The Economic and Social Council,
Having considered chapter V of the report of the Commission
on Human Rights on its first session, concerning communications,
and chapter IX of the report of the Commission on its fifteenth
session,
1. Approves the statement that the Commission on Human
Rights recognizes that it has no power to take any action in regard
to any complaints concerning human rights;
2. Requests the Secretary-General:
(a) To compile and distribute to members of the Commission on
Human Rights before each session a non-confidential list containing
a brief indication of the substance of each communication, however
addressed, which deals with the principles involved in the promotion
of universal respect for, and observance of, human rights and
to divulge the identity of the authors of such communications
unless they indicate that they wish their names to remain confidential;
(b) To compile before each session of the Commission a confidential
list containing a brief indication of the substance of other communications
concerning human rights, however addressed, and to furnish this
list to members of the Commission, in private meeting, without
divulging the identity of the authors of communications except
in cases where the authors state they have already divulged or
intend to divulge their names or that they have no objection to
their names being divulged;
(c) To enable the members of the Commission, upon request, to
consult the originals of communications dealing with the principles
involved in the promotion of universal respect for, and observance
of, human rights;
(d) To inform the writers of all communications concerning human
rights, however addressed, that their communications will be handled
in accordance with this resolution, indicating that the Commission
has no power to take any action in regard to any complaint concerning
human rights;
(e) To furnish each Member State concerned with a copy of any
communication concerning human rights which refers explicitly
to that State or to territories under its jurisdiction, without
divulging the identity of the author, except as provided for in
sub-paragraph (b) above;
(f) To ask Governments sending replies to communications brought
to their attention in accordance with sub-paragraph (e) whether
they wish their replies to be presented to the Commission in summary
form or in full;
3. Resolves to give members of the Sub-Commission on Prevention
of Discrimination and Protection of Minorities, with respect to
communications dealing with discrimination and minorities, the
same facilities as are enjoyed by members of the Commission on
Human Rights under the present resolution;
4. Suggests to the Commission on Human Rights that it should
at each session appoint an ad hoc committee to meet shortly
before its next session for the purpose of reviewing the list
of communications prepared by the Secretary-General under paragraph
2(a) above and of recommending which of these communications,
in original, should, in accordance with paragraph 2(c) above,
be made available to members of the Commission on request.