UN Human Rights Treaties

General Assembly—Thirty-first Session

the International Convention on the Suppression and Punishment of the Crime of Apartheid".
97th plenary meeting 13 December 1976
31/81. Reports of the Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination
The General Assembly,
Recalling its resolutions 3057 (XXVIII) of 2 November 1973 and 31/77 of 13 December 1976 on the Decade for Action to Combat Racism and Racial Discrimination, 3266 (XXIX) of 10 December 1974 on the report of the Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination and 31/79 of 13 December 1976 on the Status of the International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination,
Having considered the reports of the Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination on the sixth and seventh years of its activities29 submitted under article 9, paragraph 2, of the International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination,30
Noting with appreciation the interest of the Committee, when performing its functions under the Con-vention, to contribute to the achievement of the objectives of the Decade for Action to Combat Racism and Racial Discrimination,
Mindful of the undertaking of States Parties to the Convention to engage in no act or practice of racial discrimination against any person, groups of persons or national or ethnic minorities, and to ensure that all public authorities and public institutions, national and local, shall act in conformity with this obligation, in accordance with relevant provisions of the Convention,
Noting the decisions adopted by the Committee at its eleventh to fourteenth sessions,
1. Takes note with appreciation of the reports of the Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination;
2. Takes note also of the part of the reports of the Committee concerning petitions and other information relating to Trust and Non-Self-Goveming Territories and to all other Territories to which General Assembly resolution 1514 (XV) of 14 December 1960 applies, and draws the attention of the relevant United Nations bodies to the Committee's opinions and recommendations relating to those Territories;
3. Expresses its appreciation to the Committee for the work it performs in pursuance of the provisions of the International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination, thus contributing significantly to the elimination of all forms of racial discrimination;
4. Commends the Committee for focusing greater attention on the just cause of the peoples struggling against the oppression of the colonialist and racist regimes in southern Africa;
5. Calls upon the States parties to the Convention to observe fully the provisions of the Convention and
29 Official Records of the General Assembly, Thirtieth Session, Supplement No. 18 (A/10018); and ibid., Thirty-first Session, Supplement No. 18 (A/31/18 and Corr.l).
30 Resolution 2106 A (XX), annex.

other international instruments and agreements to which they are parties concerning the elimination of all forms of discrimination based on race, colour, descent or national or ethnic origin;
6. Welcomes the co-operation of the States parties to the Convention with the Committee in submitting their reports and designating representatives to be present at the meetings of the Committee when it considers their reports;
7. Calls upon all States parties to the Convention to provide all necessary information to the Committee in accordance with article 9 of the Convention, taking also into account the relevant recommendations and requests of the Committee;
8. Welcomes the Committee's participation in the realization of the objectives of the Programme for the Decade for Action to Combat Racism and Racial Discrimination in accordance with its decision 1 (XI) of 4 April 1975;
9. Invites the States parties to the Convention to include in their reports, under article 9, paragraph 1, of the Convention, information on the status of their relations with the racist regimes in southern Africa, in accordance with decision 2 (XI) of the Committee of 7 April 1975;

10. Reminds the States parties to the Convention of their obligations, under the Convention, as recom-mended by the Committee in its decision 4 (XI) of 14 April 1975, to adopt appropriate legislative, judicial, administrative or other measures with a view to putting an end to racism and to the vestiges or manifestations of such ideologies wherever they exist;
11. Invites all States which are not yet parties to the Convention to ratify or accede to it and, pending such ratification or accession, to be guided by the basic provisions of the Convention in their internal and foreign policies.
97th plenary meeting 13 December 1976
31/82. Implementation of the Declaration on the Rights of Disabled Persons
The General Assembly,
Recalling its resolution 3447 (XXX) of 9 December 1975 proclaiming the Declaration on the Rights of Disabled Persons,
Desiring to achieve the effective implementation of the rights and principles laid down in the Declaration,
1. Recommends that all Member States should take account of the rights and principles laid down in the Declaration on the Rights of Disabled Persons in establishing their policies, plans and programmes;
2. Recommends that all international organizations and agencies concerned should include in their pro-grammes provisions ensuring the effective implementation of those rights and principles;
3. Requests the Secretary-General to inform the General Assembly, in the form of a summary annexed to his reports on the world social situation, of the measures adopted by Member States and by the inter-national organizations and agencies concerned with a view to ensuring the effective implementation of the

