31 December 1982

Popular participation in its various forms as an important factor in the development and in the realization of human rights

The General Assembly,

Recalling its resolution 34/152 of 17 December 1979,

Recalling further the Declaration on Social Progress and Development, contained in General Assembly resolution 2542 (XXIV) of 11 December 1969, in which, inter alia, it was emphasized that all peoples and all human beings shall have the right to live in dignity and freedom and to enjoy the fruits of social progress and should, on their part, contribute to it,

Bearing in mind that social progress and development are founded on respect for the dignity and value of the human person and should ensure the promotion of human rights and social justice,

Stressing the importance of the adoption of measures to ensure the effective participation, as appropriate, of all the elements of society in the preparation and implementation of national economic and social development policies and of the mobilization of public opinion and the dissemination of relevant information in support of the principles and objectives of social progress and development,

Recognizing that popular participation, including the participation of workers in management and workers' self-management in countries where they exist, constitutes an important factor of socio-economic development as well as of respect for human rights and dignity of the human person,

Having considered the report of the Secretary-General on the International Seminar on Popular Participation,

1. Takes note with appreciation of the report on the International Seminar on Popular Participation, held at Ljubljana, Yugoslavia, from 17 to 25 May 1982;

2. Invites Member States to take into consideration in their development policies and programmes the recommendations of the Seminar, keeping in view their specific economic and social conditions;

3. Calls upon the organs and organizations of the United Nations system to promote, as appropriate, popular participation in the execution of their programmes to the extent and in the form conducive to the nature of their work;

4. Requests the Secretary-General to transmit the report of the Seminar to Member States and the relevant United Nations bodies for their consideration;

5. Requests further the Commission on Human Rights to consider at its thirty-ninth session the question of popular participation in its various forms as an important factor in development and in the realization of human rights, taking into account inter alia, the results of the deliberations of the Seminar, as contained in the report of the Secretary-General, and to submit to the General Assembly, through the Economic and Social Council, appropriate suggestions for more complete realization of human rights;

6. Also requests the Secretary-General to prepare a comprehensive progress report on the implementation of the present resolution, taking account of the suggestions made at the Commission on Human Rights, and to submit his report to the General Assembly at its thirty-eighth session;

7. Decides to include in the provisional agenda of its thirty-eighth session, under an item relating to the world social situation, a subitem entitled "Popular participation in its various forms as an important factor in the development and in the realization of human rights" in order to review progress made in this field.