Human Rights Council

Resolution 6/9. Development of public information activities in the field of human rights, including the World Public Information Campaign on Human Rights

The Human Rights Council,

Reaffirming the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, and that activities to

improve public information and awareness in the field of human rights are essential to

the fulfillment of the purposes and principles of the United Nations as set out in

Article 1, paragraph 3, of the Charter of the United Nations,

Taking note of the report of the Secretary-General on the development of

public information activities in the field of human rights, including the World Public

Information Campaign on Human Rights (A/HRC/4/106),

Recalling relevant General Assembly resolutions, including resolution 43/128

of 8 December 1988, by which the Assembly launched the World Public Information

Campaign on Human Rights, resolution 59/113 of 10 December 2004, by which the

Assembly proclaimed the World Programme for Human Rights Education, and

resolution 60/251 of 15 March 2006, by which the Assembly decided that the Council

should promote human rights education and learning as well as advisory services,

technical assistance and capacity-building,

Recalling also the relevant Commission on Human Rights resolutions,

particularly its last resolution on this subject, resolution 2005/58 of 20 April 2005,

1. Encourages the Department of Public Information of the Secretariat

and the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights to

continue to support, within their respective responsibilities and in consultation with

States, the development of national capacities for human rights education and public

information, inter alia by involving national human rights institutions and non-

governmental organizations, and to launch, within the framework of the Universal

Declaration of Human Rights sixtieth anniversary activities, specific initiatives for

widening public information in the field of human rights;

2. Encourages all States to develop specific public information activities

within the framework of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights sixtieth

anniversary activities, and to enhance their education and training efforts, also in the

context of the World Programme for Human Rights Education, including targeted

training programmes for professional audiences in the field of human rights in close

contact with the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights;

3. Calls on the High Commissioner for Human Rights to mainstream

human rights education and public information activities, within the framework of the

Universal Declaration of Human Rights sixtieth anniversary activities, in the existing

initiatives and in those to be undertaken to this end, at the international, regional, and

national levels;

4. Requests the Secretary-General, within the regular budget of the

United Nations, to mobilize, as appropriate, the United Nations Country Teams in

order to promote, within the framework of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights

sixtieth anniversary activities, education, training and public information activities in

the field of human rights;

5. Also requests the Secretary-General and the Office of the United

Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights to submit to the Council, prior to its

seventh session, a joint progress report, from within the regular budget of the United

Nations, on public information activities in the field of human rights, including

activities being undertaken throughout the sixtieth anniversary of the Universal

Declaration of Human Rights, by the United Nations system, internationally and at the

national level, and, particularly, by the field presences of the Office of the High

Commissioner for Human Rights.

[Adopted without a vote] 21st meeting

28 September 2007

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