A/RES/56/43 3. Welcomes the increasingly close cooperation between the Council of Europe, the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights and the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees; 4. Welcomes also the efforts of the Council of Europe to assist States in the ratification and implementation of the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court, 2 in particular the most recent meeting, held in Strasbourg, France, on 13 and 14 September 2001; 5. Expresses its appreciation to the Council of Europe for its contribution to the World Conference against Racism, Racial Discrimination, Xenophobia and Related Intolerance, held in Durban, South Africa, from 31 August to 7 September 2001; 6. Welcomes the contribution of the Council of Europe to the preparations for the special session of the General Assembly on children, to be held in 2002; 7. Commends strongly the contribution of the Council of Europe to international action against terrorism, as defined by the Committee of Ministers of the Council in the conclusions of its session of 7 and 8 November 2001 in Strasbourg, taking into account Security Council resolutions 1368 (2001) of 12 September 2001 and 1373 (2001) of 28 September 2001, including the intensification of legal cooperation to combat terrorism; 8. Welcomes the participation of the Council of Europe in the implementation of Security Council resolution 1244 (1999) of 10 June 1999, in its cooperation with the United Nations Interim Administration Mission in Kosovo, notably with regard to the reform of the judiciary, the promotion and protection of human rights, including the rights of minorities, property rights, population registration, childhood and youth programmes, education policies and the protection and restoration of cultural heritage; 9. Commends the role of the Council of Europe in the capacity-building programme of the United Nations Interim Administration Mission in Kosovo, especially with regard to the electoral process in preparation for the Kosovo Assembly elections on 17 November 2001; 10. Welcomes the activities of the Council of Europe aimed at fulfilling the role assigned to it, under the General Framework Agreement for Peace in Bosnia and Herzegovina, 3 with regard to the protection and promotion of human rights, and judicial and prison reform; 11. Welcomes also the major contribution of the Council of Europe to the Stability Pact for South-Eastern Europe, launched at the initiative of the European Union, and to the development of regional projects to support its aims; 12. Welcomes further the active role of the Council of Europe in the tripartite meetings between the United Nations, the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe and the Council of Europe; 13. Requests the Secretary-General to continue exploring, with the Chairman of the Committee of Ministers and the Secretary-General of the Council of Europe, _______________ 2 3 2 A/CONF.183/9. See A/50/790-S/1995/999.