A/RES/41/117 GA

176 General Alllembly-Forty-ftnt Sealon satisfactory social conditions, natural disasters, armed conflicts, exploitation, hunger and disability, and con- vinced that urgent and etfective national and intemational action is called for, Mindful of the important role of the United Nations Children's Fund and the United Nations in promoting the well-being of children and their development, Convinced ofthe positive contribution which an intema- tional convention on the rights of the child, as a standard- setting accomplishment of the United Nations in the field of human rights, would make to protecting children's rights and ensuring their well-being, Noting with satisfaction the widespread interest in the elaboration of an intemational convention on the rights of the child displayed by a great number of Member States representing all geographical regions and socio-political systems, as well as by international govemmental and non-govemmental organizations, Noting with appreciation that further progress was made during the forty-second session of the Commission on Hu- man Rights in the elaboration of a draft convention on the rights of the child, 7S 1. Welcomes Economic and Social Council resolution 1986/ 40, in which the Council authorized a meeting of an open-ended working group of the Commission on Human Rights for a period of one week prior to the forty-third ses- sion of the Commission in order to facilitate completion of the work on a draft convention on the rights of the child; 2. Requests the Commission on Human Rights to give the highest priority to, and to make every etfort at its forty-third session to complete, the draft convention and to submit it, through the Economic and Social Council, to the General Assembly at its forty-second session; 3. Invites all Member States to otfer their active contri- bution to the completion of the draft convention on the rights of the child at the forty-third session of the Com- mission on Human Rights; 4. Requests the Secretary-General to provide all neces- sary assistance to the working group in order to ensure its smooth and efficient work in the fulfilment of its important task; 5. Decides to include in the provisional agenda of its forty-second session the item entitled "Question of a con- vention on the rights of the child". 97th plenary meeting 4 December 1986 41/117. Indivisibllity and interdependence of economic, social, cultural, civil and political rights The General Assembly, Mindful ofthe obligations ofStates under the Charter of the United Nations to promote social progress and better standards of life in larger freedom and universal respect for, and observance of, human rights and fundamental freedoms for ali without distinction as to race, sex, lan- guage or religion, Reaffirming the Universal Declaration of Human Rights,2 the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights,22 the Intemational Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights22 and the Declaration on Social Pro- gress and Development, 71 75 /bid., 1986 Supplement No. 2 (E/1986/22), chap. Xlll. Recalling that in the preambles to the International Covenants on Human Rights24 it is recognized that the ideal offree human beings enjoying freedom from fear and want can only be achieved if conditions are created whereby everyone may enjoy his economic, social and cul- tural rights as well as his civil and political rights, Bearing in mind that 1986 marks the twentieth anniver- sary of the adoption of the International Covenants on Human Rights, Recalling its resolution 40/114 of 13 December 1985, Reaffirming the provisions of its resolution 32/130 of 16 December 1977 that all human rights and fundamental freedoms are indivisible and interdependent and that the promotion and protection of one category of rights can never exempt or excuse States from the promotion and protection of the other rights, Convinced that equal attention and urgent consideration should be given to the implementation, promotion and protection ofboth civil and political rights and economic, social and cultural rights, Desirous of removing ali obstacles to the full realization of human rights, in particular colonialism, neo- colonialism, racism, racial discrimination in all its forros, apartheid, foreign intervention, occupation, aggression, discrimination and domination, Recognizing the fundamental rights of every people to exercise full sovereignty over its natural wealth and re- sources, Reaffirming that there is a close relationship between disarmament and development, that progress in the field of disarmament would considerably promote progress in the field of development and that resources released through disarmament measures should be devoted to the economic and social development and well-being of ali peoples, in particular those of the developing countries, Recognizing that the realization of the right to develop- ment could help to promote the enjoyment of economic, social and cultural rights, Recalling Commission on Human Rights resolutions 1985/42 of 14 March 19853° and 1986/15 of 10 March 1986,31 in which the Commission stated that the im- plementation, promotion and protection of economic, so- cial and cultural rights have not received sufficient atten- tion within the framework of the United Nations system, Requesting the Secretary-General to enhance his etforts under the programme of advisory services to States in the implementation, promotion and protection of the human rights and fundamental freedoms set forth in the Interna- tional Covenants on Human Rights and other United Na- tions instruments in the field of human rights, 1. Appeals to ali States to pursue policies directed towards the implementation, promotion and protection of economic, social, cultural, civil and political rights; 2. Calls upon ali States to co-operate in creating na- tional and international conditions conducive to the enjoy- ment of ali human rights and fundamental freedoms; 3. Requests the Commission on Human Rights to con- tinue its consideration of the realization of economic, so- cial and cultural rights and to submit to the General As- sembly at its forty-second session, through the Economic and Social Council, its views and recommendations