The General Assembly,
 
     Recalling its previous resolutions concerning the reports of the
Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination and its resolutions on
the status of the International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of
Racial Discrimination,
 
     Reiterating the importance of the Convention, which is one of the most
widely accepted human rights instruments adopted under the auspices of the
United Nations,
 
     Aware of the importance of the contributions of the Committee to the
efforts of the United Nations to combat racism and all other forms of
discrimination based on race, colour, descent or national or ethnic origin,
 
     Reiterating once again the need to intensify the struggle for the
elimination of all forms of racism and racial discrimination throughout the
world, especially its most brutal forms,
 
     Emphasizing the obligation of all States parties to the Convention to
take legislative, judicial and other measures in order to secure full
implementation of the provisions of the Convention,
 
     Bearing in mind the Vienna Declaration and Programme of Action, adopted
by the World Conference on Human Rights on 25 June 1993, in particular section
II.B, relating to equality, dignity and tolerance, and General Assembly
resolution 49/208 of 23 December 1994, in particular paragraph 7 thereof,
 
     Concerned that the amendment to the Convention regarding the financing of
the Committee, as decided upon at the Fourteenth Meeting of States Parties to
the International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial
Discrimination on 15 January 1992 and endorsed by the General Assembly in its
resolution 47/111 of 16 December 1992, has not yet entered into force,
 
     Welcoming efforts of the Secretary-General to ensure interim financial
arrangements for the financing of the expenses incurred by the Committee,
 
     Stressing the importance of enabling the Committee to function smoothly
and to have all necessary facilities for the effective performance of its
functions under the Convention,
 
     Having considered the report of the Secretary-General on the financial
situation of the Committee,
 
     1.   Commends the Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination
for its work with regard to the implementation of the International Convention
on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination and the Programme of
Action for the Second Decade to Combat Racism and Racial Discrimination and
its contribution to the preparation for the Third Decade to Combat Racism and
Racial Discrimination;
 
     2.   Encourages the Committee to contribute fully to the implementation
of the Third Decade and its revised Programme of Action, including by the
continued collaboration and flow of information between the Committee and the
Subcommission on Prevention of Discrimination and Protection of Minorities and
the Special Rapporteur of the Commission on Human Rights on contemporary forms
of racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia and related intolerance;
 
     3.   Welcomes the cooperation and exchange of information between the
Committee and the relevant structures and mechanisms of the United Nations,
such as meetings held with the Special Rapporteur of the Commission on Human
Rights on the situation of human rights in the territory of the former
Yugoslavia and the Special Rapporteur of the Commission on Human Rights on
contemporary forms of racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia and related
intolerance and encourages their continuation in the future, including with
the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights;
 
     4.   Encourages the use of innovatory procedures by the Committee for
reviewing the implementation of the Convention in States whose reports are
overdue and the formulating of concluding observations on reports of States
parties to the Convention;
 
     5.   Commends the Committee for its continuous efforts to improve its
contribution to the prevention of racial discrimination, including early
warning and urgent procedures, and welcomes its relevant decisions and action
thereon; 
 
     6.   Welcomes decision 9 (46) of 17 March 1995 adopted by the Committee,
entitled "Contribution of the Committee on the Elimination of Racial
Discrimination to the United Nations Decade for Human Rights Education" and
general recommendation XIX (47) on article 3 of the Convention;
 
     7.   Urges all States which have not yet ratified or acceded to the
Convention to do so as soon as possible;
 
     8.   Encourages States to limit the extent of any reservation they lodge
to the Convention and to formulate any reservation as precisely and as
narrowly as possible while ensuring that no reservation is incompatible with
the object and purpose of the Convention or otherwise contrary to
international law;
 
     9.   Expresses its profound concern at the fact that a number of States
parties have still not fulfilled their financial obligations, as shown in the
report of the Secretary-General;
 
     10.  Urges States parties to accelerate their domestic ratification
procedures with regard to the amendment to the Convention concerning the
financing of the Committee and expeditiously to notify the Secretary-General
in writing of their agreement to the amendment, as decided upon at the
Fourteenth Meeting of States Parties to the International Convention on the
Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination on 15 January 1992 and
endorsed by the General Assembly in its resolution 47/111 of 16 December 1992;
 
     11.  Takes note with appreciation of the report of the Committee on the
work of its forty-sixth and forty-seventh sessions;
 
     12.  Requests the Secretary-General to continue to ensure adequate
financial arrangements and appropriate means to enable the functioning of the
Committee;
 
     13.  Calls upon States parties to fulfil their obligations under article
9, paragraph 1, of the Convention, to submit in due time their periodic
reports on measures taken to implement the Convention and to pay their
outstanding contributions;
 
     14.  Strongly appeals to all States parties which are in arrears to
fulfil their outstanding financial obligations under article 8, paragraph 6,
of the Convention;
 
     15.  Requests the Secretary-General to invite those States parties which
are in arrears to pay the amounts in arrears and to report thereon to the
General Assembly at its fifty-first session;
 
     16.  Decides to consider at its fifty-first session, under the item
entitled "Elimination of racism and racial discrimination", the report of the
Secretary- General on the financial situation of the Committee and the report
of the Committee;
 
     17.  Requests the Secretary-General to draw the present resolution to the
attention of States parties to the International Convention on the Elimination
of All Forms of Racial Discrimination.