United Nations
General Assembly
A/RES/64/173
Distr.: General
24 March 2010
Sixty-fourth session
Agenda item 69 (b)
Resolution adopted by the General Assembly on 18 December 2009
[on the report of the Third Committee (A/64/439/Add.2 (Part II))]
64/173. Promotion of equitable geographical distribution in the
membership of the human rights treaty bodies
The General Assembly,
Recalling its previous resolutions on this question,
Reaffirming the importance of the goal of universal ratification of the United
Nations human rights instruments,
Welcoming the significant increase in the number of ratifications of United
Nations human rights instruments, which has especially contributed to their
universality,
Reiterating the importance of the effective functioning of treaty bodies
established pursuant to United Nations human rights instruments for the full and
effective implementation of those instruments,
Recalling that, with regard to the election of the members of the human rights
treaty bodies, the General Assembly as well as the former Commission on Human
Rights recognized the importance of giving consideration in their membership to
equitable geographical distribution, gender balance and representation of the
principal legal systems and of bearing in mind that the members shall be elected and
shall serve in their personal capacity, and shall be of high moral character,
acknowledged impartiality and recognized competence in the field of human rights,
Reaffirming the significance of national and regional particularities and
various historical, cultural and religious backgrounds, as well as of different
political, economic and legal systems,
Recognizing that the United Nations pursues multilingualism as a means of
promoting, protecting and preserving diversity of languages and cultures globally
and that genuine multilingualism promotes unity in diversity and international
understanding,
Recalling that the General Assembly as well as the former Commission on
Human Rights encouraged States parties to United Nations human rights treaties,
individually and through meetings of States parties, to consider how to give better
effect, inter alia, to the principle of equitable geographical distribution in the
membership of treaty bodies,
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