The General Assembly,
 
      Recalling its resolution 32/127 of 16 December 1977 and all its
subsequent resolutions concerning regional arrangements for the promotion and
protection of human rights,
 
      Recalling also Commission on Human Rights resolution 1993/51 of 9 March
1993,
 
      Bearing in mind the relevant resolutions of the Commission on Human
Rights concerning advisory services in the field of human rights, including
its most recent resolution on that subject, 1996/55 of 19 April 1996,
 
      Bearing in mind also the Vienna Declaration and Programme of Action,
adopted by the World Conference on Human Rights on 25 June 1993,
 
      Reaffirming that regional arrangements play a fundamental role in
promoting and protecting human rights and should reinforce universal human
rights standards, as contained in international human rights instruments, and
their protection,
 
      Recalling that the World Conference on Human Rights 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 that the World Conference on Human Rights recommended
that more resources should be made available for the strengthening or the
establishment of regional arrangements for the promotion and protection of
human rights under the programmes of advisory services and technical
assistance of the Centre for Human Rights of the Secretariat,
 
      Having considered the report of the Secretary-General,
 
      Noting the progress achieved so far in the promotion and protection of
human rights at the regional level under the auspices of the United Nations,
the specialized agencies and the regional intergovernmental organizations,
 
      Noting also the growing exchanges between the United Nations and the
bodies created by the United Nations, in accordance with the treaties dealing
with human rights on the one hand and the regional intergovernmental
organizations on the other, in order to promote the mutual exchange of
information between these bodies and the conclusion of regional arrangements
for the promotion and protection of human rights,
 
      1.    Takes note of the report of the Secretary-General;
 
      2.    Welcomes the continuing cooperation and assistance of the United
Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights/Centre for Human Rights of the
Secretariat in the further strengthening of the existing regional arrangements
and regional machinery for the promotion and protection of human rights, in
particular with regard to advisory services and technical assistance, public
information and education, with a view to exchanging information and
experience in the field of human rights;
 
      3.    Welcomes also, in that respect, the close cooperation of the High
Commissioner/Centre for Human Rights in the organization of regional and
subregional training courses and workshops in the field of human rights, high-
level government expert meetings and a regional conference of national human
rights institutions, aiming at creating greater understanding of the promotion
and protection of human rights issues in the regions, improving procedures and
examining the various systems for the promotion and protection of universally
accepted human rights standards and at identifying obstacles to ratification
of the principal international human rights treaties and strategies to
overcome them;
 
      4.    Stresses the importance of the programme of advisory services in
the field of human rights, renews its appeal to all Governments to consider
making use of the possibilities offered by the United Nations, under this
programme, of organizing information or training courses at the national level
for government personnel on the application of international human rights
standards and the experience of relevant international bodies, and notes with
satisfaction, in that respect, the establishment of technical cooperation
projects with several Governments of the region of Asia and the Pacific;
 
      5.    Requests the Secretary-General, as foreseen in programme 35
(Promotion and protection of human rights) of the medium-term plan for the
period 1992-1997, to continue to strengthen exchanges between the United
Nations and regional intergovernmental organizations dealing with human
rights;
 
      6.    Welcomes the growing exchanges between the High
Commissioner/Centre for Human Rights and several regional intergovernmental
organizations, as well as between the bodies created by the United Nations in
accordance with the treaties dealing with human rights and the Council of
Europe;
 
      7.    Invites States in areas where regional arrangements in the field
of human rights do not yet exist to consider concluding agreements with a view
to the establishment within their respective regions of suitable regional
machinery for the promotion and protection of human rights;
 
      8.    Requests the Commission on Human Rights to continue to pay special
attention to the most appropriate ways of assisting, at their request,
countries of the different regions under the programme of advisory services
and to make, where necessary, relevant recommendations;
 
      9.    Requests the Secretary-General to submit to the General Assembly
at its fifty-third session a report on the state of regional arrangements for
the promotion and protection of human rights and to include therein the
results of action taken in pursuance of the present resolution;
 
      10.   Decides to consider this question further at its fifty-third
session.