The General Assembly,
 
      Recalling, inter alia, its resolutions 48/141 of 20 December 1993 and
50/187 of 22 December 1995, and bearing in mind all relevant resolutions of
the Economic and Social Council and the Commission on Human Rights, including
Commission resolution 1996/82 of 24 April 1996,
 
      Recalling the request to the Secretary-General contained in paragraph 37
of its resolution 50/214 of 23 December 1995 to establish within the biennium
1996-1997 a new branch whose primary responsibilities would include the
promotion and protection of the right to development,
 
      Reaffirming that the promotion and protection of all human rights and
fundamental freedoms must be considered as a priority objective of the United
Nations in accordance with its purposes and principles, in particular the
purpose of international cooperation,
 
      Recalling that, in the Vienna Declaration and Programme of Action, the
World Conference on Human Rights stressed the importance of strengthening the
Centre for Human Rights of the Secretariat,
 
      Taking into account the fact that, in the Vienna Declaration and
Programme of Action, the World Conference on Human Rights requested 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, and to take urgent
steps to seek increased extrabudgetary resources,
 
      Taking into account also the establishment of the post of the United
Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, as well as the mandate for the
post, including its coordinating role and its overall supervision of the
Centre, as well as the request by the General Assembly in resolution 48/141
for appropriate staff and resources to enable the High Commissioner to fulfil
his mandate,
 
      Noting with concern that the response to the above-mentioned requests
has not been commensurate with the needs, resulting in a serious and
continuing imbalance between the mandates assigned to the High Commissioner
and the Centre by the competent bodies of the United Nations system in the
field of human rights and the resources available to fulfil all of those
mandates,
 
      Taking into account the fact that the responsibilities of the High
Commissioner include engaging in a dialogue with all Governments in the
implementation of his mandate with a view to the promotion and protection of
all human rights, and rationalizing, adapting, strengthening and streamlining
the United Nations machinery in the field of human rights with a view to
improving its efficiency and effectiveness,
 
      Taking into account also the fact that, in the Vienna Declaration and
Programme of Action, the World Conference on Human Rights urged United Nations
organs, bodies and the specialized agencies whose activities deal with human
rights to cooperate in order to strengthen, rationalize and streamline their
activities, taking into account the need to avoid unnecessary duplication,
 
      Bearing in mind that Article 101, paragraph 3, of the Charter of the
United Nations states that the paramount consideration in the employment of
the staff of the Secretariat and in the determination of the conditions of the
service shall be the necessity of securing the highest standards of
efficiency, competence and integrity, and that due regard shall be paid to the
importance of recruiting the staff of the Secretariat on as wide a
geographical basis as possible;
 
      Taking note of the report of the Secretary-General on the strengthening
of the office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights/Centre
for Human Rights, and the note by the Secretary-General on the composition of
the staff of the Centre, as well as the report of the High Commissioner,
 
      Taking note with appreciation of the information provided by the High
Commissioner with regard to the restructuring of the Centre with a view to
increasing the efficiency and effectiveness of the Centre and ensuring that
all its mandates can be implemented,
 
      Considering that this process should contribute to the strengthening of
the functional framework for integrated and consolidated activities of the
Secretariat in the field of human rights,
 
      Emphasizing that, while further improvement in the functioning and
efficiency of the Centre, together with a strong emphasis on good management
practices, is needed in order to enable the Centre to fulfil all mandates
entrusted to it and cope with its constantly increasing workload, good
management practices need to be complemented by resources commensurate with
mandates,
 
      1.    Supports and encourages the efforts of the Secretary-General to
enhance the role and further improve the functioning of the Centre for Human
Rights, as an integral part of the Secretariat of the United Nations, under
the overall supervision of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human
Rights;
 
      2.    Reiterates the need to ensure that all the necessary human,
financial, material and personnel resources are provided from the regular
budget of the United Nations without delay to the United Nations human rights
programme to enable it to carry out its mandates efficiently, effectively and
expeditiously, having due regard to the need to finance and implement
activities of the United Nations relating to development;
 
      3.    Requests the Secretary-General to enhance the capability of the
High Commissioner and the Centre to fulfil effectively their mandates and
their ability to carry out mandated operational activities and to coordinate
efficiently with other relevant departments of the Secretariat, as well as
other organs, bodies and specialized agencies of the United Nations system,
including on logistical and administrative questions;
 
      4.    Supports fully the Secretary-General and the High Commissioner in
their efforts to strengthen the human rights activities of the United Nations,
inter alia, through reorganization of the structure of the Centre to improve
its efficiency and effectiveness;
 
      5.    Encourages increased cooperation and coordination on human rights
issues between the High Commissioner, acting within his mandate, and other
departments and offices of the Secretariat;
 
      6.    Emphasizes the need for full participation of the office of the
United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights/Centre for Human Rights in
all mechanisms related to the follow-up to major United Nations conferences,
in particular the inter-agency task forces established for this purpose;
 
      7.    Requests the High Commissioner to continue to provide information
and exchange of views with all States on a regular basis on the ongoing
process of restructuring the Centre, inter alia, through informal open
briefing sessions;
 
      8.    Encourages the High Commissioner, within his mandate as set out in
General Assembly resolution 48/141, to continue to play an active role in
promoting and protecting human rights, including by preventing human rights
violations throughout the world, and in this context requests the
Secretary-General to support activities proposed by the High Commissioner;
 
      9.    Decides to continue its consideration of this question at its
fifty-second session under the item entitled "Human rights questions".