AG/RES. 1271 (XXIV-O/94)

NONDISCRIMINATION AND TOLERANCE

(Resolution adopted at the ninth plenary session, held on June 10, 1994)

THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY,

CONSIDERING:

That Article 3.k of the Organization of American States Charter reads: "The American States proclaim the fundamental rights of the individual without distinction as to race, nationality, creed, or sex";

That Article II of the American Declaration of the Rights and Duties of Man provides that "[a]ll persons are equal before the law and have the rights and duties established in this Declaration, without distinction as to race, sex, language, creed or any other factor";

That on December 20, 1993 the United Nations General Assembly adopted resolution 48/128, entitled "The Elimination of All Forms of Religious Intolerance," thereby reaffirming that freedom of thought, conscience, religion, and convictions is a human right which stems from the inherent dignity of the human being and which must be guaranteed to all persons without discrimination;

That despite recognition of the universal scope of human rights, acts of racial or religious discrimination, xenophobia, and intolerance continue to occur, thereby threatening the dignity, peaceful coexistence, and respect which should exist between individuals, groups, and nations; and

That racism and discrimination in their various forms undermine the principles and practices of democracy as a way of life and a form of government and unequivocally seek the destruction thereof;

RESOLVES:

  1. To strongly condemn all forms of racism, racial or religious discrimination, xenophobia, and intolerance.

  2. To declare that such conduct constitutes a violation of human rights, particularly those pertaining to racial equality and religious freedom.

  3. To call on the various organs, agencies, and entities of the OAS to adopt timely and effective measures to foster tolerance and eliminate racist and discriminatory behavior.

  4. To urge member states to strengthen their policies, programs, and measures to prevent and avoid all forms of racism, racial or religious discrimination, xenophobia, and intolerance.

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