A/RES/42/119 GA
Alternative approaches and ways and means within the United Nations System for improving the effective enjoyment of human rights and fundamental freedoms : resolution / adopted by the General Assembly
42
Session
129
Yes
1
No
24
Abstentions
| Draft symbol | A/RES/42/119 |
|---|---|
| Adopted symbol | A/RES/42/119 |
| Category | SOCIAL CONDITIONS AND EQUITY |
| Voeten Topics ⓘ | |
| P5 Positions |
|
| UN Document | A/RES/42/119 ↗ |
Vote Recorded Vote — A/42/PV.93
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Afghanistan
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Algeria
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Angola
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Antigua and Barbuda
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Argentina
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Bahamas
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Bahrain
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Bangladesh
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Barbados
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Benin
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Bhutan
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Plurinational State of Bolivia
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Botswana
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Brazil
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Brunei Darussalam
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Bulgaria
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Burkina Faso
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Myanmar
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Burundi
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Belarus
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Cameroon
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Cabo Verde
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Central African Republic
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Chad
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China
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Colombia
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Comoros
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Congo
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Costa Rica
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Côte d'Ivoire
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Cuba
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Cyprus
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Czechoslovakia
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Cambodia
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Democratic Yemen
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Djibouti
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Dominican Republic
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Ecuador
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Egypt
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El Salvador
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Equatorial Guinea
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Ethiopia
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Fiji
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Gabon
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Gambia
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German Democratic Republic
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Ghana
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Grenada
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Guatemala
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Guinea
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Guinea-Bissau
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Guyana
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Haiti
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Honduras
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Hungary
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India
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Indonesia
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Islamic Republic of Iran
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Iraq
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Jamaica
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Jordan
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Kenya
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Kuwait
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Lao People's Democratic Republic
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Lebanon
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Lesotho
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Liberia
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Libya
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Madagascar
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Malawi
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Malaysia
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Maldives
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Mali
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Mauritania
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Mauritius
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Mexico
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Mongolia
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Morocco
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Mozambique
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Nepal
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New Zealand
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Nicaragua
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Niger
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Nigeria
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Oman
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Pakistan
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Panama
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Papua New Guinea
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Paraguay
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Peru
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Philippines
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Poland
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Qatar
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Romania
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Rwanda
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Saint Kitts and Nevis
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Saint Lucia
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Saint Vincent and the Grenadines
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Samoa
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Sao Tome and Principe
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Senegal
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Seychelles
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Sierra Leone
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Singapore
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Solomon Islands
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Somalia
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Sri Lanka
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Sudan
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Suriname
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Eswatini
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Syrian Arab Republic
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Thailand
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Togo
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Trinidad and Tobago
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Tunisia
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Uganda
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Ukraine
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Union of Soviet Socialist Republics
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United Arab Emirates
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United Republic of Tanzania
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Uruguay
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Vanuatu
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Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela
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Viet Nam
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Yemen
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Yugoslavia
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Democratic Republic of the Congo
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Zambia
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Zimbabwe
Full text of resolution
216
General Assembly-Forty-second Session
tional Covenants on Human Rights13 and other interna-
tional conventions;
3.
Requests the Secretary-General to prepare a report
for presentation to the General Assembly at its forty-third
session on the advisability of Iaunching, within existing re-
sources, a World Public Information Campaign on Hu-
man Rights in 1989 and to include in the report an outline
of planned activities;
4.
Reajfirms the need for materials on human rights to
be made available in simplified, attractive and accessible
form, in national and local languages, and for effective use
to be made of the mass media, in particular radio and
television and audio-visual technologies, in order to reach
a wider audience, with priority given to children, young
people and the disadvantaged, including those in isolated
areas;
5.
Recognizes the need for the United Nations to har-
monize its activities in this field with those of other organi-
zations, in particular the International Committee of the
Red Cross, with regard to the dissemination of informa-
tion and education relating to international humanitarian
law;
6.
Emphasizes the key role of the United Nations in-
formation centres in the public information programme of
the Organization in the field of human rights, and urges
the Department of Public Information of the Secretariat
to give special attention to improving the performance and
accountability of the centres;
7.
Renews its request to the Secretary-General to estab-
lish, within available resources, collections of basic refer-
ence works and United Nations materials at each United
Nations information centre by the end of 1988, taking into
account the Iist of basic human rights materials;
8.
Invites ali relevant bodies of the United Nations sys-
tem, including the specialized agencies and regional com-
missions, as well as Member States and non-governmental
organizations, to facilitate the dissemination of United
Nations materials on human rights and to improve the co-
ordination of their activities in this field;
9.
Requests the Secretary-General to finalize the draft
teaching booklet on human rights without delay and to
draw the attention ofMember States to the booklet, which
could serve as a broad and flexible framework within
which teaching could be structured and developed in ac-
cordance with national circumstances;
10.
