A/RES/60/154
Reaffirming that all human rights are universal, indivisible, interrelated,
interdependent and mutually reinforcing, and that all human rights must be treated
in a fair and equal manner, on the same footing and with same emphasis,
Bearing in mind the significance of national and regional particularities and
various historical, cultural and religious backgrounds, and that all States, regardless
of their political, economic and cultural systems, have the duty to promote and
protect all human rights and fundamental freedoms,
Recalling the programme of action adopted by national institutions, at their
meeting held in Vienna in June 1993 during the World Conference on Human Rights, 3
for the promotion and protection of human rights, in which it was recommended that
United Nations activities and programmes should be reinforced to meet the requests
for assistance from States wishing to establish or strengthen their national
institutions for the promotion and protection of human rights,
Noting the valuable role played and contributions made by national institutions
in United Nations meetings dealing with human rights and the importance of their
continued appropriate participation,
Welcoming the strengthening in all regions of regional cooperation among
national human rights institutions and between national human rights institutions
and other regional human rights forums,
Noting with appreciation the existence of the regional human rights networks
in Europe, and the continuing work of the Network of National Institutions for the
Promotion and Protection of Human Rights in the Americas, the Asia Pacific Forum
of National Human Rights Institutions and the Coordinating Committee of African
National Human Rights Institutions,
Welcoming the strengthening of international cooperation among national
human rights institutions, including through the International Coordinating
Committee of National Institutions,
1.
Welcomes the report of the Secretary-General; 4
2.
Reaffirms the importance of the development of effective, independent
and pluralistic national institutions for the promotion and protection of human
rights, in keeping with the principles relating to the status of national institutions for
the promotion and protection of human rights (“the Paris Principles”), contained in
the annex to resolution 48/134 of 20 December 1993;
Reiterates the continued importance of the Paris Principles, recognizes
3.
the value of further strengthening their application, where appropriate, and
encourages States, national institutions and other interested parties to consider ways
to achieve this;
Recognizes that, in accordance with the Vienna Declaration and
4.
Programme of Action,1 it is the right of each State to choose the framework for
national institutions that is best suited to its particular needs at the national level in
order to promote human rights in accordance with international human rights
standards;
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3
4
2
See A/CONF.157/NI/6.
A/60/299.