A/RES/78/209 GA

United Nations A/RES/78/209 General Assembly Distr.: General 22 December 2023 23-26019 (E) 090124 *2326019* Seventy-eighth session Agenda item 71 (b) Promotion and protection of human rights: human rights questions, including alternative approaches for improving the effective enjoyment of human rights and fundamental freedoms Resolution adopted by the General Assembly on 19 December 2023 [on the report of the Third Committee (A/78/481/Add.2, para. 139)] 78/209. United Nations Human Rights Training and Documentation Centre for South-West Asia and the Arab Region The General Assembly, Guided by the fundamental and universal principles enshrined in the Charter of the United Nations and the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, 1 Recalling the Vienna Declaration and Programme of Action of 1993, 2 which reiterated the need to consider the possibility of establishing regional and subregional arrangements for the promotion and protection of human rights where they do not already exist, Recalling also its resolutions 32/127 of 16 December 1977 and 51/102 of 12 December 1996 and all its subsequent resolutions concerning regional arrangements for the promotion and protection of human rights, Recalling further its resolutions 60/153 of 16 December 2005, 67/162 of 20 December 2012, 68/241 of 27 December 2013, 69/171 of 18 December 2014, 70/171 of 17 December 2015, 72/166 of 19 December 2017, 74/163 of 18 December 2019 and 76/155 of 16 December 2021 on the United Nations Human Rights Training and Documentation Centre for South-West Asia and the Arab Region, Recalling Commission on Human Rights resolution 1993/51 of 9 March 1993 3 and all its subsequent resolutions concerning regional arrangements for the promotion and protection of human rights, __________________ 1 Resolution 217 A (III). 2 A/CONF.157/24 (Part I), chap. III. 3 See Official Records of the Economic and Social Council, 1993, Supplement No. 3 and corrigenda (E/1993/23, E/1993/23/Corr.2, E/1993/23/Corr.4 and E/1993/23/Corr.5), chap. II, sect. A. A/RES/78/209 United Nations Human Rights Training and Documentation Centre for South-West Asia and the Arab Region 23-26019 2/3 Reaffirming that regional cooperation plays a fundamental role in promoting and protecting human rights and should reinforce universal human rights, as contained in international human rights instruments, and their protection, Recognizing that the Centre has made noticeable progress in the promotion of human rights and advocacy in the region and will continue to strengthen its effectiveness and efficiency in responding to ongoing and emerging needs and will enhance its capacity-building and technical assistance, including in countries in conflict and post-conflict countries, Recognizing also that the work of the Centre remains relevant to the needs of the region, which is demonstrated by the fact that it has been consistently solicited by numerous and diverse partners to provide support and to engage in cooperation, Mindful of the vastness and the diversity of the needs in the field of human rights within South-West Asia and the Arab region, and taking into account the need for appropriate and sustainable funding of the Centre to fully realize its significant function and crucial role in the region, Recognizing the unprecedented effects of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic, including the severe disruption to societies and economies, as well as to global travel and commerce, and the devastating impact on the livelihood of people, 1. Welcomes the report of the Secretary-General;4 2. Notes with appreciation the successful assistance that the United Nations Human Rights Training and Documentation Centre for South-West Asia and the Arab Region has provided through human rights capacity-building activities, technical assistance programmes and training programmes on human rights and media and human rights education, with an emphasis on young people, as well as support to national human rights institutions and civil society organizations on several human rights topics, and notes that the Centre also provided capacity-building activities in the areas of civil and political rights and economic, social and cultural rights, the countering of hate speech and incitement to discrimination, combating gender discrimination and the prevention of violent extremism; 3. Also notes with appreciation the Centre’s adaptation of its methodology to the challenges linked to the COVID-19 pandemic, which enabled it to continue to implement its annual workplan, through the organization of a large number of online activities and by bringing together participants from the majority of countries covered by its mandate; 4. Welcomes the Centre’s efforts to reinforce the documentation component of its mandate, notably the production and dissemination of human rights resource materials in Arabic and other languages that resulted in expanding its outreach to a growing number of beneficiaries, including women and young people; 5. Also welcomes the Centre’s plan, for the coming two years, to strengthen its efforts to accommodate the needs of the 25 States under its coverage by developing the human rights education programme, with more emphasis on the youth sector, in line with the fourth phase (2020–2024) of the World Programme for Human Rights Education, and to further develop its training programmes for State institutions, national human rights institutions and civil society organizations, as well as knowledge management and documentation activities, and notes its call for additional voluntary resources in order to be able to do so; 6. Further welcomes the work undertaken by the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights to enhance the Centre’s ability to carry out its __________________ 4 A/78/518. United Nations Human Rights Training and Documentation Centre for South-West Asia and the Arab Region A/RES/78/209 3/3 23-26019 mandate and respond to the growing needs from the region by further developing it into a centre for excellence in the area of human rights education and training, knowledge management and documentation for all relevant stakeholders in the region; 7. Underlines the Centre’s role as a source for regional expertise and the need to meet an increasing number of requests in relation to human rights education and training, knowledge management and documentation, including in Arabic and other languages; 8. Notes that the increasing demand that has been placed on the Centre by Member States and other stakeholders reveals a growing recognition of its role in and impact on strengthening human rights capacities in the region; 9. Encourages the continued engagement of the Centre to work with other United Nations regional offices to strengthen its work; 10. Encourages Member States to provide voluntary contributions to support the Centre in carrying out its mandate; 11. Requests the Secretary-General to submit to the General Assembly at its eightieth session a report, in accordance with existing rules and procedures, on the implementation of the present resolution. 50th plenary meeting 19 December 2023

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