The General Assembly,
 
      Reaffirming the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, the International
Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, the International Covenant on
Economic, Social and Cultural Rights and other human rights instruments
adopted by the United Nations,
 
      Considering the relevant provisions of the Vienna Declaration and
Programme of Action, adopted by the World Conference on Human Rights on 25
June 1993, and of the Copenhagen Declaration on Social Development and the
Programme of Action of the World Summit for Social Development, adopted by the
World Summit on 12 March 1995,
 
      Recalling its resolutions 44/148 of 15 December 1989, 44/212 of 22
December 1989, 45/199 of 21 December 1990, 49/179 of 23 December 1994 and
other relevant resolutions,
 
      Recalling also its resolutions 47/196 of 22 December 1992, by which it
declared 17 October International Day for the Eradication of Poverty, 48/183
of 21 December 1993, by which it proclaimed 1996 International Year for the
Eradication of Poverty, and 50/107 of 20 December 1995, by which it proclaimed
the first United Nations Decade for the Eradication of Poverty (1997-2006),
 
      Bearing in mind Commission on Human Rights resolutions 1992/11 of 21
February 1992, 1993/13 of 26 February 1993, 1994/12 of 25 February 1994,
1995/16 of 24 February 1995 and 1996/10 of 11 April 1996, as well as
resolution 1996/23 of 29 August 1996 of the Subcommission on Prevention of
Discrimination and Protection of Minorities,
 
      Recalling its resolution 47/134 of 18 December 1992, in which it
reaffirmed that extreme poverty and exclusion from society constituted a
violation of human dignity and stressed the need for a complete and in-depth
study of extreme poverty, based on the experience and the thoughts of the
poorest, 
 
      Recognizing that the existence of widespread extreme poverty inhibits
the full and effective enjoyment of human rights and might, in some
situations, constitute a threat to the right to life,
 
      Deeply concerned that extreme poverty continues to spread in all
countries of the world, regardless of their economic, social and cultural
situation, and seriously affects the most vulnerable and disadvantaged
individuals, families and groups, who are thus hindered in the exercise of
their human rights and their fundamental freedoms,
 
      Recognizing that the elimination of widespread poverty and the full
enjoyment of economic, social and cultural rights are interrelated goals,
 
      Welcoming the work of the Special Rapporteur on the question of human
rights and extreme poverty, and taking into account his final report,
 
      1.    Reaffirms that extreme poverty and exclusion from society
constitute a violation of human dignity and that urgent national and
international action is therefore required to eliminate them;
 
      2.    Reaffirms also that, in accordance with the Vienna Declaration and
Programme of Action, it is essential for States to foster participation by the
poorest people in the decision-making process in the communities in which they
live, in the promotion of human rights and in efforts to combat extreme
poverty; 
 
      3.    Notes with satisfaction that the Special Rapporteur, in the
process of preparing his final report, has implemented the recommendations of
the Commission on Human Rights by paying special attention to the efforts of
the poorest themselves and the conditions in which they can convey their
experiences;
 
      4.    Again calls upon States, the specialized agencies, United Nations
bodies and other international organizations, including intergovernmental
organizations, to give the necessary attention to this problem and to the
necessary follow-up to the recommendations of the Special Rapporteur as
contained in his final report;
 
      5.    Invites the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights,
within the framework of the implementation of the United Nations Decade for
the Eradication of Poverty, to give appropriate attention to the question of
human rights and extreme poverty;
 
      6.    Notes with appreciation the specific action taken by the United
Nations Children's Fund to mitigate the effects of extreme poverty on children
and the efforts of the United Nations Development Programme to give priority
to the search for some means of alleviating poverty within the framework of
the relevant resolutions, and urges them to continue in this work;
 
      7.    Decides to consider this question further at its fifty-third
session under the sub-item entitled "Human rights questions, including
alternative approaches for improving the effective enjoyment of human rights
and fundamental freedoms".