VI. Resolutions adopted on the reports of the Third Committee

rights and principles laid down in the Declaration and of the present resolution.
97th plenary meeting 13 December 1976
31/83. Report on the world social situation
The General Assembly,
Recalling the Declaration on Social Progress and Development proclaimed in General Assembly resolu-tion 2542 (XXIV) of 11 December 1969,
Noting Economic and Social Council resolution 1927 (LVIII) of 6 May 1975 on the world social situation and recalling the mid-term review and appraisal of the International Development Strategy for the Second United Nations Development Decade,31
Having considered the 1974 Report on the World Social Situation 82
Desirous of improving the future reports on the world social situation as to their cross-sectoral analysis of social policies and programmes, which analysis should take into account the goals and objectives of the new international economic order,
1. Takes note of the 1974 Report on the World Social Situation as well as the various points of view expressed regarding its substance and format during the thirty-first session of the General Assembly;
2. Requests the Secretary-General to take into consideration the following guidelines while preparing future reports on the world social situation:

(a) A more integrated and concise text should be presented, with emphasis on the analysis of the data obtained;
(b) All countries and territories should be covered, including those under colonial and alien domination and foreign occupation;
(c) A wide range of sources of information should be used, mainly from the specialized agencies, the regional commissions and the Governments concerned;
(d) The mid-term review and appraisal of the International Development Strategy for the Second United Nations Development Decade should be used as a guideline in assessing and analyzing the data obtained;
(e) The goals and objectives of the new international economic order should be utilized as one of the guidelines for the preparation of future reports on the world social situation;
3. Requests Governments, appropriate United
Nations bodies and specialized agencies concerned to
continue to co-operate with the Secretary-General in
the preparation of future reports on the world social
situation.
97th plenary meeting 13 December 1976
31/84. World social situation
The General Assembly,
Recalling its resolutions 2542 (XXIV) of 11 December 1969, containing the Declaration on Social
31 Resolution 3517 (XXX).
32 United Nations publication, Sales No. E.75.IV.6.

Progress and Development, and 2771 (XXVI) of 22 November 1971 on the world social situation,
Recalling in this connexion its resolution 2626 (XXV) of 24 October 1970, containing the International Development Strategy for the Second United Nations Development Decade, paragraph 7 of which states that the ultimate objective of development must be to bring about sustained improvement in the well-being of the individual and bestow benefits on all,
Recalling its resolutions 3201 (S-VI) and 3202 (S-VI) of 1 May 1974 containing the Declaration and the Programme of Action on the Establishment of a New International Economic Order, 3281 (XXIX) of 12 December 1974 containing the Charter of Economic Rights and Duties of States and 3362 (S-VII) of 16 September 1975 on development and international economic co-operation,
Further recalling Economic and Social Council resolution 1927 (LVIII) of 6 May 1975,
Recognizing that the persistence of colonialism, aggression and threats against national sovereignty, na-tional unity and territorial integrity, foreign occupation, all forms of discrimination, apartheid and all forms of domination continues to exercise a negative impact on the world social situation,
Considering that the world social situation is characterized by the wide and growing disparity in conditions of living and income levels between people in the developed and developing countries and that it is incumbent on the international community to redress this disparity,
Aware of the decisive influence of existing economic relations on the internal social situation, particularly of the developing countries, and that social distress and poverty can be removed only if the pre-conditions are created for comprehensive and equitable economic growth and social development,
Recalling mat during the period from 1974 to 1976 the General Assembly, at its sixth and seventh special sessions, and a number of international conferences, including the World Population Conference, the World Food Conference, the World Conference of the International Women's Year, Habitat: United Nations Conference on Human Settlements, the Tripartite World Conference on Employment, Income Distribution, Social Progress and the International Division of Labour, the Second General Conference of the United Nations Industrial Development Organization, the fourth session of the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development and the Conference on Economic Co-operation among Developing Countries, addressed themselves to several issues related to the world economic and social situation,
Considering that the desired pace of social progress in the developing countries is hindered because of the magnitude of their difficulties arising from the unjust world economic order which has existed hitherto,
Re-emphasizing that the primary responsibility for the development of developing countries rests upon themselves, but that, however great their own efforts, these will not enable them to achieve the desired de-velopment goals as expeditiously as they must unless equitable economic and commercial relations between developed and developing countries are established, and increased financial and technological resources are available to the developing countries,