International Year for action to combat racism and racial discrimination (1971)
- Author(s):
- Parliamentary Assembly
- Origin
- Assembly debate on 21 January 1971 (21st and 22nd Sittings) (see Doc. 2884, report of the Legal Affairs Committee). Text adopted by the Assembly on 21 January 1971 (22nd Sitting).
The Assembly,
1. Considering
Resolution 2544 (XXIV) of 11 December 1969 of the General Assembly of the United Nations, and also Resolution XXIV adopted by the International Conference on Human Rights in Teheran in April-May 1968, concerning the organisation in 1971 of the International Year for action to combat racism and racial discrimination ;
2. Recalling Resolution (68) 30 of the Committee of Ministers on measures to be taken against incitement to racial, national and religious hatred, and the Assembly's
Recommendation 583 (1970) which made various proposals for the suppression of all forms of unfair discrimination ;
3. Convinced of the need to obtain the support of public opinion throughout the world to intensify action to give effect to the principles of non-discrimination embodied in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, the International Covenants on Human Rights, the International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination, and in other conventions relating to employment, education, and other rights ;
4. Recalling with satisfaction the contribution made by the Council of Europe to the celebration of International Human Rights Year 1968,
5. Supports the programme for the observance of the International Year for action to combat racism and racial discrimination, prepared by the Secretary General of the United Nations, which calls on regional organisations to participate in the programme ;
6. Calls upon European governments to implement the proposals made by the United Nations for the celebration in 1971 of the International Year for action to combat racism and racial discrimination as contained in
Resolution 2544 of the United Nations General Assembly ;
7. Invites the European Conference of Local Authorities to appeal to local authorities and their associations to show their devotion to the cause of eliminating racism and racial discrimination, and to take the opportunity of celebrating International Year for organising action in this field at local level ;
8. Invites the Committee on Parliamentary and Public Relations to take steps to urge governments which have not already done so :
a to ratify the International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination ;
b to consider the possibility of establishing race relations boards or commissions, with the task of seeking to remove the causes of racial tension and remedying its effects where it exists ;
9. Requests non-governmental organisations having consultative status with the Council of Europe to exchange information and ideas about the programmes which they are elaborating for International Year to combat racism and racial discrimination ;
10. Requests the Secretary General to lend his support to these initiatives on the lines indicated in the report of its Legal Affairs Committee (
Doc. 2884), and more particularly to obtain information from member governments on their plans for the celebration of the International Year in 1971 with a view to co-ordinating and encouraging action in all European countries.
