United Nations
General Assembly
A/RES/59/171
Distr.: General
24 February 2005
Fifty-ninth session
Agenda item 100
Resolution adopted by the General Assembly on 20 December 2004
[on the report of the Third Committee (A/59/498)]
59/171. New international humanitarian order
The General Assembly,
Recalling its resolution 57/184 of 18 December 2002 and all previous
resolutions concerning the promotion of a new international humanitarian order 1 as
well as all relevant resolutions, in particular resolution 46/182 of 19 December 1991
on the strengthening of the coordination of humanitarian emergency assistance of
the United Nations, and the annex thereto,
Reaffirming the fundamental importance of adherence to and implementation
of international humanitarian law, refugee law and human rights law as well as
internationally accepted norms and principles, in particular the principles of
humanity, neutrality and impartiality for the provision of humanitarian assistance,
Recognizing the importance of action at the national and regional levels and
the role that regional organizations can play in certain cases to prevent humanitarian
crises, and noting with appreciation the complementary role played in this regard by
the United Nations entities, including the agencies, funds and programmes,
Aware of the important role that international organizations, intergovernmental
and non-governmental organizations and the private sector can play, within their
respective mandates, in the humanitarian context,
Concerned by the increasingly difficult context in which humanitarian
assistance takes place in some areas, in particular the continuous erosion, in many
cases, of respect for the principles and rules of international humanitarian law,
Emphasizing the importance of continued international cooperation in support
of the efforts of affected States in dealing with natural disasters and complex
emergencies in all their phases,
Reiterating that humanitarian assistance should be provided in a way which is
not to the detriment of resources made available for international cooperation for
development,
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1
Resolutions 36/136, 37/201, 38/125, 40/126, 42/120, 42/121, 43/129, 43/130, 45/101, 45/102, 47/106,
49/170, 51/74, 53/124 and 55/73.
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