The General Assembly,
Guided by the principles embodied in the Charter of the United Nations, the International Bill of Human Rights and other applicable human rights instruments,
Gravely concerned by the situation in Somalia, including the extensive damage and destruction of villages, towns and cities, the heavy damage inflicted by the civil conflict on the country's infrastructure and the still widespread disruption of many public facilities and services and the lack of a governmental authority to ensure even basic human rights,
Deploring the loss of human life in Somalia, and attacks against personnel of the United Nations and of other humanitarian organizations in Somalia, which sometimes result in serious injuries or deaths,
Recalling Security Council resolution 733 (1992) of 21 January 1992, all subsequent relevant Security Council resolutions and General Assembly resolution 47/167 of 18 December 1992, and taking note of Commission on Human Rights resolution 1993/86 of 10 March 1993,
Commending the ongoing efforts in Somalia of the United Nations, the specialized agencies, humanitarian organizations, non-governmental organizations, countries in the region and regional organizations,
Taking note with appreciation of the report of the independent expert on the conditions in Somalia, dated 26 October 1993,
1. Commends the independent expert for his report on the conditions in Somalia, in which he cited an increase in human rights violations fuelled by the absence of an accountable government and the lack of infrastructure;
2. Urges all Somali parties in the conflict to confirm their commitment to the Addis Ababa Agreement of 27 March 1993;
3. Urges all Somalis to work together towards peace and security in Somalia and to guarantee the protection of all human rights and fundamental freedoms for all Somalis;
4. Calls upon all parties to protect civilians, United Nations personnel and humanitarian relief workers from being killed, tortured or arbitrarily detained;
5. Requests that, following the restoration of political stability and security in Somalia, the Commission on Human Rights, in accordance with the Charter of the United Nations, consider establishing a group of independent human rights monitors, funded from within existing United Nations resources, to receive complaints and collect and investigate reports of violations of human rights and to transmit them, where appropriate, to the Centre for Human Rights of the Secretariat, in an effort to prevent human rights violations;
6. Decides to continue its consideration of this question at its forty-ninth session.
85th plenary meeting
20 December 1993