on these human rights; 4. Welcomes the establishment by the Economic and Social Council ofthe Committee on Economic, Social and VI. Resolutions adopted on the reports of the Thlrd Commlttee 177 Cultural Rights,76 which will be entrusted from 1987 on with the important task of overseeing the implementation of the Intemational Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights; 5. Urges the Secretary-General to take determined steps, within existing resources, to give publicity to the Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights and to ensure that it receives full administrative support in or- der to enable it to discharge its functions effectively; 6. Affirms the importance and relevance, to pro- grammes and activities being undertaken throughout the United Nations system, of reports submitted by States parties to the Intemational Covenants on Human Rights to the Human Rights Committee and the Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights; 7. Decides to discuss at its forty-second session, under the item entitled "lntemational Covenants on Human Rights", the question ofthe indivisibility and interdepend- ence of economic, social, cultural, civil and political rights. 97th plenary meeting 4 December 1986 41/118. Efforts and measures to promote the eradica- tion of illiteracy The General Assembly, Recalling that in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights2 and the Intemational Covenant on Economic, So- cial and Cultural Rights22 the inalienable right of every- one to education is recognized, Mindful of the fact that the eradication of illiteracy is one of the paramount objectives of the Intemational De- velopmen t Strat~y for the Third United Nations Devel- opment Decade, Recognizing that the elimination of illiteracy constitutes a prerequisite for ensuring the right to education, Emphasizing that widespread illiteracy, especially in many developing countries, seriously hinders the process of economic and social development and cultural and spiritual advancement, Emphasizing further that this situation is utterly incom- patible with what is required by the great advances in the scientific and technical revolution that mankind is wit- nessing, Convinced that the process of education can make an in- dispensable contribution to the achievement of social pro- gress, mutual understanding and co-operation among na- tions, Mindful of the fact that the eradication of illiteracy calls for world-wide co-operation and joint efforts, Consideringthat the complete elimination ofilliteracy in all regions of the world should be recognized as a priority objective of the intemational community, Convinced that the elaboration of a global strategy for the eradication of illiteracy and the organization of a world-wide literacy campaign will promote deeper under- standing by the world public of the various aspects of the problem of illiteracy and help to intensify efforts to spread literacy and education, Taking into consideration the appeal made by the Gen- eral Conference of the United Nations Educational, Scien- 76 See Economic and Social Council resolution 1985/17 of 28 May 1985. 77 See resolution 35/56, annex, sect. II. tific and Cultural Organization in its resolution 2.2, 78 adopted at its twenty-third session, conceming the procla- mation of an intemational literacy year, l. Approves the appeal made by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization to pro- claim an intemational literacy year; 2. Invites the Economic and Social Council to consider in 1987 the question of declaring 1989 as the intematio~al literacy year and to inform the General Assembly of 1ts recommendation at its forty-second session; 3. Requests the Director-General of the U~it~ Na- tions Educational, Scientific and Cultural Orgamzatton to prepare, in co-operation with other interested o~ganiza- tions, his suggestions on the observance of the mtema- tional literacy year and to submit them to the General As- sembly at its forty-second session, through the Economic and Social Council; 4. Encourages the United Nations Educational, Scien- tific and Cultural Organization to prepare, in accordance with General Conference resolution 4.6, 78 a plan of action designed to assist ali States in eradicating illiteracy by the year 2000, whereby the impetus given by the intemational literacy year will be duly furthered. 97th plenary meeting 4 December 1986 41/119. International Covenants on Human Rights The General Assembly, Recalling its resolutions 33/51 of 14 December 1978, 34/45 of 23 November 1979, 35/132 of 11 December 1980, 36/58 of 25 November 1981, 37/191 of 18 Decem- ber 1982, 38/116 and 38/117 of 16 December 1983, 39/136 and 39/138 of 14 December 1984 and 40/115 and 40/116 of 13 December 1985, Taking note of the report of the Secretary-General79 on the status of the Intemational Covenant on Economic, So- cial and Cultural Rights,22 the lntemational Covenant on Civil and Political Rights22 and the Optional Protocol to the Intemational Covenant on Civil and Political Rights,22 Noting with appreciation that, following its appeal, more Member States have acceded to the lntemational Cove- nants on Human Rights,24 Recognizing the important role of the Human Rights Committee in the implementation of the Intemational Covenant on Civil and Political Rights and the Optional Protocol thereto, Taking note of the approach adopted by the Human Rights Committee at its twenty-eighth session80 in review- ing its activities, setting priorities and seeking savings that would not affect the Committee's vital work, Taking into account the useful work of the Sessional Working Group of Govemmental Experts on the Im- plementation ofthe Intemational Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights, Bearing in mind the important responsibilities of the Economic and Social Council in relation to the Intema- tional Covenants on Human Rights, 78 See United Nations Educational, Scientiflc and Cultural Organization, Records of the General Conference, Twenty-third Session, vol. 1, Resolutions, sect. 111. 7" A/41/509. 80 See Official Records of the General Assembly, Forty-first Session, Supplement 'Vo. 40 (A/41/40).

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