Regional arrangements for the promotion and protection of human rights : resolution / adopted by the General Assembly

The General Assembly,

Recalling its resolution 32/127 of 16 December 1977 and all its subsequent resolutions concerning regional arrangements for the promotion and protection of human rights, in particular resolutions 45/167 and 45/168 of 18 December 1990,

Recalling also that, in its resolution 45/167, the General Assembly invited the Secretary-General to submit to the Assembly at its forty-seventh session a report on the state of regional arrangements for the promotion and protection of human rights and to include therein the results of action taken in pursuance of that resolution,

Taking note of Commission on Human Rights resolution 1992/52 of 3 March 1992 on regional arrangements for the promotion and protection of human rights,

Bearing in mind the relevant resolutions of the Commission on Human Rights concerning advisory services in the field of human rights, including its most recent resolution on that subject, 1992/80 of 5 March 1992,

Recalling Commission on Human Rights resolutions 1989/50 of 7 March 1989, 1990/71 of 7 March 1990, 1991/28 of 5 March 1991 and taking note of Commission resolution 1992/40 of 28 February 1992 concerning regional arrangements for the promotion and protection of human rights in the Asian and Pacific region,

Having considered the report of the Secretary-General,

Noting with satisfaction the progress achieved so far in the promotion and protection of human rights at the regional level under the auspices of the United Nations, the specialized agencies and the regional intergovernmental organizations,

Reaffirming that regional arrangements for the promotion and protection of human rights may make a major contribution to the effective enjoyment of human rights and fundamental freedoms and that the exchange of information and experience in this field among the regions, within the United Nations system, may be improved,

Bearing in mind that regional instruments should complement the universally accepted human rights standards and that the persons chairing the human rights treaty bodies noted during their third meeting, held at Geneva from 1 to 5 October 1990, that certain inconsistencies between provisions of international instruments and those of regional instruments might raise difficulties with regard to their implementation,

1.         Takes note of the report of the Secretary-General;

2.         Welcomes the continuing cooperation and assistance of the Centre for Human Rights of the Secretariat in the further strengthening of the existing regional arrangements and regional machinery for the promotion and protection of human rights, particularly in regard to advisory services and technical assistance, public information and education, with a view to exchanging any information and experience in the field of human rights;

3.         Welcomes also in that respect the close cooperation given by the Centre for Human Rights in the organization of regional and subregional training courses or workshops in the field of human rights, including, most recently, those that took place at Barcelona, Brasilia, Cairo, Caracas, Paris, San Remo, Santiago, Teheran, Valetta and Windhoek, aiming at creating greater understanding of the promotion and protection of human rights issues in the regions and at improving procedures and examining the various systems for the promotion and protection of the universally accepted human rights standards;

4.         Stresses the importance of the programme of advisory services in the field of human rights, and renews its appeal to all Governments to consider making use of the possibilities offered by the United Nations, under this programme, of organizing information and/or training courses at the national level for government personnel on the application of international human rights standards and the experience of relevant international bodies;

5.         Invites States in areas where regional arrangements in the field of human rights do not yet exist to consider agreements with a view to the establishment within their respective regions of suitable regional machinery for the promotion and protection of human rights;

6.         Requests the Secretary-General, as foreseen in the medium-term plan for the period 1992-1997, to continue to strengthen exchanges between the United Nations and regional intergovernmental organizations dealing with human rights, and welcomes, in this connection, the fact that the Centre for Human Rights will continue to organize national, regional and subregional workshops and training courses for government officials engaged in the administration of justice and in the implementation of the international human rights instruments and thatmore countries in all regions of the world are expected todevelop forms of cooperation and assistance with the Centre, in keeping with their specific needs;

7.         Invites the organizers of regional meetings convened in preparation for the World Conference on Human Rights to be held in 1993 to promote further ratification of and accession to United Nations human rights treaties and the implementation of universally accepted human rights standards;

8.         Welcomes the recommendation of the persons chairing or representing the United Nations human rights treaty bodies concerning a possible meeting, during the World Conference on Human Rights, of the persons chairing or representing the United Nations human rights treaty bodies and those chairing or representing each of the principal regional organizations and institutions in the field of human rights, and requests the Preparatory Committee for the World Conference on Human Rights to consider the holding of such a meeting;

9.         Requests the Commission on Human Rights to continue to pay special attention to the most appropriate ways of assisting, at their request, countries of the different regions under the programme of advisory services and to make, where necessary, the relevant recommendations;

10.       Requests the Secretary-General to submit to the General Assembly at its forty-ninth session a report on the state of regional arrangements for the promotion and protection of human rights and to include therein the results of action taken in pursuance of the present resolution;

11.       Decides to consider this question further at its forty-ninth session.

1.         Expresses grave concern at the growing number of incidents world wide and at reports of street children being involved in and affected by serious crime, drug abuse, violence and prostitution;

2.         Urges Governments to continue actively to seek comprehensive solutions to tackle the problems of street children and to take measures to restore their full participation in society and to provide, inter alia, adequate nutrition, shelter, health care and education;

3.         Strongly urges Governments to respect fundamental human rights, particularly the right to life, and to take urgent measures to prevent the killing of street children and to combat violence and torture against street children;

4.         Emphasizes that strict compliance with the provisions of the Convention on the Rights of the Child constitutes a significant step towards solving the problems of street children;

5.         Calls upon all States that have not done so to become parties to the Convention as a matter of priority;

6.         Calls upon the international community to support, through effective international cooperation, the efforts of States to improve the situation of street children, and encourages States parties to the Convention on the Rights of the Child, in preparing their reports to the Committee on the Rights of the Child, to bear this problem in mind and to consider requesting, or indicating their need for, technical advice and assistance for initiatives aimed at improving the situation of street children, in accordance with article 45 of the Convention;

7.         Invites the Committee on the Rights of the Child to consider the possibility of a general comment on street children;

8.         Recommends that the Committee on the Rights of the Child and other relevant treaty-monitoring bodies bear this growing problem in mind when examining reports from States parties;

9.         Invites Governments, United Nations bodies and organizations and intergovernmental and non-governmental organizations to cooperate among themselves and to ensure greater awareness and more effective action to solve the problem of street children by, among other measures, supporting development projects that can have a positive impact on the situation of street children;

10.       Calls upon special rapporteurs, special representatives and working groups of the Commission on Human Rights and of the Subcommission on the Prevention of Discrimination and Protection of Minorities, within their mandates, to pay particular attention to the plight of street children;

11.       Invites the Commission on Human Rights to examine this problem at its forty-ninth session;

12.       Decides to consider the question further at its forty-eighth session under the item entitled "Human rights questions".