound concern at the fact that a number of States parties to the International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination have still not fulfilled their financial obligations, which led to the cancellation of the February/March 1989 session of the Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination;

2.         Expresses once again its concern that such a situation led to a further delay in the discharge of the substantive obligations of the Committee under the Convention;

3.         Commends the Committee for its work with regard to the implementation of the Convention and the Programme of Action for the Second Decade to Combat Racism and Racial Discrimination;

4.         Takes note with appreciation of the report of the Committee on the work of its thirty-seventh session;

5.         Calls upon States parties to fulfil their obligations under article 9, paragraph 1, of the Convention and to submit in due time their periodic reports on measures taken to implement the Convention;

6.         Endorses the decision of the Committee to hold one of its regular sessions in New York, if resources are available, in commemoration of its twentieth year of activities under the Convention, to coincide with the International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination, 21 March 1990;

7.         Strongly appeals to all States parties, especially those in arrears, to fulfil their financial obligations under article 8, paragraph 6, of the Convention and to pay their outstanding contributions and, if possible, their contributions for 1990 before 1 February 1990, so as to enable the Committee to meet regularly;

8.         Invites the Secretary-General to do everything possible to ensure that funds are available to meet all the costs of the meetings of the Committee in 1990, including the expenses of its members;

9.         Requests the Secretary-General to invite those States parties which are in arrears to pay the amounts in arrears, and to report thereon to the General Assembly at its forty-fifth session;

10.       Invites the Secretary-General to report to the States parties at their thirteenth meeting on all legal and administrative measures that the States parties and the General Assembly could take to guarantee the regular functioning of the Committee;

11.       Invites States parties at their thirteenth meeting to decide on administrative and legal measures to improve the financial situation of the Committee;

12.       Decides to consider at its forty-fifth session, under the item entitled "Elimination of all forms of racial discrimination", the next report of the Committee, as well as the report of the Secretary-General on the financial situation of the Committee.