The Commission on Human Rights,

Recalling General Assembly resolution 48/121 of 20 December 1993, in which the Assembly endorsed the Vienna Declaration and Programme of Action adopted by the World Conference on Human Rights (A/CONF.157/23), as well as its own resolution 1994/95 of 9 March 1994, in which it decided to review annually the progress towards the full implementation of the recommendations contained in the Vienna Declaration and Programme of Action,

Considering that the promotion of universal respect for and observance of human rights and fundamental freedoms is one of the basic purposes of the Charter of the United Nations and one of the main priorities of the Organization,

Recalling Part II, paragraph 100, of the Vienna Declaration and Programme of Action, in which the World Conference on Human Rights requested the Secretary-General to invite, on the occasion of the fiftieth anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, all States and all organs and agencies of the United Nations system related to human rights to report to him on the progress made in the implementation of the Vienna Declaration and Programme of Action and to submit a report to the General Assembly at its fifty-third session, through the Commission on Human Rights and the Economic and Social Council,

Recalling also that regional and, as appropriate, national human rights institutions, as well as non-governmental organizations, may present their views to the Secretary-General on the progress made in the implementation of the Vienna Declaration and Programme of Action, and that special attention should be paid to assessing the progress towards the goal of universal ratification of international human rights treaties and protocols adopted within the framework of the United Nations,

Recognizing that the interdependence of democracy, development and respect for human rights, as stated in the Vienna Declaration and Programme of Action, requires a comprehensive and integrated approach to the promotion and protection of human rights and that adequate inter-agency cooperation and coordination are essential in order to ensure such a fully integrated approach throughout the United Nations system,

Noting that the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights has established a permanent dialogue with the United Nations programmes and agencies whose activities deal with human rights in order to maintain systematic exchanges of information, experience and expertise,

Welcoming the fact that the call of the World Conference on Human Rights for a United Nations system-wide approach to human rights issues has been reflected in the recommendations of major international conferences organized by the United Nations in the economic, social and related fields,

Noting the ongoing efforts to ensure a coordinated follow-up to major international conferences in the economic, social and related fields,

Recalling that each year the Economic and Social Council shall carry out, within the framework of its coordination segment, a review of cross-cutting themes common to major international conferences and/or contribute to an overall review of the implementation of the programme of action of a United Nations conference, in accordance with agreed conclusions 1995/1 of the Economic and Social Council,

Recalling its resolution 1996/78 of 23 April 1996, as well as Economic and Social Council decision 1996/283 of 24 July 1996,

Having considered the report of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (E/CN.4/1997/98 and Add.1 and Add.1/Corr.1), in particular chapter VIII, entitled "1998 - Human Rights Year",

1. Reaffirms the importance of the promotion of universal respect for, and observance and protection of, all human rights and fundamental freedoms in accordance with the Charter of the United Nations, as expressed in the Vienna Declaration and Programme of Action;

2. Recognizes that the international community should devise ways and means to remove current obstacles and meet the challenges to the full realization of all human rights and to prevent the continuation of human rights violations resulting therefrom throughout the world;

3. Calls upon all States to take further action with a view to the full realization of all human rights in the light of the recommendations of the World Conference on Human Rights;

4. Urges all States to continue to give widespread publicity to the Vienna Declaration and Programme of Action, in particular in the context of the public information and human rights education activities for the fiftieth anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, including through training programmes, human rights education and public information, in order to promote increased awareness of human rights and fundamental freedoms;

5. Calls upon all special representatives, special rapporteurs, independent experts and thematic working groups of the Commission to take fully into account the recommendations contained in the Vienna Declaration and Programme of Action within their respective mandates;

6. Requests the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, the General Assembly and other organs and bodies of the United Nations system related to human rights to take further action with a view to the full implementation of all the recommendations of the Conference;

7. Requests the High Commissioner to continue to coordinate the human rights promotion and protection activities throughout the United Nations system, as set out in General Assembly resolution 48/141 of 20 December 1993, including through a permanent dialogue with the United Nations agencies and programmes whose activities deal with human rights;

8. Invites the Administrative Committee on Coordination to continue to discuss the implications of the Vienna Declaration and Programme of Action for the United Nations system, with the participation of the High Commissioner, in particular in the context of the preparations for the 1998 five-year review;

9. Takes note of the intention of the High Commissioner to invite all States and all organs and agencies of the United Nations system related to human rights to carry out a thorough evaluation of the implementation of the Vienna Declaration and Programme of Action, as part of the five-year review foreseen in Part II, paragraph 100, of the Vienna Declaration and Programme of Action;

10. Calls upon all States to contribute actively to the preparations for the 1998 five-year review;

11. Welcomes the inter-agency coordination of the High Commissioner with all United Nations programmes and agencies whose activities deal with human rights for the preparations for the 1998 five-year review, and calls upon them to contribute actively to this process;

12. Encourages regional and national human rights institutions as well as non-governmental organizations to present, on this occasion, their views on the progress made in the implementation of the Vienna Declaration and Programme of Action;

13. Welcomes and supports Economic and Social Council decision 1996/283 of 24 July 1996, in which the Council endorsed the recommendation of the Commission to consider devoting the coordination segment at its substantive session of 1998 to the question of the coordinated follow-up to, and implementation of, the Vienna Declaration and Programme of Action as part of the 1998 five-year review foreseen in Part II, paragraph 100, of the Vienna Declaration and Programme of Action;

14. Requests the High Commissioner to continue to report on the measures taken and the progress achieved in the comprehensive implementation of the Vienna Declaration and Programme of Action, in particular concerning the 1998 five-year review;

15. Decides to consider this question at its fifty-fourth session under the agenda item entitled "Follow-up to the World Conference on Human Rights".

67th meeting
16 April 1997

[Adopted without a vote. See chap. XXII.]