The General Assembly,
 
      Recalling its resolution 48/121 of 20 December 1993, in which it
endorsed the Vienna Declaration and Programme of Action, adopted by the World
Conference on Human Rights, held at Vienna from 14 to 25 June 1993, as well as
its subsequent resolutions on this matter,
 
      Reaffirming the view of the World Conference that the promotion and
protection of human rights is a matter of priority for the international
community,
 
      Considering that the promotion of universal respect for and observance
of human rights and fundamental freedoms is one of the basic purposes of the
Charter of the United Nations and one of the main priorities of the
Organization,
 
      Convinced that the Vienna Declaration and Programme of Action has to be
translated into effective action by States, the competent United Nations
organs and organizations and other organizations concerned, including
non-governmental organizations,
 
      Recognizing the importance of dialogue and cooperation between
Governments and non-governmental organizations in the field of human rights,
 
      Recalling the request of the Conference to the Secretary-General and the
General Assembly to take immediate steps to increase substantially the
resources for the human rights programme from within the existing and future
regular budgets of the United Nations,
 
      Recalling also part II, paragraph 100, of the Vienna Declaration and
Programme of Action, in which the Conference requested the Secretary-General
to invite, on the occasion of the fiftieth anniversary of the Universal
Declaration of Human Rights, all States and all organs and agencies of the
United Nations system related to human rights to report to him on the progress
made in the implementation of the Vienna Declaration and Programme of Action
and to submit a report to the General Assembly at its fifty-third session,
through the Commission on Human Rights and the Economic and Social Council,
 
      Recalling further that regional and, as appropriate, national human
rights institutions, as well as non-governmental organizations, may present
their views to the Secretary-General on the progress made in the
implementation of the Vienna Declaration and Programme of Action and that
special attention should be paid to assessing the progress towards the goal of
universal ratification of international human rights treaties and protocols
adopted within the framework of the United Nations,
 
      Recalling that by its resolution 48/141 of 20 December 1993 the General
Assembly decided to create the post of United Nations High Commissioner for
Human Rights as the United Nations official with principal responsibility for
United Nations human rights activities, including coordination of the human
rights promotion and protection activities throughout the United Nations
system,
 
      Noting that, at the first regular session of 1994 of the Administrative
Committee on Coordination, held in April, the executive heads of all United
Nations agencies discussed the implications of the results of the Conference
for their respective programmes and committed themselves to support the United
Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights in the coordination of the United
Nations organs, bodies and the specialized agencies whose activities deal with
human rights, as set out in resolution 48/141,
 
      Recognizing that the interdependence of democracy, development and
respect for human rights, as stated in the Vienna Declaration and Programme of
Action, requires a comprehensive and integrated approach to the promotion and
protection of human rights and that adequate inter-agency cooperation and
coordination are essential in order to ensure such a fully integrated approach
throughout the United Nations system,
 
      Noting that the High Commissioner has established a permanent dialogue
with the United Nations programmes and agencies whose activities deal with
human rights in order to maintain systematic exchanges of information,
experience and expertise,
 
      Welcoming the fact that the call of the World Conference on Human Rights
for a United Nations system-wide approach to human rights issues has been
reflected in the recommendations of major international conferences organized
by the United Nations in the economic, social and related fields,
 
      Noting the ongoing efforts to ensure a coordinated follow-up to major
international conferences in the economic, social and related fields,
 
      Recalling that each year the Economic and Social Council shall carry
out, within the framework of its coordination segment, a review of
cross-cutting themes common to major international conferences and/or
contribute to an overall review of the implementation of the programme of
action of a United Nations conference, in accordance with agreed conclusions
1995/1 of the Economic and Social Council,
 
      Having considered the report of the United Nations High Commissioner for
Human Rights, in particular chapter IX, entitled "1998: Human Rights Year",
 
      1.    Reaffirms the importance of the promotion of universal respect for
and observance and protection of all human rights and fundamental freedoms in
accordance with the Charter of the United Nations, as expressed in the Vienna
Declaration and Programme of Action;
 
      2.    Reaffirms also the views of the World Conference on Human Rights
on the urgency of eliminating denials and violations of human rights;
 
      3.    Recognizes that the international community should devise ways and
means to remove current obstacles and meet the challenges to the full
realization of all human rights and to prevent the continuation of human
rights violations resulting therefrom throughout the world;
 
      4.    Calls upon all States to take further action with a view to the
full realization of all human rights in the light of the recommendations of
the Conference;
 
      5.    Urges all States to continue to give widespread publicity to the
Vienna Declaration and Programme of Action, including through training
programmes, human rights education and public information, in order to promote
increased awareness of human rights and fundamental freedoms;
 
      6.    Requests the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights,
the General Assembly and the Commission on Human Rights and other organs and
bodies of the United Nations system related to human rights to take further
action with a view to the full implementation of all the recommendations of
the Conference;
 
      7.    Also requests the High Commissioner to continue to coordinate the
human rights promotion and protection activities throughout the United Nations
system, as set out in resolution 48/141, including through a permanent
dialogue with the United Nations agencies and programmes whose activities deal
with human rights;
 
      8.    Invites the Administrative Committee on Coordination to continue
to discuss the implications of the Vienna Declaration and Programme of Action
for the United Nations system, with the participation of the High
Commissioner;
 
      9.    Takes note of the intention of the High Commissioner to invite all
States and all organs and agencies of the United Nations system related to
human rights to carry out a thorough evaluation of the implementation of the
Vienna Declaration and Programme of Action, as part of the 1998 five-year
review foreseen in part II, paragraph 100, of the Vienna Declaration and
Programme of Action;
 
      10.   Welcomes the inter-agency consultations of the High Commissioner
with all United Nations programmes and agencies whose activities deal with
human rights for the preparation of the 1998 five-year review, and calls upon
them to contribute actively to this process;
 
      11.   Encourages regional and national human rights institutions as well
as non-governmental organizations to present, on this occasion, their views on
the progress made in the implementation of the Vienna Declaration and
Programme of Action;
 
      12.   Welcomes and supports Economic and Social Council decision
1996/283 of 24 July 1996, in which the Council endorsed the recommendation of
the Commission on Human Rights to consider devoting the coordination segment
at its substantive session of 1998 to the question of the coordinated
follow-up to and implementation of the Vienna Declaration and Programme of
Action as part of the 1998 five-year review foreseen in part II, paragraph
100, of the Vienna Declaration and Programme of Action;
 
      13.   Requests the High Commissioner to continue to report on the
measures taken and the progress achieved in the comprehensive implementation
of the Vienna Declaration and Programme of Action, in particular concerning
the preparation of the 1998 five-year review;
 
      14.   Decides to consider this question at its fifty-second session
under the sub-item entitled "Comprehensive implementation of and follow-up to
the Vienna Declaration and Programme of Action".