Recalling the provisions of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, in which it is stated that every human being has the right to life, liberty and security of person,

Having regard to the provisions of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, in which it is stated that every human being has the inherent right to life, that this right shall be protected by law and that no one shall be arbitrarily deprived of his life,

Recalling its resolution 36/22 of 9 November 1981, in which it condemned the practice of summary or arbitrary executions, and its resolutions 37/182 of 17 December 1982, 38/96 of 16 December 1983, 39/110 of 14 December 1984, 40/143 of 13 December 1985, 41/144 of 4 December 1986, 42/141 of 7 December 1987 and 43/151 of 8 December 1988,

Deeply alarmed at the continued occurrence on a large scale of summary or arbitrary executions, including extra-legal executions,

Recalling Economic and Social Council resolution 1984/50 of 25 May 1984 and the safeguards guaranteeing protection of the rights of those facing the death penalty annexed thereto, which resolution was endorsed by the Seventh United Nations Congress on the Prevention of Crime and the Treatment of Offenders in its resolution 15,

Recalling also the close co-operation established between the Centre for Human Rights, the Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice Branch of the Centre for Social Development and Humanitarian Affairs of the Secretariat and the Committee on Crime Prevention and Control with regard to the elaboration of the principles on the effective prevention and investigation of arbitrary and summary executions, including extra-legal executions,

Welcoming the adoption by the Economic and Social Council of its resolution 1989/65 of 24 May 1989 containing the Principles on the Effective Prevention and Investigation of Extra-legal, Arbitrary and Summary Executions,

Welcoming also the adoption by the Economic and Social Council of its resolution 1989/64 of 24 May 1989 entitled "Implementation of the safeguards guaranteeing protection of the rights of those facing the death penalty" and the recommendations contained therein,

Convinced of the need for appropriate action to combat and eventually eliminate the abhorrent practice of summary or arbitrary executions, which represents a flagrant violation of the most fundamental human right, the right to life,

1.Once again strongly condemns the large number of summary or arbitrary executions, including extra-legal executions, that continue to take place in various parts of the world;

2.Demands that the practice of summary or arbitrary executions be brought to an end;

3.Appeals urgently to Governments, United Nations bodies, the specialized agencies, regional intergovernmental organizations and non-governmental organizations to take effective action to combat and eliminate summary or arbitrary executions, including extra-legal executions;

4.Reaffirms Economic and Social Council resolution 1982/35 of 7 May 1982, in which the Council decided to appoint a special rapporteur to consider the questions related to summary or arbitrary executions;

5.Recalls with satisfaction Economic and Social Council resolution 1988/38 of 7 May 1988, by which the Council decided to renew the mandate of the Special Rapporteur, Mr. S. Amos Wako, for two years, while maintaining the annual reporting cycle;

6.Urges all Governments, in particular those which have consistently not responded to communications transmitted to them by the Special Rapporteur, and all others concerned, to co-operate with and assist the Special Rapporteur so that he may carry out his mandate effectively;

7.Requests the Special Rapporteur, in carrying out his mandate, to respond effectively to information that comes before him, in particular when a summary or arbitrary execution is imminent or threatened, or when such an execution has recently occurred, and, furthermore, to promote exchanges of views between Governments and those who provide reliable information to the Special Rapporteur, where the Special Rapporteur considers that such exchanges of information might be useful;

8.Welcomes the recommendations made by the Special Rapporteur in his reports to the Commission on Human Rights at its forty-fourth and forty-fifth sessions with a view to eliminating summary or arbitrary executions;

9.Encourages Governments, international organizations and non-governmental organizations to organize training programmes and support projects with a view to training or educating law enforcement officers in human rights issues connected with their work, and appeals to the international community to support endeavours to that end;

10.Considers that the Special Rapporteur, in carrying out his mandate, should continue to seek and receive information from Governments, United Nations bodies, specialized agencies, regional intergovernmental organizations and non-governmental organizations in consultative status with the Economic and Social Council, as well as medical and forensic experts;

11.Requests the Secretary-General to continue to provide all necessary assistance to the Special Rapporteur so that he may effectively carry out his mandate;

12.Again requests the Secretary-General to continue to use his best endeavours in cases where the minimum standard of legal safeguards provided for in articles 6, 14 and 15 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights appear not to have been respected;

13.Requests the Commission on Human Rights at its forty-sixth session, on the basis of the report of the Special Rapporteur to be prepared in conformity with Economic and Social Council resolutions 1982/35, 1983/36, 1984/35, 1985/40, 1986/36, 1987/60 and 1988/38, to make recommendations concerning appropriate action to combat and eventually eliminate the abhorrent practice of summary or arbitrary executions.

82nd plenary meeting
15 December 1989