United Nations A/RES/58/180 General Assembly Distr.: General 17 March 2004 Fifty-eighth session Agenda item 117 (b) Resolution adopted by the General Assembly on 22 December 2003 [on the report of the Third Committee (A/58/508/Add.2)] 58/180. Strengthening the role of the United Nations in enhancing the effectiveness of the principle of periodic and genuine elections and the promotion of democratization The General Assembly, Recalling its previous resolutions on the subject, in particular resolution 56/159 of 19 December 2001, Reaffirming that United Nations electoral assistance and support for the promotion of democratization are provided only at the specific request of the Member State concerned, Noting with satisfaction that increasing numbers of Member States are using elections as a peaceful means of discerning the will of the people, which builds confidence in representational governance and contributes to greater national peace and stability, Recalling the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, adopted on 10 December 1948, 1 in particular the principle that the will of the people, as expressed through periodic and genuine elections, shall be the basis of government authority, as well as the right freely to choose representatives through periodic and genuine elections, which shall be by universal and equal suffrage and held by secret vote or by equivalent free voting procedures, Noting with interest Commission on Human Rights resolution 2003/36 of 23 April 2003, 2 Recognizing the need for strengthening democratic processes, electoral institutions and national capacity-building, including the capacity to administer fair elections, increase citizen participation and provide civic education, in requesting countries in order to consolidate and regularize the achievements of previous elections and support subsequent elections, _______________ 1 Resolution 217 A (III). See Official Records of the Economic and Social Council, 2003, Supplement No. 3 (E/2003/23), chap. II, sect. A. 2 03 50538