World Conference on Human Rights : resolution / adopted by the General Assembly

The General Assembly,

Mindful of the goal of the United Nations to promote and encourage respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms for all without distinction as to race, sex, language or religion, as set out in the Charter of the United Nations and the Universal Declaration of Human Rights,

Recognizing that all human rights and fundamental freedoms are indivisible and interrelated and that the promotion and protection of one category of rights should never exempt or excuse States from the promotion and protection of another,

Noting that violations of human rights and fundamental freedoms continue to occur,

Bearing in mind that all Member States have pledged themselves to achieve the promotion of universal respect for and observance of human rights and fundamental freedoms in conformity with relevant articles of the Charter,

Noting the progress made by the United Nations towards this goal and the fact that there are areas in which further progress should be made,

Recalling its resolution 45/155 of 18 December 1990 in which it decided, inter alia, to convene at a high level a World Conference on Human Rights in 1993 and to establish a Preparatory Committee for the World Conference on Human Rights,

Taking note of Commission on Human Rights resolution 1991/30 of 5 March 1991 entitled "World Conference on Human Rights", and in particular the recommendations contained in the annex to that resolution,

Taking note also of the views and recommendations of Governments, specialized agencies, other international organizations, concerned United Nations bodies, regional organizations and non-governmental organizations concerned with human rights, contained in the report of the Secretary- General,

Welcoming the appointment of the Under-Secretary-General for Human Rights as Secretary-General of the Conference,

1.         Takes note with appreciation of the report of the Preparatory Committee for the World Conference on Human Rights on its first session;

2.         Expresses its appreciation to Governments, bodies and organs of the United Nations system and non-governmental organizations for their contributions to the preparatory meetings;

3.         Decides that the Preparatory Committee, at its second session, will base the elaboration of the provisional agenda for the World Conference on Human Rights in 1993 on the objectives stated in paragraph 1 of resolution 45/155;

4.         Decides, in accordance with the decisions adopted by the Preparatory Committee:

(a)(i)That the provisional agenda for the Conference and the documentation related thereto shall be taken up by the Preparatory Committee at its second session;

(ii)        That the draft rules of procedure for the Conference shall be taken up by the Preparatory Committee at its second session;

(iii)       That the Conference shall be convened at Berlin for a period of two weeks in 1993;

(iv)       That the Secretary-General shall give the Conference and the preparatory process thereto the widest possible publicity and ensure full coordination of public information activities in the area of human rights within the United Nations system;

(b)        That the Preparatory Committee shall meet for three further sessions at Geneva, twice in 1992 and once in 1993, the next session to last two weeks and the two further sessions one to two weeks each, if necessary, and decides also that no more than two meetings shall take place simultaneously during the sessions of the Preparatory Committee and that no inter-sessional working group shall be established;

(c)        To reiterate its invitation for contributions of extrabudgetary resources to meet the costs of participation of representatives of the least developed countries in the preparatory meetings, including regional meetings, and the Conference itself, and to request the Secretary-General to intensify his efforts in this regard;

(d)        That, in accordance with the objectives and provisions of General Assembly resolution 45/155, regional meetings shall be convened for each region that so desires within the institutional framework or with the assistance of the regional commissions and that these meetings shall be financed as part of the preparatory work for the Conference, as recommended by the Commission on Human Rights in paragraph 8 of the annex to its resolution 1991/30;

(e)        To request the Secretary-General to prepare the following documentation as soon as possible and to report to the Preparatory Committee at its next session on the progress made in this regard:

(i)         A limited number of short, analytical and action-oriented studies on issues referred to in paragraph 1 of General Assembly resolution 45/155 and Commission on Human Rights resolution 1991/30, in particular, paragraph 2 of the annex thereto, bearing in mind documentation prepared for, as well as statements made at, the first session of the Preparatory Committee;

(ii)        Reports of meetings that have been organized under the auspices of the United Nations human rights programme pursuant to General Assembly resolution 45/155;

(iii)       A reference guide to all United Nations studies and reports on human rights or related aspects;

(iv)       An update of the publication entitled United Nations Action in the Field of Human Rights;

(v)        An update of the publications entitled Human Rights: A Compilation of International Instruments and Human Rights:Status of International Instruments, including also texts of regional instruments on human rights; and to note that the Preparatory Committee decided that the experts and consultants employed for this purpose should be selected with due regard to equitable geographical distribution;

(f)         To encourage the Chairman of the Commission on Human Rights, the chairmen or other designated members of human rights bodies, including the chairmen of bodies established under international human rights instruments or their designated representatives, as well as special rapporteurs and the chairmen or designated members of working groups, to participate as observers, as appropriate, in the work of the Preparatory Committee and the Conference;

5.         Renews its request to Governments, the specialized agencies, other international organizations, concerned United Nations bodies, regional organizations and non-governmental organizations concerned with human rights to assist the Preparatory Committee and to undertake reviews and submit recommendations concerning the Conference and the preparations therefor to the Preparatory Committee through the Secretary-General and to participate actively in the Conference;

6.         Requests the Secretary-General to encourage initiatives at the national, regional and international levels designed to make the Conference process a success;

7.         Also requests the Secretary-General to provide the Preparatory Committee with all necessary assistance;

8.         Requests the Preparatory Committee to report to the General Assembly at its forty-seventh session on the progress of its work.