The General Assembly,
 
      Recalling its previous resolutions concerning the reports of the
Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination and its resolutions on
the status of the International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of
Racial Discrimination,
 
      Reiterating the importance of the Convention, which is one of the most
widely accepted human rights instruments adopted under the auspices of the
United Nations,
 
      Reiterating once again the need to intensify the struggle for the
elimination of all forms of racism and racial discrimination throughout the
world, especially its most brutal forms,
 
      Aware of the importance of the contributions of the Committee to the
efforts of the United Nations to combat racism and all other forms of
discrimination based on race, colour, descent or national or ethnic origin,
 
      Emphasizing the obligation of all States parties to the Convention to
take legislative, judicial and other measures to secure full implementation of
the provisions of the Convention,
 
      Expressing its satisfaction at the entry into force on 3 December 1982
of the competence of the Committee to receive and consider communications from
individuals or groups of individuals under article 14 of the Convention,
 
      Bearing in mind the Vienna Declaration and Programme of Action, adopted
by the World Conference on Human Rights on 25 June 1993, in particular section
II.  B. relating to equality, dignity and tolerance, and General Assembly
resolution 50/201 of 22 December 1995, in particular paragraph 9 thereof,
 
      Recalling its resolution 47/111 of 16 December 1992, in which it
welcomed the decision, taken on 15 January 1992 at the Fourteenth Meeting of
States Parties to the International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms
of Racial Discrimination, to amend paragraph 6 of article 8 of the Convention
and to add a new paragraph, as paragraph 7 of article 8, with a view to
providing for the financing of the Committee from the regular budget of the
United Nations, and concerned that an amendment to the Convention has not yet
entered into force,
 
      Welcoming efforts of the Secretary-General to ensure interim financial
arrangements for the financing of the expenses incurred by the Committee,
 
      Recalling the provisions of paragraph 4 of article 10 of the Convention
regarding the location of the meetings of the Committee,
 
      Stressing the importance of enabling the Committee to function smoothly
and to have all necessary facilities for the effective performance of its
functions under the Convention,
 
                                         I
 
      Report of the Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination
 
      1.    Takes note with appreciation of the report of the Committee on the
Elimination of Racial Discrimination on the work of its forty-eighth and
forty- ninth sessions;
 
      2.    Commends the Committee for its work with regard to the
implementation of the International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms
of Racial Discrimination;
 
      3.    Calls upon States parties to fulfil their obligation, under
paragraph 1 of article 9 of the Convention, to submit in due time their
periodic reports on measures taken to implement the Convention;
 
      4.    Commends the Committee on its working methods, including its
procedure for reviewing the implementation of the Convention in States whose
initial and periodic reports are overdue and the formulating of concluding
observations on reports of States parties to the Convention;
 
      5.    Commends the Committee for its contribution to the prevention of
racial discrimination, including early warning measures and urgent procedures,
and welcomes its relevant action thereon;
 
      6.    Encourages the Committee to contribute fully to the implementation
of the Third Decade to Combat Racism and Racial Discrimination and its revised
Programme of Action, including by the continued collaboration between the
Committee and the Subcommission on Prevention of Discrimination and Protection
of Minorities;
 
      7.    Welcomes the cooperation and exchange of information between the
Committee and relevant structures and mechanisms of the United Nations,
including the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, as well as
the process of establishing liaisons with other international organizations;
 
                                        II
 
      Financial situation of the Committee on the Elimination of Racial
      Discrimination
 
      8.    Takes note of the report of the Secretary-General on the financial
situation of the Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination;
 
      9.    Expresses its profound concern at the fact that a number of States
parties to the International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of
Racial Discrimination have still not fulfilled their financial obligations, as
shown in the report of the Secretary-General, and strongly appeals to all
States parties which are in arrears to fulfil their outstanding financial
obligations under paragraph 6 of article 8 of the Convention;
 
      10.   Urges States parties to accelerate their domestic ratification
procedures with regard to the amendment to the Convention regarding the
financing of the Committee and expeditiously to notify the Secretary-General
in writing of their agreement to the amendment, as decided upon at the
Fourteenth Meeting of States Parties to the International Convention on the
Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination on 15 January 1992, endorsed
by the General Assembly in its resolution 47/111 of 16 December 1992 and
further reiterated at the Sixteenth Meeting of States Parties on 16 January
1996;
 
      11.   Requests the Secretary-General to continue to ensure adequate
financial arrangements and appropriate means to ensure the functioning of the
Committee;
 
      12.   Requests the Secretary-General to invite those States parties that
are in arrears to pay the amounts in arrears and to report thereon to the
General Assembly at its fifty-second session;
 
      13.   Decides to consider at its fifty-second session, under the item
entitled "Elimination of racism and racial discrimination", the report of the
Secretary-General on the financial situation of the Committee and the report
of the Committee;
 
                                        III
 
      Status of the International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms
      of Racial Discrimination
 
      14.   Takes note of the report of the Secretary-General on the status of
the International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial
Discrimination;
 
      15.   Expresses its satisfaction at the number of States that have
ratified the Convention or acceded thereto;
 
      16.   Reaffirms once again its conviction that ratification of or
accession to the Convention on a universal basis and implementation of its
provisions are necessary for the realization of the objectives of the Third
Decade to Combat Racism and Racial Discrimination and for action beyond the
Decade;
 
      17.   Requests those States that have not yet become parties to the
Convention to ratify it or accede thereto;
 
      18.   Encourages States to limit the extent of any reservation they
lodge to the Convention and to formulate any reservation as precisely and as
narrowly as possible while ensuring that no reservation is incompatible with
the object and purpose of the Convention or otherwise contrary to
international law;
 
      19.   Requests the States parties to the Convention that have not yet
done so to consider the possibility of making the declaration provided for in
article 14 of the Convention;
 
      20.   Requests the Secretary-General to submit to the General Assembly
at its fifty-third session a report concerning the status of the Convention,
in accordance with resolution 2106 A (XX) of 21 December 1965.