Urges ali Member States to include in their educa-
tion curricula materials relevant to a comprehensive un-
derstanding of human rights issues and encourages ali
those responsible for training in law and its enforcement,
the armed forces, medicine, diplomacy and other relevant
fields to include appropriate human rights components in
their programmes;
l l.
Requests the Secretary-General to complete the
task of issuing the personalized version of the Universal
Declaration of Human Rights in the six official languages
ofthe United Nations in 1988 and to proceed thereafter, in
co-operation with regional organizations and Govern-
ments, to the production of this document in national and
local languages;
12.
Further requests the Secretary-General to invite
Member States to nominate national focal points which
could be supplied with copies of relevant human rights
materials and to publish the Iist of such focal points in bis
report to the General Assembly at its forty-third session
on the implementation of the present resolution;
l 3.
Renews its request to the Secretary-General to ar-
range for the reprinting as soon as practicable ofthe publi-
cation entitled Human Rights: A Compilation of Interna-
tional Instruments; 134
14.
Emphasizes the importance of maintaining ade-
quate stocks of basic human rights materials in New York
and Geneva, and expresses its concern about the serious
limitations placed on the storage capacity of the U nited
Nations in New York for such documents;
15.
Requests the Secretary-General to report to the
Commission on Human Rights at its forty-fourth session
on the public presentations, in New York and Geneva, on
Human Rights Day in 1987, of a selection of audio-visual
and other United Nations materials in the field of human
rights, including an analysis of comments made during the
presentations about the future direction of these pro-
grammes;
l 6.
Further requests the Secretary-General to submit
to the General Assembly at its forty-third session a com-
prehensive report on the implementation of the present
resolution;
17.
Decides to continue its consideration of this ques-
tion at its forty-third session under the item entitled "Al-
ternative approaches and ways and means within the
United Nations system for improving the effective enjoy-
ment of human rights and fundamental freedoms".
93rd plenary meeting
7 December 198 7
42/119. Alternative approaches and ways and meaos
witbin the United Nations system for improving
the effective enjoyment of human rigbts and
fundamental freedoms
The General Assembly,
Recalling that in the Charter of the United Nations the
peoples of the United Nations declared their determina-
tion to reaffirm faith in fundamental human rights, in the
dignity and worth of the human person and in the equal
rights of men and women and of nations large and small
and to employ international machinery for the promotion
of the economic and social advancement of ali peoples,
Recalling also the purposes and principies of the Charter
to achieve international co-operation in solving interna-
tional problems of an economic, social, cultural or
humanitarian character, and in promoting and encourag-
ing respect for human rights and for fundamental free-
doms for ali without distinction as to race, sex, language
or religion,
Emphasizing the significance and validity of the Univer-
sal Declaration of Human Rights2 and of the Interna-
tional Covenants on Human Rights13 in promoting
respect for and observance of human rights and
fundamental freedoms,
Recallingits resolution 32/130 of 16 December 1977, in
which it decided that the approach to future work within
the United Nations system with respect to human rights
questions should take into account the concepts set forth
in that resolution,
Recalling a/so its resolutions 34/46 of 23 November
1979, 35/174 of 15 December 1980, 36/133 of 14 Decem-
ber 1981, 38/124 of 16 December 1983, 39/145 of 14
December 1984, 40/ 124 of 13 December 1985 and 41/ 131
and 41/133 of 4 December 1986,
134 United Nations publication, Sales No. E.83.XIV. l.
V l.
Resolutions adopted on the reports of tite Tltird Committee
217
Taking into account Commission on Human Rights
resolution 1985/43 of 14 March 1985,60
Emphasizing that the right to development is an inalien-
able human right and that equality of development oppor-
tunities is a prerogative hoth of nations and of individuals
within nations,
Recognizing that the human being is the main subject of
development and that everyone has the right to participate
in, as well as to benefit from, the devclopment process,
Reiterating once again that the establishment of the new
international economic order is an essential element for
the effective promotion and ful] enjoymenl of human
rights and fundamental freedoms for all,
Reiterating also its profound convict1on that ali human
rights and fundamental freedoms are indivisible and inter-
dependent and that equal attention and urgen! considera-
tion should be given to the implementation, promotion
and protection of civil and political rights and of eco-
nomic, social and cultural rights,
Emphasizing the need for the creation, at the national
and international levels, of conditions for the promotion
and full protection of the human right, of individuals and
peoples,
Recognizing that international peace and security are es-
sential elements for the full realization of human rights,
including the right to developmenl,
Considering that the rcsources that would be released by
disarmament could contribute significantly to the develop-
ment of all States, in particular to that of the developing
countries,
Recognizing that co-operation among ali nations on the
basis of respect for the independence, sovereignty and ter-
ritorial integrity of each State, including the right of every
people to choose freely its own socio-economic and politi-
cal system and to exercise ful) sovereignty over its wealth
and natural resources, subject to the principies referred to
in article 1, paragraph 2, and article 25 of the Interna-
tional Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural
Rights, 13 is essential for the promotion of peace and devel-
opment,
Convinced that the primary aim of such international co-
operation must be the achievement by ali human beings of
a life of freedom and dignity and frcedom from want,
Concerned, however, about thc llccurrence of violations
of human rights in the world,
Reaffirming that nothing in the Universal Declaration
of Human Rights or in the International Covenants on
Human Rights may be interpreted as implying for any
State, group or person t he right to engage in any activity
or perform any act aimcd at dest rnying any of thc rights
and freedoms proclaimcd therein,
Affirming that the ultimate aim of devclopment i;. the
steady improvement ofthe well-heing ofthe ent1re popula
tion, on the basis of its full part!l'ipati,m 111 the process of
development anda fair distributinn nf the henefih there
from,
Considering that the cfforts of thc developing countrie;.
