A/RES/54/176 Page 3 5. Welcomes the growing number of States establishing or considering the establishment of national institutions for the promotion and protection of human rights; 6. Encourages national institutions for the promotion and protection of human rights established by Member States to continue to play an active role in preventing and combating all violations of human rights as enumerated in the Vienna Declaration and Programme of Action and relevant international instruments; 7. Reaffirms the role of national institutions, where they exist, as appropriate agencies, inter alia, for the dissemination of human rights materials and other public information activities, including those of the United Nations, and in this context expresses its appreciation of the active role that national institutions have played in the celebrations marking the fiftieth anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights4 at the national and local levels; 8. Urges the Secretary-General to continue to give high priority to requests from Member States for assistance in the establishment and strengthening of national human rights institutions as part of the programme of advisory services and technical assistance in the field of human rights; 9. Commends the high priority given by the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights to work on national human rights institutions, and in view of the expanded activities related to national institutions, encourages the High Commissioner to ensure that appropriate arrangements are made and budgetary resources provided to continue and further extend activities in support of national institutions, and invites Governments to contribute additional, earmarked funds to the United Nations Voluntary Fund for Technical Cooperation in the Field of Human Rights for that purpose; 10. Notes with appreciation the increasingly active and important role of the International Coordinating Committee of National Institutions, as recognized in Commission on Human Rights resolution 1994/54 of 4 March 1994,5 in close cooperation with the Office of the High Commissioner, in assisting Governments and national institutions, when requested, to follow up on relevant resolutions and recommendations concerning the strengthening of national institutions; 11. Also notes with appreciation the holding of regular meetings of the International Coordinating Committee of National Institutions and the arrangements for the participation of national human rights institutions in the annual sessions of the Commission on Human Rights; 12. Requests the Secretary-General to continue to provide the necessary assistance for holding meetings of the International Coordinating Committee of National Institutions during the sessions of the Commission on Human Rights, in cooperation with the Office of the High Commissioner; 13. Also requests the Secretary-General to continue to provide, including from the United Nations Voluntary Fund for Technical Cooperation in the Field of Human Rights, the necessary assistance for regional meetings of national institutions; 4 Resolution 217 A (III). See Official Records of the Economic and Social Council, 1994, Supplement No. 4 and corrigendum (E/1994/24 and Corr.1), chap. II, sect. A. 5 /...