16 December 1981

United Nations voluntary fund for victims of torture

The General Assembly,

Recalling its resolution 33/174 of 20 December 1978, by which it established a United Nations Trust Fund for Chile as a voluntary fund to receive contributions and distribute humanitarian, legal and financial aid to persons whose human rights had been violated by detention or imprisonment in Chile,

Recalling also its resolution 35/190 of 15 December 1980, by which it requested the Commission on Human Rights to study the possibility of extending the mandate of the United Nations Trust Fund for Chile,

Taking note of Economic and Social Council resolution 1981/39 of 8 May 1981 and Commission on Human Rights resolution 35 (XXXVII) of 11 March 1981, Noting that all Governments have an obligation to respect and promote human rights in accordance with the responsibilities they have undertaken under various international instruments,

Noting with deep concern that acts of torture take place in various countries,

Considering the plight of victims of torture wherever it takes place,

Recognizing the need to provide assistance to the victims of torture in a purely humanitarian spirit,

1. Decides:

(a) To extend the mandate of the United Nations Trust Fund for Chile, established by its resolution 33/174, in order to make it capable of receiving voluntary contributions for distribution, through established channels of humanitarian assistance, as humanitarian, legal and financial aid to individuals whose human rights have been severely violated as a result of torture and to relatives of such victims, priority being given to aid to victims of violations by States in which the human rights situation has been the subject of resolutions or decisions adopted by either the General Assembly, the Economic and Social Council or the Commission on Human Rights;

(b) That such a United Nations voluntary fund for victims of torture shall be administered in accordance with the financial regulations of the United Nations by the Secretary-General, with the advice of a board of trustees composed of a chairman and four members with wide experience in the field of human rights, acting in their personal capacity, to be appointed by the Secretary-General with due regard to equitable geographical distribution and in consultation with their Governments;

(c) To redesignate the United Nations Trust Fund for Chile as the United Nations Voluntary Fund for Victims of Torture;

(d) To adopt the arrangements for the management of the Fund set forth in the annex to the report of the Secretary-General;

(e) To authorize the Board of Trustees of the Fund to promote and solicit contributions and pledges;

(f) To request the Secretary-General to give the Board of Trustees all the assistance it may require;

2. Appeals to all Governments to respond favourably to requests for contributions to the Fund.