The General Assembly,
Recalling its previous resolutions on the subject, especially
resolutions 47/138 of 18 December 1992 and 48/131 of 20 December
1993, as well as the annex to Commission on Human Rights resolution
1989/51 of 7 March 1989,
Recalling also the Vienna Declaration and Programme of
Action, adopted by the World Conference on Human Rights on 25
June 1993, especially the recognition therein that assistance
provided upon the request of Governments for the conduct of free
and fair elections, including assistance in the human rights aspects
of elections and public information about elections, is of particular
importance in the strengthening and building of institutions relating
to human rights and the strengthening of a pluralistic civil society,
and that special emphasis should be given to measures that assist
in achieving those goals,
Reaffirming that electoral assistance and support for the
promotion of democratization are provided only at the specific
request of the Member State concerned,
Recognizing the usefulness of a comprehensive and balanced
approach in the activities carried out by the United Nations in
this field in order to contribute to the strengthening of both
democracy and human rights within the country concerned,
Welcoming the Colloquium on African Election Administration
organized by the Electoral Assistance Division of the Department
of Peace-keeping Operations of the Secretariat in cooperation
with the Department for Development Support and Management Services
and non-governmental organizations, held in Zimbabwe from 15 to
18 November 1994, with the goal of contributing to the democratization
process in Africa,
Taking note of the Declaration on Criteria for Free and
Fair Elections adopted by the Inter- Parliamentary Union on the
occasion of its ninety-first conference, held in Paris in March
1994,
Welcoming the support provided by States to the electoral
assistance activities of the United Nations, inter alia, through
the provision of experts and electoral observers, as well as through
contributions to the United Nations Trust Fund for Electoral Observation,
Having considered the report of the Secretary-General on
enhancing the effectiveness of the principle of periodic and genuine
elections,
Noting the continuing high level of requests for electoral
assistance by Member States,
1. Takes note of the report of the Secretary-General on
United Nations activities aimed at enhancing the effectiveness
of the principle of periodic and genuine elections;
2. Commends the electoral assistance provided to Member
States at their request by the United Nations, requests that such
assistance continue on a case-by-case basis in accordance with
the proposed guidelines on electoral assistance, recognizing that
the fundamental responsibility for ensuring free and fair elections
lies with Governments, and also requests the Electoral Assistance
Division of the Department of Peace- keeping Operations of the
Secretariat to continue to inform Member States on a regular basis
about the requests received, the responses given to those requests
and the nature of the assistance provided;
3. Requests that the United Nations continue its efforts
to ensure, before undertaking to provide electoral assistance
to a requesting State, that there is adequate time to organize
and carry out an effective mission for providing such assistance,
that conditions exist to allow a free and fair election and that
provisions can be made for adequate and comprehensive reporting
of the results of the mission;
4. Commends the steps taken by the United Nations to ensure
the continuation and consolidation of the democratization process
in certain Member States requesting assistance, including the
provision of assistance before and after elections have taken
place and needs-assessment missions aimed at recommending programmes
which might contribute to the consolidation of the democratization
process, and requests that such efforts be strengthened;
5. Recommends that the Electoral Assistance Division provide
post-election assistance to States that request such assistance,
and to electoral institutions, in order to contribute to the stability
and continuity of their electoral processes, as provided for in
the report of the Secretary-General, and that it study, in cooperation
with relevant United Nations offices, ways of defining more clearly
the activities related to democratic consolidation which the United
Nations might usefully undertake in assisting the efforts of interested
States in this regard;
6. Requests the Secretary-General to take further steps
to support States which request assistance by, inter alia, enabling
the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, in accordance
with his mandate and through the Centre for Human Rights of the
Secretariat, to support democratization activities as related
to human rights concerns, including, inter alia, human rights
training and education, assistance for human rights-related legislative
reform, strengthening and reform of the judiciary, assistance
to national human rights institutions and advisory services on
treaty accession, reporting and international obligations as related
to human rights;
7. Commends the programmes of assistance carried out by
the United Nations Development Programme for civil service reform
and for governance, and especially those for strengthening participation
and linkages between concerned sectors of society and Governments;
8. Recalls the establishment by the Secretary-General of
the United Nations Trust Fund for Electoral Observation, and calls
upon Member States to consider contributing to the Fund;
9. Stresses the importance of coordination within the United
Nations system, commends the Centre for Human Rights for the advisory
services and technical assistance it provides and the Department
for Development Support and Management Services of the Secretariat
and the United Nations Development Programme for the technical
assistance they provide to requesting Member States, and requests
the Electoral Assistance Division to strengthen its collaboration
with the Centre, including through an exchange of personnel when
appropriate, and with the Department and the Programme and to
inform them of requests submitted in the area of electoral assistance;
10. Recommends that the United Nations continue and strengthen
its coordination of election preparation and observation with
intergovernmental and non-governmental organizations which have
an interest in such activities;
11. Requests the Secretary-General to provide the Electoral
Assistance Division with adequate human and financial resources,
under the regular budget of the Organization and within existing
resources, to allow it to carry out its mandate, and to reinforce
the Centre for Human Rights through the redeployment of resources
and personnel, so as to enable it to respond, in close coordination
with the Electoral Assistance Division, to the increasing number
of requests from Member States for advisory services in the area
of electoral assistance;
12. Recommends that, in connection with the commemoration
of the fiftieth anniversary of the United Nations, special attention
be paid to publicizing the Organization's successful efforts towards
promoting genuine and periodic elections and its increasing focus
on democratization;
13. Takes note of the guidelines for Member States considering
the formulation of requests for electoral assistance, contained
in annex III to the report of the Secretary-General;
14. Recommends that the Secretary-General consider ways
to continue to improve coordination and to strengthen further
the efforts of the Electoral Assistance Division, the Centre for
Human Rights and the United Nations system in general to respond
to its increased responsibilities and enlarged mandate in the
field of electoral assistance and democratization as reflected
in the present resolution, and to include his recommendations
in this regard in his report to the General Assembly at its fiftieth
session;
15. Requests the Secretary-General to report to the General
Assembly at its fiftieth session on the implementation of resolution
48/131 and the present resolution, in particular on the status
of requests from Member States for electoral assistance and verification
and on his efforts to enhance the Organization's support of the
democratization process in Member States.
94th plenary meeting
23 December 1994