Situation of human rights in Estonia and Latvia, G.A. res. 47/115, 47 U.N. GAOR Supp. (No. 49) at 196, U.N. Doc. A/47/49 (1992).


The General Assembly,

Guided by the principles embodied in the Charter of the United Nations, the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the International Covenants on Human Rights,

Reaffirming that all member States have an obligation to promote and protect human rights and fundamental freedoms for all and to fulfil the obligations they have undertaken under the various international instruments in this field,

Being convinced that respect for human rights is an inalienable component of maintaining and promoting good-neighbourly relations between States,

Taking into account the complaint of alleged violations of human rights with respect to the Russian-speaking population in Estonia and Latvia,

Noting the conclusions and recommendations made by the United Nations fact-finding mission that visited Riga in October 1992 at the invitation of the Government of Latvia,

1. Notes with concern the existence of certain problems which involve large groups of population in Estonia and Latvia;

2. Welcomes the cooperation that the Government of Latvia has extended to the United Nations fact-finding mission;

3. Also welcomes the invitation of the Government of Estonia to receive a similar United Nations fact-finding mission and its intention to extend to it its cooperation;

4. Calls upon the States concerned to intensify their efforts on the bilateral level aimed at resolving concerns with regard to the situation of the Russian-speaking population on the basis of generally accepted norms of international law in the field of human rights;

5. Requests the Secretary-General to keep Member States informed of the progress in the field of human rights in Estonia and Latvia and to report to the General Assembly at its forty-eighth session under the item entitled "Situation of human rights in Estonia and Latvia".

89th plenary meeting
16 December 1992