for their own development should be ,upported hy an in-
creased flow of resources and by t he acloption of appropri-
ate and substantive measures for creating an externa) env1-
ronment conducive to ~uch devdopment,
Taking into account the Political Declaratio11 adopted
by the Eighth Conferencc of Heads of State or Govern-
ment of Non-Aligned Countrie\, helcl at Harare from
1 to 6 September 1986, 1 -' 5
11S A/41/697-S/18.,9;', :rnnn 1
Emphasizing the special importance of the purposes and
principies proclaimed in its Declaration on the Right to
Development, 129
Taking into account Commission on Human Rights
resolutions 1987/19 and 1987/23 of 10 March 1987,"26
Reajjirming the importance of furthering the activities
of the nrgans of the United Nations in the field of human
right;, in conformity with the principies of the Charter,
Emphasizing that Governments have the duty to ensure
respect for ali human rights and fundamental freedoms,
l.
Rellerates its request that the Commission on Hu-
man Rights continue its current work on overall analysis
with a view to further promoting and strengthening hu-
man rights and fundamental freedoms, including the ques-
tion of t he programme and working methods of the Com-
mission, and on the overall analysis of the alternative
approaches and ways and means for improving the effec-
tive cnjoyment of human rights and fundamental free-
doms, in accordance with the provisions and concepts of
General Assembly resolution 32/130 and other relevant
texts:
2.
Afjirms that a primary aim of international co-
operation in the field of human rights is a life of freedom,
dignity and peace for ali peoples and for every human be-
ing, that all human rights and fundamental freedoms are
indivisihle and interrelated and that the promotion and
protection of one category of rights should never exempt
or excuse States from promoting and protecting the oth-
ers:
l.
4,ljirms its profound conviction that equal attention
and urgen! consideration should be given to the im-
plementation, promotion and protection of civil and
political rights and of economic, social and cultural rights;
4.
Reafjirms that it is of paramount importance for the
promotion of human rights and fundamental freedoms
that Member States should assume specific obligations by
acceding to or ratifying international instruments in this
field, and, consequently, that the work within the United
Nation, ;.ystem of setting standards in the field of human
rights and universal acceptance and implementation ofthe
relevant international instruments should be encouraged;
:'i.
Reiterutes once again that the international com-
mu111ty should accord, or continue to accord, priority to
thc search for solutions to mass and flagrant violations of
human rights of peoples and individuals affected by situa-
tiom, such as those mentioned in paragraph 1 (e) of Gen-
eral A..,sembly resolution 32/130, paying due attention
also to other situations of violations of human rights;
6.
Reaffirms its responsibility for achieving interna-
tional co-operation in promoting and encouraging respect
for human rights and fundamental freedoms for ali, and
cxpre;.;.es its concern at serious violations ofhuman rights,
in particular mass and flagrant violations of these rights,
wherever they occur;
7
1~·xpresses concern at the present situation as regards
the achievement of the objectives and goals for the estab-
lishment of the new international economic order, and at
its ad verse effects on the full realization of human rights,
in particular the right to development;
X.
Reaffirms that the right to development is an inali-
enahlc human right;
q
Reaffirms a/so that international peace and security
are e<;s,:nt ial dements for achieving full realization of the
ngh1 ¡,, devclopment;
1 O.
Recognizes that all human rights and fundamental
freedom~ are indivisible and interdependent;
218
General Assembly-Forty-second Session
11.
Considers that ali Member Sta tes must promote in-
ternational co-operation on the basis of respect for the in-
dependence, sovercignty and territorial integrity of each
State, including the right of cvery people to choose freely
its own socio-economic and political system and to exer-
cise full sovercignty over its wealth and natural resources,
subject to the principies referred to in article 1, para-
graph 2, and article 25 of thc Intcrnational Covenant on
Economic, Social and Cultural Rights, with a view to solv-
ing international economic, social and humanitarian prob-
lems;
12.
