A/HRC/RES/51/6
United Nations
General Assembly
Distr.: General
12 October 2022
Original: English
Human Rights Council
Fifty-first session
12 September–7 October 2022
Agenda item 3
Promotion and protection of all human rights, civil,
political, economic, social and cultural rights,
including the right to development
Resolution adopted by the Human Rights Council
on 6 October 2022
51/6.
Conscientious objection to military service
The Human Rights Council,
Bearing in mind that everyone is entitled to all the rights and freedoms set forth in the
Universal Declaration of Human Rights without distinction of any kind, such as race, colour,
sex, language, religion, political or other opinion, national or social origin, property, birth or
other status,
Reaffirming that it is recognized in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and
the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights that everyone has the right to life,
liberty and security of person, the right to freedom of thought, conscience and religion and
the right not to be discriminated against,
Recalling all previous relevant resolutions and decisions, including Human Rights
Council resolutions 20/2 of 5 July 2012, 24/17 of 27 September 2013 and 36/18 of 29
September 2017, and Commission on Human Rights resolutions 1998/77 of 22 April 1998
and 2004/35 of 19 April 2004, in which the Commission recognized the right of everyone to
have conscientious objection to military service as a legitimate exercise of the right to
freedom of thought, conscience and religion, as laid down in article 18 of the Universal
Declaration of Human Rights, article 18 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political
Rights and Human Rights Committee general comment No. 22 (1993) on the right to freedom
of thought, conscience and religion,
1.
Takes notes of the report of the Office of the United Nations High
Commissioner for Human Rights on approaches and challenges with regard to application
procedures for obtaining the status of conscientious objector to military service in accordance
with human rights standards, presented to the Human Rights Council at its forty-first session,
pursuant to resolution 36/18,1 and of the analytical report on conscientious objection to
military service presented by the Office of the High Commissioner to the Council at its
fiftieth session, pursuant to resolution 20/2;2
2.
Encourages States to consider implementing the recommendations of the
above-mentioned reports, where needed, in their efforts to bring or improve national laws,
1
2
A/HRC/41/23.
A/HRC/50/43.
GE.22-16493(E)