Situation of human rights in Haiti

1987/13. Situation of human rights in Haiti

1. Expresses its appreciation to the Special Representative for the quality of his detailed report and to the Government of Haiti for its unreserved co-operation with the Special Representative and with the Commission;

2. Invites the Government of Haiti to continue in its endeavours to develop full respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms in Haiti and to give consideration to the adoption of measures in areas of need indicated by the Special Representative, particularly:

(a) Training and instruction of the police, military and prison personnel in respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms;

(b) Adoption of measures to strengthen the independence of the judiciary;

(c) Absolute prohibition of torture;

(d) Establishment of a panel of eminent Haitian personalities to investigate and report on past human rights abuses in the country;

(e) Possibility of inviting international observers to the forthcoming legislative and presidential elections;

3. Requests the Secretary-General to maintain contacts with the Government of Haiti with a view to responding to any request for advice or technical assistance in the field of human rights, including advice or technical assistance in the sphere of the organizational aspects of the electoral process, which might be made by the Government of Haiti and, if necessary, to contact Governments and organizations in a position to assist;

4. Invites Governments and organizations in a position to do so to respond positively to any requests for assistance in the field of human rights coming from the Government of Haiti through the Secretary-General;

5. Invites the Secretary-General to facilitate the establishment of contacts between the Government of Haiti, the United Nations Development Programme and the Centre for Human Rights in order to ensure that the human rights dimensions of assistance projects are duly taken into account;

6. Invites the Secretary-General to proceed to award three fellowships to qualified Haitian nationals for training in the following areas indicated by the Special Representative:

(a) Role of the police in the promotion and protection of human rights;

(b) Human rights of prisoners and detainees;

(c) Human rights in the administration of justice;

7. Further invites the Secretary-General to request the Department of Public Information to assist in the dissemination of information on human rights in Haiti, in particular, by providing on a regular basis an adequate supply of copies of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the International Covenants on Human Rights and other international human rights instruments, including translations in Creole, and by employing other appropriate modern techniques for the dissemination of information;

8. Urges the Secretary-General, in co-operation with the Government of Haiti, to finalize the dates and arrangements for a training course on human rights in Haiti, which should be held as early as possible;

9. Recommends to the Government of Haiti that it actively consider becoming a party to international instruments in the field of human rights, such as the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights and the Optional Protocol thereto, the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights and the Convention against Torture and other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment;

10. Decides, in view of the findings of the Special Representative and the information provided by the Government, to discontinue its consideration of the situation in Haiti under the procedure established by Economic and Social Council resolution 1503 (XLVIII);

11. Recommends to the Economic and Social Council that the report of the Special Representative be made public so as to encourage assistance to the Government of Haiti in its endeavours to bring about full respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms in Haiti;

12. Requests the Secretary-General to appoint an expert with a view to assisting the Government of Haiti, through direct contacts, in taking the necessary action for the full restoration of human rights;

13. Requests the expert to report on his direct contacts with the Government of Haiti and to formulate recommendations for the full restoration of human rights in Haiti;

14. Decides to examine the report of the expert at its forty-fourth session under the agenda item entitled "Advisory services in the field of human rights";

15. Decides that the present resolution, adopted at the Commission's 42nd (closed) meeting on 1 March 1987, should be made public.