A/RES/56/175
Aware of the urgent need for the Government of the Sudan to implement
effective additional measures in the field of human rights and humanitarian relief in
order to protect the civilian population from the effects of armed conflict,
Expressing its firm belief that progress towards a peaceful settlement of the
conflict in southern Sudan within the context of the peace initiative of the
Intergovernmental Authority on Development will contribute greatly to the creation
of a better environment for the respect of human rights in the Sudan,
Taking note of the initiative by Egypt and the Libyan Arab Jamahiriya aiming
at a negotiated and lasting peace in the country, and encouraging close coordination
with the Intergovernmental Authority on Development,
Condemning the murder of four Sudanese relief workers in April 1999 while in
the custody of the Sudan People’s Liberation Army/Movement,
1.
Welcomes:
(a) The appointment of a new Special Rapporteur of the Commission on
Human Rights on the situation of human rights in the Sudan and his interim report; 7
(b) The good cooperation extended by the Government of the Sudan to the
former Special Rapporteur and to the new Special Rapporteur during his visits to the
Sudan in March and October 2001 and the cooperation extended to other United
Nations mandate holders in the field of human rights, as well as the stated
willingness of the Government of the Sudan to continue to cooperate with the
Special Rapporteur;
(c) The expressed commitment of the Government of the Sudan to respect
and promote human rights and the rule of law and its expressed commitment to a
process of democratization with a view to establishing a representative and
accountable government, reflecting the aspirations of the people of the Sudan;
(d) The activities of the Committee for the Eradication of Abduction of
Women and Children as a constructive response on the part of the Government of
the Sudan, the cooperation extended to the Committee by the local communities and
the support of the international community and non-governmental organizations;
(e) The stipulation of basic human rights and freedoms in the Constitution of
the Sudan and the establishment of the Constitutional Court, which has been in
operation since April 1999;
(f) The repeated statements by the Government of the Sudan in favour of a
comprehensive, lasting and effectively monitored ceasefire in southern Sudan;
(g) The proposal to create a broad-based national council to evaluate foreign
peace initiatives to end the conflict and make relevant recommendations;
(h) Recent additional efforts by the Government of the Sudan to improve
freedom of association and assembly, in particular the adoption of the Associations
and Political Parties Act of 2000 and the announcement relating to the creation of a
high commission to review the law on public order;
(i) The recent visit, upon the invitation of the Government of the Sudan, of
the Representative of the Secretary-General on internally displaced persons, as well
as the commitment of the Government to continue its efforts to address the problem
of internally displaced persons and to follow up effectively the visit of the
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2
See A/56/336.