A/RES/54/168 Page 2 Recognizing that the principles of national sovereignty and non-interference in the internal affairs of any State should be respected in the holding of elections, Recognizing also the richness and diversity of political systems and models for electoral processes in the world, based on national and regional particularities and various backgrounds, Stressing the responsibility of States in ensuring ways and means to facilitate full and effective popular participation in electoral processes, Welcoming the Vienna Declaration and Programme of Action, adopted by the World Conference on Human Rights on 25 June 1993,1 in which the Conference reaffirmed that the processes of promoting and protecting human rights should be conducted in conformity with the purposes and principles of the Charter, 1. Reiterates that, by virtue of the principle of equal rights and self-determination of peoples enshrined in the Charter of the United Nations, all peoples have the right, freely and without external interference, to determine their political status and to pursue their economic, social and cultural development and that every State has the duty to respect that right in accordance with the provisions of the Charter; 2. Reaffirms the right of peoples, without external interference, to determine methods and to establish institutions regarding electoral processes and that, consequently, States should ensure, in accordance with their constitutions and national legislation, the necessary mechanism and means to facilitate full and effective popular participation in those processes; 3. Also reaffirms that any activities that attempt, directly or indirectly, to interfere in the free development of national electoral processes, in particular in developing countries, or that are intended to sway the results of such processes, violate the spirit and letter of the principles established in the Charter and in the Declaration on Principles of International Law concerning Friendly Relations and Cooperation among States in accordance with the Charter of the United Nations; 4. Further reaffirms that electoral assistance to Member States should be provided by the United Nations at the request of interested States, or in special circumstances such as cases of decolonization, or in the context of regional or international peace processes; 5. Strongly appeals to all States to refrain from financing political parties or groups in other States and taking any other action that undermines their electoral processes; 6. Condemns any act of armed aggression or threat or use of force against peoples, their elected Governments or their legitimate leaders; 7. Reaffirms that all countries have the obligation under the Charter to respect the right of peoples to self-determination and to determine freely their political status and pursue their economic, social and cultural development; 8. Decides to consider this question at its fifty-sixth session, under the item entitled “Human rights questions”. 83rd plenary meeting 17 December 1999 1 A/CONF.157/24 (Part I), chap. III.