AG/RES. 1547 (XXVIII-O/98)

INTERNATIONAL PROMOTION OF HUMAN RIGHTS IN THE INTER-AMERICAN SYSTEM

(Resolution adopted at the third plenary session, held on June 2, 1998)

THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY,

HAVING SEEN the report of the Permanent Council on the international promotion of human rights in the inter-American system (AG/doc.3718/98), presented pursuant to resolution AG/RES. 1489 (XXVII-O/97);

BEARING IN MIND that the member states of the Organization of American States have proclaimed in the Charter of the Organization, as one of its principles, respect for the fundamental rights of the individual without distinction as to race, nationality, creed, or sex;

RECALLING that Article 106 of the OAS Charter provides that the "principal function" of the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (IACHR) "shall be to promote the observance and protection of human rights and to serve as a consultative organ of the Organization in these matters";

CONSIDERING:

That, in the present context of the Hemisphere, where representative democracy is the norm, the international promotion of human rights is of vital importance and should be vigorously pursued in the inter-American system;

That the Heads of State and Government who participated in the Second Summit of the Americas, held in Santiago, Chile, in April 1998, affirmed, in the Santiago Declaration, that "respect for and promotion of human rights and the fundamental freedoms of all individuals is a primary concern of our governments"; and

That, in the Plan of Action of the aforementioned Summit of the Americas, the Heads of State and Government agreed to "strengthen the inter-American human rights system through concrete initiatives and measures which aim to reinforce its institutional structure and promote its links with national systems and regional entities that promote and protect human rights";

NOTING that the General Assembly, in its resolution AG/RES. 1489 (XXVII-O/97), "International Promotion of Human Rights in the Inter-American System," requested the IACHR to prepare, without reducing its protection activities and in collaboration and/or consultation with other pertinent organs and entities, a draft Inter-American Program for the International Promotion of Human Rights; and

TAKING INTO ACCOUNT that, in compliance with resolution AG/RES. 1489 (XXVII-O/97), the IACHR presented the draft "Inter-American Program for the International Promotion of Human Rights" in Chapter IV of its annual report,

RESOLVES:

1. To thank the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (IACHR) for preparing the draft Inter-American Program for the International Promotion of Human Rights.

2. To instruct the Permanent Council to begin its consideration of the draft program presented by the IACHR, taking into account the conclusions of the special meeting of the Committee on Juridical and Political Affairs on the international promotion of human rights in the inter-American system, contained in resolution AG/RES. 1489 (XXVII-O/97), and the contributions of the competent organs, agencies, and entities of the system, and to adopt those new actions and initiatives contained in the draft that it deems appropriate, until the program is adopted by the General Assembly at its twenty-ninth regular session.

3. To instruct the General Secretariat, once the Permanent Council has considered the draft program, and in consultation with the member states, to support the efforts of the competent organs, agencies, and entities of the inter-American system, particularly the IACHR, to carry out the actions and initiatives cited in the preceding paragraph, without reducing its protection activities, and within resources allocated in the program-budget to be adopted by the General Assembly at the special session its holds after its twenty-eighth regular session, in addition to other resources.

4. To instruct the Permanent Council to follow up on the actions and measures adopted pursuant to paragraph 2, and to request that it report to the General Assembly in due course.