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Rh 4. Takes note of the report of the Secretary-General, called for under General Assembly resolution 33/178 of 20 December 1978, on replies to the questionnaire;

5. Calls upon Member States which have not yet done so to reply to the questionnaire, as called for under General Assembly resolutions 32/63 and 33/178;

6. Requests the Secretary-General to submit to the General Assembly at its thirty-fifth session further information provided in response to the questionnaire, and to submit all the information available which he has received on the basis of the questionnaire to the Commission on Human Rights, to the Sub-Commission on Prevention of Discrimination and Protection of Minorities and to the Sixth United Nations Congress on the Prevention of Crime and the Treatment of Offenders;

7. Takes note also of the report of the Secretary-General on unilateral declarations, called for under General Assembly resolutions 32/64 and 33/178;

8. Invites Member States which have not yet done so to deposit the unilateral declarations with the Secretary-General, as called for under General Assembly resolutions 32/64 and 33/178;

9. Requests the Secretary-General to continue to inform the General Assembly, in annual reports, of unilateral declarations already deposited and of such further unilateral declarations as may be deposited by Member States;

10. Decides to include in the provisional agenda of its thirty-fifth session the item entitled “Torture and other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment”, for the purpose of reviewing the progress achieved under this item.

106th plenary meeting 17 December 1979

 

The General Assembly,

Mindful of the Declaration on the Protection of All Persons from Being Subjected to Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment, unanimously adopted by the General Assembly in its resolution 3452 (XXX) of 9 December 1975,

Noting that, in the report submitted by the World Health Organization to the Fifth United Nations Congress on the Prevention of Crime and the Treatment of Offenders, it was suggested that a “Health Charter for Prisoners” might be elaborated with the co-operation of the World Health Organization,

Recalling its resolutions 3218 (XXIX) of 6 November 1974, 3453 (XXX) of 9 December 1975 and 31/85 of 13 December 1976, in which it invited the World Health Organization to prepare a draft code of medical ethics relevant to the protection of persons subjected to any form of detention or imprisonment against torture and other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment,

Having considered the note by the Secretary-General transmitting to the members of the General Assembly the report of the World Health Organization on the development of codes of medical ethics,

Noting with appreciation that the Executive Board of the World Health Organization has endorsed the principles set forth in the report of its Director-General on the development of codes of medical ethics and has requested its Director-General to transmit that report to the Secretary-General of the United Nations,

1. Requests the Secretary-General to circulate the draft Code of Medical Ethics to Member States, the specialized agencies concerned and interested intergovernmental organizations and non-governmental organizations in consultative status with the Economic and Social Council for comments and suggestions, and to submit a report to the General Assembly at its thirty-fifth session;

2. Decides to consider again the question of the draft Code of Medical Ethics at its thirty-fifth session, under the item entitled “Torture and other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment”.

106th plenary meeting 17 December 1979

 

The General Assembly,

Considering that the purposes proclaimed in the Charter of the United Nations include the achievement of international co-operation in promoting and encouraging respect for human rights and for fundamental freedoms for all without distinction as to race, sex, language or religion,

Recalling, in particular, the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the International Covenants on Human Rights,

Recalling also the Declaration on the Protection of All Persons from Being Subjected to Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment, adopted by the General Assembly in its resolution 3452 (XXX) of 9 December 1975,

Mindful that the nature of the functions of law enforcement in the defence of public order and the manner in which those functions are exercised have a direct impact on the quality of life of individuals as well as of society as a whole,

Conscious of the important task which law enforcement officials are performing diligently and with dignity, in compliance with the principles of human rights,

Aware, nevertheless, of the potential for abuse which the exercise of such duties entails,

Recognizing that the establishment of a code of conduct for law enforcement officials is only one of several important measures for providing the citizenry served by law enforcement officials with protection of all their rights and interests,

Aware that there are additional important principles and prerequisites for the humane performance of law enforcement functions, namely:

(a) That, like all agencies of the criminal justice system, every law enforcement agency should be representative of and responsive and accountable to the community as a whole, 