14 December 1981

National institutions for the promotion and protection of human rights

The General Assembly,

Recalling its resolutions 32/123 of 16 December 1977, 33/46 of 14 December 1978 and 34/49 of 23 November 1979 concerning national institutions for the promotion and protection of human rights,

Mindful of the guidelines on the structure and functioning of national and local institutions for the promotion and protection of human rights endorsed by the General Assembly in its resolution 33/46,

Taking note of the report of the Secretary-General on national institutions for the promotion and protection of human rights,

Mindful also of the need to create conditions at the national and international levels for the promotion and protection of the human rights of individuals and peoples,

Emphasizing the importance of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, the International Covenants on Human Rights and other international human rights instruments for promoting respect for and observance of human rights and fundamental freedoms,

Reiterating its conviction that all human rights and fundamental freedoms are indivisible and interdependent, and that equal attention and urgent consideration should be given to the implementation, promotion and protection of both civil and political, and economic, social and cultural rights,

Noting that the Commission on Human Rights and the Economic and Social Council have been giving attention to the development of public information activities in the field of human rights,

1. Invites all Member States to take appropriate steps for the establishment or, where they already exist, the strengthening of national institutions for the promotion and protection of human rights;

2. Emphasizes the importance of the integrity and independence of such national institutions, in accordance with national legislatures;

3. Draws attention to the constructive role that national non-governmental organizations can play in the work of national institutions;

4. Invites all Member States to take appropriate steps to disseminate the texts of human rights instruments, including international covenants and conventions, in their respective national or local languages in order to give the widest possible publicity to these instruments;

5. Recommends that all Member States should consider including material relevant to a comprehensive understanding of human rights issues in their educational curriculum;

6. Recommends that all Member States should take appropriate steps to encourage the exchange of experience in the establishment of national institutions for the promotion and protection of human rights;

7. Requests the Secretary-General, in carrying out public information activities in the field of human rights, to give due attention to the role of national institutions and non-governmental organizations concerned with the promotion and protection of human rights;

8. Requests the Secretary-General to provide all necessary assistance to Member States upon their request in the implementation of paragraph 4 above, high priority being accorded to the needs of developing countries;

9. Requests the Secretary-General to submit to the General Assembly at its thirty-eighth session a report providing detailed information on the various types of national institutions for the promotion and protection of human rights, taking into account differing social and legal systems and the contribution that national institutions can make towards the implementation of the international human rights instruments;

10. Recommends that Member States should bring the present resolution to the attention of representatives of their national institutions;

11. Decides to include in the provisional agenda of its thirty-eighth session a subitem entitled "National institutions for the promotion and protection of human rights".