Second Decade to Combat Racism and Racial Discrimination : resolution / adopted by the General Assembly

The General Assembly,

Reaffirming its objective set forth in the Charter of the United Nations to achieve international co-operation in solving international problems of an economic, social, cultural or humanitarian character, and in promoting and encouraging respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms for all without distinction as to race, sex, language or religion,

Reaffirming also its firm determination and its commitment to eradicate totally and unconditionally racism in all its forms, racial discrimination and apartheid,

Recalling the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, the International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination, the International Convention on the Suppression and Punishment of the Crime of Apartheid, the International Convention against Apartheid in Sports and the Convention against Discrimination in Education adopted by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization on 14 December 1960,

Recalling also its resolution 3057 (XXVIII) of 2 November 1973, on the first Decade for Action to Combat Racism and Racial Discrimination, and its resolution 38/14 of 22 November 1983, on the Second Decade to Combat Racism and Racial Discrimination,

Recalling further the two World Conferences to Combat Racism and Racial Discrimination, held at Geneva in 1978 and 1983,

Bearing in mind the Report of the Second World Conference to Combat Racism and Racial Discrimination,

Convinced that the Second World Conference represented a positive contribution by the international community towards attaining the objectives of the Decade, through its adoption of a Declaration and an operational Programme of Action for the Second Decade to Combat Racism and Racial Discrimination,

Noting with concern that, despite the efforts of the international community, the principal objectives of the first Decade for Action to Combat Racism and Racial Discrimination were not attained and that millions of human beings continue to this day to be the victims of varied forms of racism, racial discrimination and apartheid,

Recalling its resolutions 39/16 of 23 November 1984, 42/47 of 30 November 1987 and 43/91 of 8 December 1988,

Emphasizing once again the necessity of attaining the objectives of the Second Decade to Combat Racism and Racial Discrimination,

Having considered the note by the Secretary-General and his reports submitted within the framework of the implementation of the Programme of Action for the Second Decade,

Convinced of the need to take more effective and sustained international measures for the elimination of all forms of racism and racial discrimination and the total eradication of apartheid in South Africa,

Aware that certain activities of the Second Decade scheduled for the period 1985-1989 have not been implemented owing to a lack of financial resources,

Aware also of the importance and the magnitude of the phenomenon of migrant workers, as well as the efforts undertaken by the international community to improve the protection of the human rights of migrant workers and their families,

Taking note of the conclusions and suggestions of the global consultation on racism and racial discrimination held at Geneva from 3 to 6 October 1988, the conclusions and recommendations of the seminar on the effects of racism and racial discrimination on the social and economic relations between indigenous peoples and States, held at Geneva from 16 to 20 January 1989, and the conclusions and recommendations of the seminar on cultural dialogue between the countries of origin and the host countries of migrant workers, held at Athens from 18 to 26 September 1989,

1.         Declares once again that all forms of racism and racial discrimination, particularly in their institutionalized form, such as apartheid, or resulting from official doctrines of racial superiority or exclusivity, are among the most serious violations of human rights in the contemporary world and must be combated by all available means;

2.         Decides that the international community, in general, and the United Nations, in particular, should continue to give the highest priority to programmes for combating racism, racial discrimination and apartheid, and to intensify their efforts, during the Second Decade to Combat Racism and Racial Discrimination, to provide assistance and relief to the victims of racism and all forms of racial discrimination and apartheid, especially in South Africa and Namibia and in occupied territories and territories under alien domination;

3.         Appeals to all Governments and to international and non-governmental organizations to increase and intensify their activities to combat racism, racial discrimination and apartheid and to provide relief and assistance to the victims of these evils;

4.         Takes note of the reports submitted by the Secretary-General containing information on the activities of Governments, specialized agencies, regional intergovernmental organizations and non-governmental organizations, as well as United Nations organs, to give effect to the Programme of Action for the Second Decade to Combat Racism and Racial Discrimination;

5.         Notes and commends the efforts made to co-ordinate all the programmes currently under implementation by the United Nations system that relate to the objectives of the Second Decade and encourages the Co-ordinator for the Second Decade to Combat Racism and Racial Discrimination to continue his efforts;

6.         Notes with satisfaction the holding of the seminar on the effects of racism and racial discrimination on the social and economic relations between indigenous peoples and States and the seminar on cultural dialogue between the countries of origin and the host countries of migrant workers and requests the Secretary-General to give the reports on the seminars wide distribution among Governments, competent United Nations bodies, specialized agencies, other intergovernmental organizations and non-governmental organizations;

