Non-discrimination and protection of minorities : resolution / adopted by the General Assembly

The General Assembly,

Reaffirming that one of the main purposes of the United Nations, as proclaimed in the Charter of the United Nations, is to achieve international cooperation in promoting and encouraging respect for human rights and for fundamental freedoms for all without distinction as to race, sex, language or religion,

Noting the importance of the effective implementation of international human rights instruments with regard to the rights of persons belonging to national, ethnic, linguistic and religious minorities,

Welcoming the increased attention given by the human rights treaty bodies to the non-discrimination and protection of minorities,

Aware of the provisions of article 27 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights concerning the rights of persons belonging to ethnic, religious or linguistic minorities,

Considering that the United Nations has an important role to play regarding the protection of minorities,

Bearing in mind the work done so far within the United Nations system, in particular by the Commission on Human Rights and the Subcommission on Prevention of Discrimination and Protection of Minorities,

Noting the important achievements in this regard in regional, subregional and bilateral frameworks, which can provide a useful source of inspiration for future United Nations activities,

Stressing the need to ensure for all, without discrimination of any kind, full enjoyment of human rights and fundamental freedoms and, in particular, to accomplish the elaboration of a draft declaration on the rights of persons belonging to national, ethnic, religious and linguistic minorities,

Recalling its decision 45/434 of 18 December 1990 and taking note of Commission on Human Rights resolution 1991/61 of 6 March 1991, as well as Economic and Social Council resolution 1991/30 of 31 May 1991, in which the Council authorized the holding of an intersessional session of the open-ended working group of the Commission on Human Rights to enable the working group to complete its second reading of the draft declaration on the rights of persons belonging to national, ethnic, religious and linguistic minorities, with a view to submitting the text to the Commission at its forty-eighth session,

1.         Encourages the Commission on Human Rights to complete the final text of the draft declaration on the rights of persons belonging to national, ethnic, religious and linguistic minorities as soon as possible and to transmit it for adoption to the General Assembly, through the Economic and Social Council;

2.         Requests the Secretary-General to inform the General Assembly at its forty-seventh session of the work done by the Commission on Human Rights with regard to the draft declaration;

3.         Decides to keep the issue of the elaboration of the draft declaration on its agenda under the item entitled "Human rights questions".