Second Decade to Combat Racism and Racial Discrimination : resolution / adopted by the General Assembly

The General Assembly,

Reaffirming its objective set forth in the Charter of the United Nations to achieve international cooperation 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 also 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 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,

Bearing in mind 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 grave concern that, despite the efforts of the international community, the principal objectives of the two Decades for Action to Combat Racism and Racial Discrimination have not been 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, in particular, its resolution 45/105 of 14 December 1990,

Emphasizing once again the necessity of attaining the objectives of the Second Decade,

Having considered the note by the Secretary-General and his report submitted within the framework of the implementation of the Programme of Action for the Second Decade,

Firmly 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,

Regretting that certain activities of the Second Decade scheduled for the period 1985-1989 have not been implemented owing to a lack of financial resources,

Recognizing the importance of strengthening, where necessary, national legislation and institutions for the promotion of racial harmony, Aware of the importance and the magnitude of the phenomenon of migrant workers, as well as the efforts undertaken by the international community to improve the protection of the human rights of migrant workers and members of their families,

Recalling with satisfaction the adoption at its forty-fifth session of the International Convention on the Protection of the Rights of All Migrant Workers and Members of Their Families,

Reaffirming the Declaration on Apartheid and its Destructive Consequences in Southern Africa, unanimously adopted by the General Assembly at its sixteenth special session, on 14 December 1989, which offers guidelines on how to end apartheid,

1.         Declares 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 intensify their efforts, during the latter part of 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 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 of 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.         Notes and commends the efforts made to coordinate all the programmes currently under implementation by the United Nations system that relate to the objectives of the Second Decade, and encourages the Coordinator for the Second Decade to Combat Racism and Racial Discrimination to continue his efforts;

6.         Welcomes the publication of the global compilation of national legislation against racism and racial discrimination and requests the Secretary-General to transmit it to Governments as soon as possible;

7.         Requests the Secretary-General to continue the study on the effects of racial discrimination on the children of minorities, in particular those of migrant workers, in the field of education, training and employment, and to submit, inter alia, specific recommendations for the implementation of measures to combat the effects of that discrimination;

8.         Welcomes the progress made in preparing model legislation for the guidance of Governments in the enactment of further legislation against racial discrimination, and requests the Secretary-General to finalize the text of the model legislation and the handbook of recourse procedures for victims of racial discrimination and to publish and distribute those texts as soon as possible;

9.         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 education activities on human rights and against racism and racial discrimination, with particular emphasis on activities at the primary and secondary levels of education;

10.       Requests the Secretary-General to publish the study of the Special Rapporteur of the Subcommission on Prevention of Discrimination and Protection of Minorities on the results achieved and obstacles encountered during the first Decade for Action to Combat Racism and Racial Discrimination and the first half of the Second Decade, and to distribute it on as wide a scale as possible;

11.       Considers that all the parts of the Programme of Action for the Second Decade to Combat Racism and Racial Discrimination should be given equal attention in order to attain the objectives of the Second Decade;

12.       Regrets that part of the programme for the period 1983-1989 has not yet been implemented because of lack of adequate resources, as indicated in the report of the Secretary-General;

13.       Requests the Secretary-General to implement immediately those activities scheduled for the period 1985-1989 which have not yet been carried out and to proceed with the implementation of the activities for the biennium 1990-1991;

14.       Affirms once again the need for the implementation of the plan of activities proposed for the period 1990-1993 contained in the annex to General Assembly resolution 42/47;

15.       Requests the Secretary-General, pursuant to General Assembly resolutions 42/47, 44/52 and 45/105, to ensure that the necessary and additional resources are included in the programme budget for the biennium 1992-1993 to provide for the implementation of the activities of the Second Decade;

16.       Also requests the Secretary-General to inform the General Assembly of the steps taken in regard to the provisions of paragraph 15 above;

17.       Further requests the Secretary-General to continue to accord the highest priority, in executing the plan of activities, to measures for combating apartheid;

18.       Calls upon Governments to encourage further positive change in South Africa based on the guidelines set out in the Declaration on Apartheid and its Destructive Consequences in Southern Africa, in particular by maintaining effective and sustained international pressure against South Africa;

19.       Requests the Secretary-General to continue to accord special attention to the situation of migrant workers and members of their families and to include regularly in his reports all information on such workers;

20.       Invites all Governments, United Nations bodies, the specialized agencies and other intergovernmental organizations, as well as interested non-governmental organizations in consultative status with the Economic and Social Council, to participate fully in the activities scheduled for the period 1990-1993 which have not yet been carried out, by intensifying and broadening their efforts to bring about the speedy elimination of apartheid and all forms of racism and racial discrimination;

21.       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;

22.       Notes with regret that the present situation of the Trust Fund is not encouraging;

23.       Strongly appeals, therefore, 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 continue to undertake appropriate contacts and initiatives to encourage contributions;

24.       Takes note of the report of the Secretary-General on the activities of the Second Decade and reiterates its request to him and to the Economic and Social Council, throughout the Decade, to submit annually to the General Assembly a report 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)        Suggestions and recommendations;

25.       Decides to keep the item entitled "Elimination of racism and racial discrimination" on its agenda and to consider it as a matter of the highest priority at its forty-seventh session.