7.         Notes that the publication of the global compilation of national legislation against racial discrimination is proceeding and requests the Secretary-General to transmit it to Governments as soon as possible;

8.         Requests the Secretary-General to continue the study on the effects of racial discrimination on the children of minorities, in particular those of migrant workers, in the field of education, training and employment, and to submit, inter alia, specific recommendations for the implementation of measures to combat the effects of that discrimination;

9.         Takes note of the reports of the Secretary-General on the study on the role of private group action to combat racism and racial discrimination;

10.       Requests the Secretary-General to prepare and issue as soon as possible a collection of model legislation for the guidance of Governments in the enactment of further legislation against racial discrimination;

11.       Renews its invitation to the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization to expedite the preparation of teaching materials and teaching aids to promote teaching, training and educational activities on human rights and against racism and racial discrimination, with particular emphasis on activities at the primary and secondary levels of education;

12.       Welcomes the completion and the submission to the Sub-Commission on Prevention of Discrimination and Protection of Minorities of the study of the results achieved and the obstacles encountered during the first Decade for Action to Combat Racism and Racial Discrimination and the first half of the Second Decade and requests the Commission on Human Rights to transmit this study to the General Assembly at its forty-fifth session;

13.       Emphasizes again the importance of adequate recourse procedures for victims of racism and racial discrimination, and therefore once again requests the Secretary-General, in the light of the results of the seminars held on this topic, to prepare and finalize, with the assistance of experts in this field, a handbook of recourse procedures;

14.       Considers that all the parts of the Programme of Action for the Second Decade to Combat Racism and Racial Discrimination should receive equal attention in order to attain the objectives of the Second Decade;

15.       Invites the Secretary-General to implement immediately those activities scheduled for the period 1985-1989 not yet carried out and to proceed with the implementation of the activities scheduled for the biennium 1990-1991;

16.       Affirms once again the need for the implementation of the plan of activities proposed for the period 1990-1993 contained in the annex to General Assembly resolution 42/47;

17.       Requests the Secretary-General to continue to accord the highest priority, in executing the plan of activities, to measures for combating apartheid;

18.       Also requests the Secretary-General, pursuant to General Assembly resolution 42/47, to ensure that sufficient additional resources are included in the proposed programme budgets for the bienniums 1990-1991 and 1992-1993 to provide for the implementation of the activities of the Second Decade, and requests him to inform the Assembly of the steps taken in that regard;

19.       Further requests the Secretary-General to continue to accord special attention to the situation of migrant workers and their families and to include regularly in his reports all information on such workers;

20.       Invites all Governments, United Nations bodies, the specialized agencies and other intergovernmental organizations, as well as interested non-governmental organizations in consultative status with the Economic and Social Council, to participate fully in the implementation of the plans of activities for the periods 1985-1989 and 1990-1993 by intensifying and broadening their efforts to bring about the speedy elimination of apartheid and all forms of racism and racial discrimination;

21.       Considers that voluntary contributions to the Trust Fund for the Programme for the Decade for Action to Combat Racism and Racial Discrimination are indispensable for the implementation of the above-mentioned programmes;

22.       Notes once again with regret that the present situation of the Trust Fund is not encouraging;

23.       Strongly appeals, therefore, to all Governments, organizations and individuals in a position to do so to contribute generously to the Trust Fund and, to this end, requests the Secretary-General to continue to undertake appropriate contacts and initiatives to encourage contributions;

24.       Takes note of the reports on the activities of the Second Decade, and reiterates its request to the Economic and Social Council, throughout the Decade, to submit annually to the General Assembly a report containing, inter alia:

(a)        An enumeration of the activities undertaken or contemplated to achieve the objectives of the Second Decade, including the activities of Governments, United Nations bodies, the specialized agencies and other international and regional organizations, as well as non-governmental organizations;

(b)        A review and appraisal of those activities;

(c)        Its suggestions and recommendations;

25.       Requests the Secretary-General to report to the General Assembly at its forty-fifth session on the implementation of the present resolution;

26.       Decides to keep the item entitled "Implementation of the Programme of Action for the Second Decade to Combat Racism and Racial Discrimination" on its agenda throughout the Second Decade and to consider it as a matter of the highest priority at its forty-fifth session.