General Assembly

Distr. GENERAL  

4 December 1986

ORIGINAL:
ENGLISH

                                                       A/RES/41/120
                                                       4 December 1986
                                                       97th plenary meeting
 
         Setting international standards in the field of human rights
 
     The General Assembly,
 
     Recalling the extensive network of international standards in the field
of human rights, which it and other United Nations bodies, including the
specialized agencies, have established,
 
     Emphasizing the primacy of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights,
the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights and the International
Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights in this network,
 
     Reaffirming that effective implementation of these international
standards is of fundamental importance,
 
     Recognizing the value of continuing efforts to identify specific areas
where further international action is required to develop the existing
international legal framework in the field of human rights pursuant to
Article l3, paragraph l a, of the Charter of the United Nations,
 
     Recognizing also that standard setting should proceed with adequate
preparation,
 
     Emphasizing that the standard setting activities of the United Nations
should be as effective and efficient as possible,
 
     1.   Calls upon Member States and United Nations bodies to accord
priority to the implementation of existing international standards in the
field of human rights and urges broad ratification of, or accession to,
existing treaties in this field;
 
     2.   Urges Member States and United Nations bodies engaged in developing
new international human rights standards to give due consideration in this
work to the established international legal framework;
 
     3.   Reaffirms the important role of the Commission on Human Rights,
among other appropriate United Nations bodies, in the development of
international instruments in the field of human rights;
 
     4.   Invites Member States and United Nations bodies to bear in mind the
following guidelines in developing international instruments in the field of
human rights; such instruments should, inter alia:
 
     (a)  Be consistent with the existing body of international human rights
law;
 
     (b)  Be of fundamental character and derive from the inherent dignity and
worth of the human person;
 
     (c)  Be sufficiently precise to give rise to identifiable and practicable
rights and obligations;
 
     (d)  Provide, where appropriate, realistic and effective implementation
machinery, including reporting systems;
 
     (e)  Attract broad international support;
 
     5.   Requests the Secretary-General to provide appropriate specialized
support to United Nations bodies working on standard setting in the field of
human rights.