The General Assembly,
 
      Recalling that, in adopting the Universal Declaration of Human Rights on
10 December 1948, it recognized the inherent dignity and equal and inalienable
rights of all members of the human family as the foundation of freedom,
justice and peace in the world,
 
      Considering that the fiftieth anniversary of the Declaration provides an
opportunity for the United Nations and its Member States to redouble their
efforts to promote awareness and strengthened observance of the rights set out
in the Declaration,
 
      Recognizing the Declaration as the source of inspiration and the basis
of subsequent progress in the field of human rights,
 
      Concerned that international human rights standards are not fully and
universally respected, that human rights continue to be violated in all parts
of the world, and that people still suffer misery and are deprived of the full
enjoyment of their civil, cultural, economic, political and social rights, and
convinced of the necessity to respect human rights and fundamental freedoms in
all situations and to strengthen United Nations efforts in this regard,
 
      Recalling the significance and the message of the Vienna Declaration and
Programme of Action, adopted by the World Conference on Human Rights on 25
June 1993,
 
      Recalling also its decision 48/416 of 10 December 1993, in which it
decided to include in the provisional agenda of its fifty-third session an
item entitled "Fiftieth anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human
Rights", 
 
      Having considered the report of the United Nations High Commissioner for
Human Rights, in particular section IX thereof entitled "1998:  Human Rights
Year", in which proposals to celebrate the fiftieth anniversary were made,
including the convening of a ceremonial meeting of the General Assembly, and
welcoming the intention of the High Commissioner to facilitate cooperation
between various initiatives aimed at the commemoration of the fiftieth
anniversary,
 
      1.    Requests the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights to
continue to coordinate the preparations for the fiftieth anniversary of the
Universal Declaration of Human Rights, bearing in mind the provisions set out
in the Vienna Declaration and Programme of Action for evaluation and
follow-up;
 
      2.    Invites Governments to review and assess the progress that has
been made in the field of human rights since the adoption of the Universal
Declaration of Human Rights, to identify obstacles and ways in which they can
be overcome to achieve progress in this area, to undertake additional efforts
and to develop programmes of education and information, with a view to
disseminating the text of the Declaration and arriving at a better
understanding of the universal message;
 
      3.    Invites the human rights treaty bodies to give appropriate
attention, within their mandates and methods of work, to the fiftieth
anniversary of the Declaration and to reflect on their possible contribution
to the preparations;
 
      4.    Endorses the intention of the relevant United Nations organs and
agencies, in the light of the purposes set forth in the Declaration , to make
an assessment of and to put forward pertinent conclusions on the state of
implementation and impact of existing international human rights instruments;
 
      5.    Calls upon the relevant United Nations organs and agencies, in
coordination with the High Commissioner, to mark the anniversary by
intensifying their own contributions to United Nations system-wide efforts to
promote and protect human rights;
 
      6.    Invites non-governmental organizations and national institutions
to participate fully in the preparations for the fiftieth anniversary of the
Declaration, to intensify their campaign for greater understanding and better
use of the Declaration and to communicate their observations and
recommendations to the High Commissioner;
 
      7.    Requests the Secretary-General to include in the proposed
programme budget for the biennium 1998-1999 appropriate activities to
celebrate the fiftieth anniversary of the Declaration;
 
      8.    Decides to convene, during its fifty-third session, a one-day
plenary meeting, on 10 December 1998, to celebrate the fiftieth anniversary of
the Declaration;
 
      9.    Also decides to review during its fifty-second session the state
of preparations for the fiftieth anniversary of the Declaration and to
consider appropriate measures in this regard, including its own contribution.