The General Assembly,
 
      Recalling its resolutions 47/124 of 18 December 1992, 48/126 of 20
December 1993 and 49/213 of 23 December 1994, by which it proclaimed and
supported the United Nations Year for Tolerance,
 
      Recalling also that the Charter of the United Nations affirms in its
preamble that to practice tolerance is one of the principles to be applied to
attain the ends pursued by the United Nations of preventing war and
maintaining peace,
 
      Stressing that one of the purposes of the United Nations, as set forth
in the Charter, is the achievement of international cooperation in solving
international problems of an economic, social, cultural or humanitarian
character and in promoting and encouraging respect for human rights and for
fundamental freedoms for all without distinction as to race, sex, language or
religion,
 
      Bearing in mind the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, the Vienna
Declaration and Programme of Action, adopted by the World Conference on Human
Rights on 25 June 1993, and the International Covenants on Human Rights,
 
      Reconfirming that tolerance is the sound foundation of any civil society
and of peace,
 
      Taking note of the note by the Secretary-General transmitting the final
report on the United Nations Year for Tolerance, including the Declaration of
Principles on Tolerance and the Follow-up Plan of Action for the United
Nations Year for Tolerance, submitted to him by the United Nations
Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization as requested by the General
Assembly in its resolution 49/213,
 
      Taking note also of resolution 5.6 adopted by the General Conference of
the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization at its
twenty-eighth session,
 
      1.    Welcomes the role played by the United Nations Educational,
Scientific and Cultural Organization in the preparation for and implementation
of the United Nations Year for Tolerance;
 
      2.    Takes note of the Declaration of Principles on Tolerance and the
Follow-up Plan of Action for the United Nations Year for Tolerance, adopted by
the States members of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural
Organization on 16 November 1995;
 
      3.    Expresses its appreciation for the contribution of the regional
conferences on tolerance and other relevant activities organized during the
United Nations Year for Tolerance at Rio de Janeiro (Brazil), Seoul (Republic
of Korea), Sienna (Italy), Carthage (Tunisia), New Delhi (India), Moscow and
Yakutsk (Russian Federation), Tbilisi (Georgia) and Istanbul (Turkey) to the
Declaration of Principles and the Follow-up Plan of Action for the promotion
of tolerance;
 
      4.    Invites the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural
Organization to take appropriate initiatives, including holding regional
meetings, to assure the follow-up and implementation of the outcome of the
regional conferences organized during the United Nations Year for Tolerance
and to promote further the spirit instigated by those conferences;
 
      5.    Invites Member States to consider applying the Declaration of
Principles at the national level and to continue to undertake public
information campaigns in connection with the Follow-up Plan of Action aimed at
the realization of more tolerant societies;
 
      6.    Also invites Member States to observe the International Day for
Tolerance annually on 16 November with appropriate activities directed towards
both educational establishments and the wider public;
 
      7.    Encourages the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural
Organization to continue its activities aimed at reinforcing the struggle
against the rise of intolerance;
 
      8.    Recommends that interested intergovernmental and non-governmental
organizations and specialized agencies exert efforts in their respective
fields to contribute to the long-term follow-up programme for the United
Nations Year for Tolerance, including celebration of the International Day for
Tolerance, and to consider what further contributions they can make to
implement and disseminate the standards affirmed in the Declaration of
Principles;
 
      9.    Requests the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural
Organization to continue to coordinate actions in support of tolerance
promotion and education in partnership with other United Nations agencies and
regional, intergovernmental and non-governmental organizations and to make
reports available to the General Assembly on a biennial basis on the
implementation of the Declaration of Principles and the Follow-up Plan of
Action;
 
      10.   Invites the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural
Organization to consider, at an appropriate time, the possibility of
organizing an international conference to inform and mobilize public opinion,
as well as the United Nations system, in this regard;
 
      11.   Decides to consider the question of the follow-up to the United
Nations Year for Tolerance at its fifty-third session.