Expresses concern at the disparity existing between
established norms and principies and the actual situation
of ali human rights and fundamental freedoms in the
world;
13.
Urges ali States to co-operate with the Commission
on Human Rights in thc promotion and protection of hu-
man rights and fundamental freedoms:
14.
Reiterates the need to create, at the national and
international levels, conditions for the full promotion and
protection of the human rights of individuals and peoples:
15.
Reaffirms once again that, in order to facilitate the
full enjoyment of ali human rights without diminishing
personal dignity, it is necessary to promote the rights to
education, work, health and proper nourishment through
the adoption of measures at the national leve!, including
those that provide for the participation ofworkers in man-
agement, as well as the adoption of measures at the inter-
national level. including the establishment of the new in-
ternational economic ordcr;
16.
Decides that the approach to future work within
the United Nations system on human rights matters
should also take into account the content of the Declara-
tion on the Right to Development ancl the need for the im-
plementation thereof:
17.
Decides to include in the provisional agenda of its
forty-third session the item entitled "Alternative ap-
proaches and ways and means within the United Nations
system for improving the effective enjoyment of human
rights and fundamental freedoms"
93rd plenary meeting
7 Deccmber 1987
42/120.
New international humanitarian order
The General Assembly,
Recal/ing its rcsolutions 36/ 136 of 14 December 1981,
37/201 of 18 Decembcr 1982, 38/125 of 16 Decemhcr
1983 and 40/126 of 1.1 Dccemher 1985,
Recalling further thc
rcports of the Secretary-
General, 136
Bearing in mind the comments communicated by Gov-
ernments to the Secretary-General regarding a new inter-
national humanitarian order.
Recognizing the urgent need further to improve and
strengthen the international framcwork relating to
humanitarian issues while taking fully into account exist-
ing instruments and mechanisms,
Noting with concern that emergencies and disaster<;,
mostly man-madc, havc mcreased in frequency in recent
years, posing a growing challcnge to mcchanisms of inter-
national responses to t hem ..
116 A/_17/145 A/1X/450. A 14() 14X ,rnd ,\t!d I and 2 ami •\/41 i.P::'
Aware that institutional arrangements and actions hy
governmental and non-governmental bodies require fur-
ther strengthening, as well as adjustment to new realities.
in order to respond more effectively and speedily to con-
temporary humanitarian problems,
Noting the efforts ofthe Independent Commission on In-
ternational Humanitarian Issues to promote public aware-
ness of humanitarian issues, analyse relatively neglected
aspects and identify alternative approaches for resolving
humanitarian problems,
Notingfurtherthe establishment, outside the United Na-
tions, of an Independent Bureau for Humanitarian Issues
to disseminate and follow up the work of the Independent
Commission,
Taking note of the report of the Independent Commis-
sion, as well as the sectoral reports on specific
humanitarian issues,
J _ Expresses its appreciation to the co-chairmen and
members of the lndependent Commission on Interna-
tional Humanitarian Issues for their humanitarian en-
deavours;
2_
Draws the attention of Governments and intergov-
ernmental organizations, including those functioning at
the r_egional level, to the report of the Independent Com-
m1ss1011;
3.
Requests the Independent Commission to transmit
its report to Member States and to the executive heads of
specialized agencies and programmes of the United Na-
tions system in order to enable them to consider its ana-
lyses and conclusions:
4.
Invites ali non-governmental organizations con-
cerned with the humanitarian issues examined by the In-
dependent Commission to bear in mind the recommenda-
tions and suggestions made in its report in the context of
their policies and actions in the field;
S.
Invites Governments to make available to the Secre-
tary-General, on a voluntary basis, information and exper-
tise on humanitarian issues of concern to them, in order to
identify opportunities for future action and to strengthen
international co-operation in the humanitarian field;
6.
Requests the Secretary-General to remain in contact
with Governments, relevant specialized agencies and
programmes of the United Nations system,
11011-
governmental organizations concerned and the lndepen-
dent Bureau for Humanitarian Issues and to report to the
General Assembly at its forty-third session, on the basis of
information made available to him, on the progress made
in the humanitarian field;
7.
Decides to review at its forty-third session the ques-
tion of a new international humanitarian order.
93rd plenary meeting
7 December 1987
42/121.
International co-operation in the humanitarian
field
The General Assembly,
Noting that one of the purposes of the United Nations,
set forth in its Charter, is to achieve international co
operation
in
solving international
problems or a
humanitarian character,
Guidcd, in particular, by the determination expressed in
thc Charter, tl, reaffirm faith in the dignity and worth of
thc human per-,on.
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