United Nations General Assembly A/RES/58/187 Distr.: General 22 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)] 58/187. Protection of human rights and fundamental freedoms while countering terrorism The General Assembly, Reaffirming the purposes and principles of the Charter of the United Nations, Reaffirming also the fundamental importance, including in response to terrorism and the fear of terrorism, of respecting all human rights and fundamental freedoms and the rule of law, Recalling that States are under the obligation to protect all human rights and fundamental freedoms of all persons, Recognizing that the respect for human rights, the respect for democracy and the respect for the rule of law are interrelated and mutually reinforcing, Recalling its resolution 57/219 of 18 December 2002 and Commission on Human Rights resolution 2003/68 of 25 April 2003, 1 Recalling also its resolution 48/141 of 20 December 1993 and, inter alia, the responsibility of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights to promote and protect the effective enjoyment of all human rights, Reiterating paragraph 17 of section I of the Vienna Declaration and Programme of Action, adopted by the World Conference on Human Rights on 25 June 1993, 2 which states that acts, methods and practices of terrorism in all its forms and manifestations are activities aimed at the destruction of human rights, fundamental freedoms and democracy, threatening territorial integrity, security of States and destabilizing legitimately constituted Governments, and that the international community should take the necessary steps to enhance cooperation to prevent and combat terrorism, Noting its resolution 56/160 of 19 December 2001, and noting also Commission on Human Rights resolution 2003/37 of 23 April 2003 on human rights and terrorism,1 _______________ 1 See Official Records of the Economic and Social Council, 2003, Supplement No. 3 (E/2003/23), chap. II, sect. A. 2 A/CONF.157/24 (Part I), chap. III. 03 50580