Resolutionen und Beschlüsse des Wirtschafts- und Sozialrats, verabschiedet auf seiner Arbeitstagung 2002 (1.-26. Juli 2002) [Auszug] Resolution 2002/19 Stärkung der internationalen Zusammenarbeit und der technischen Hilfe im Rahmen der vom Zentrum für internationale Verbrechensverhütung unternommenen Tätigkeiten zur Verhütung und Bekämpfung des Terrorismus Der Wirtschafts- und Sozialrat, unter Hinweis auf die Resolution 56/1 der Generalversammlung vom 12. September 2001, mit der sie die abscheulichen Akte des Terrorismus vom 11. September 2001 nachdrücklich verurteilte und nachdrücklich zur internationalen Zusammenarbeit aufrief, um terroristische Handlungen zu verhüten und auszumerzen, sowie unter Hinweis auf die Resolution 56/123 der Generalversammlung vom 19. Dezember 2001, in der die Versammlung den Generalsekretär bat, im Benehmen mit den Mitgliedstaaten und der Kommission für Verbrechensverhütung und Strafrechtspflege Wege zu prüfen, wie das Zentrum für internationale Verbrechensverhütung des Sekretariats-Büros für Drogenkontrolle und Verbrechensverhütung zu den Anstrengungen des Systems der Vereinten Nationen auf dem Gebiet der Terrorismusbekämpfung beitragen könnte, im Einklang mit den einschlägigen Resolutionen der Generalversammlung und des Sicherheitsrats, ferner unter Hinweis auf die Resolution 56/253 der Generalversammlung vom 24. Dezember 2001, in deren Ziffer 103 die Versammlung den Generalsekretär ersuchte, Vorschläge zur Stärkung der Unterabteilung Terrorismusverhütung im Büro der Vereinten Nationen in Wien zu unterbreiten und der Generalversammlung einen diesbezüglichen Bericht zur Behandlung vorzulegen, unter Hinweis auf die Resolution 56/261 der Generalversammlung vom 31. Januar 2002, in der die Versammlung mit Dank von den "Aktionsplänen zur Umsetzung der Wiener Erklärung über Verbrechen und Gerechtigkeit: Bewältigung der Herausforderungen des 21. Jahrhunderts", zu denen auch ein Aktionsplan zur Bekämpfung des Terrorismus gehörte, Kenntnis nahm, sowie unter Hinweis auf die Resolutionen des Sicherheitsrats 1373 (2001) vom 28. September 2001 und 1377 (2001) vom 12. November 2001 sowie die einschlägigen Resolutionen der Generalversammlung betreffend die Verhütung und Bekämpfung des Terrorismus, betonend, dass die Staaten und das Zentrum für internationale Verbrechensverhütung sich enger abstimmen und stärker zusammenarbeiten müssen, wenn es darum geht, den Terrorismus und die kriminellen Tätigkeiten, die auf die Förderung des Terrorismus in allen seinen Erscheinungsformen und Ausprägungen gerichtet sind, zu verhüten und zu bekämpfen, sowie betonend, welche Bedeutung der internationalen Zusammenarbeit und der technischen Hilfe bei den Tätigkeiten zukommt, die das Zentrum für internationale Verbrechensverhütung auf dem Gebiet der Verhütung und Bekämpfung des Terrorismus unternimmt, im Bewusstsein der Rolle der Vereinten Nationen und ihrer verschiedenen Stellen, insbesondere der Unterabteilung Terrorismusverhütung des Zentrums für internationale Verbrechensverhütung, sowie des möglichen Beitrags der Institute des Verbunds des Programms der Vereinten Nationen auf dem Gebiet der Verbrechensverhütung und der Strafrechtspflege zur Verhütung und Bekämpfung des Terrorismus, betonend, dass die auf die Verhütung und Bekämpfung des Terrorismus gerichtete Arbeit des Zentrums für internationale Verbrechensverhütung, insbesondere die Stärkung der internationalen Zusammenarbeit und der technischen Hilfe, so durchgeführt und koordiniert werden soll, dass die Arbeit anderer Stellen der Vereinten Nationen, insbesondere des Ausschusses zur Bekämpfung des Terrorismus und des Sekretariats-Bereichs Rechtsangelegenheiten, dadurch ergänzt wird; unter Berücksichtigung der Charta der Vereinten Nationen und der einschlägigen Resolutionen der Generalversammlung und des Sicherheitsrats, überzeugt von der Notwendigkeit, Akte des Terrorismus zu verhüten und zu bekämpfen, und mit tiefer Sorge Kenntnis nehmend von den zunehmenden Verbindungen zwischen der grenzüberschreitenden organisierten Kriminalität und Akten des Terrorismus, 1. nimmt mit Genugtuung Kenntnis von den Tätigkeiten, die das Zentrum für internationale Verbrechensverhütung des Sekretariats-Büros für Drogenkontrolle und Verbrechensverhütung auf dem Gebiet der Verhütung des Terrorismus unternimmt, die im Bericht des Exekutivdirektors über die Arbeit des Zentrums beschrieben werden; 2. bekräftigt die wichtige Rolle, die dem Zentrum für internationale Verbrechensverhütung bei der Förderung wirksamer Maßnahmen zur Stärkung der internationalen Zusammenarbeit und bei der auf Antrag erfolgenden Bereitstellung technischer Hilfe für die Verhütung und Bekämpfung des Terrorismus zukommt, und ersucht das Zentrum erneut, wirksame Maßnahmen zu diesem Zweck zu fördern, im Einklang mit den einschlägigen Resolutionen der Generalversammlung und in Absprache mit dem Ausschuss zur Bekämpfung des Terrorismus und dem Sekretariats-Bereich Rechtsangelegenheiten, mit anderen zuständigen Stellen der Vereinten Nationen sowie anderen internationalen Organisationen; 3. betont in diesem Zusammenhang, dass das Zentrum für internationale Verbrechensverhütung gemäß der Resolution 56/123 der Generalversammlung und unter der Anleitung der Mitgliedstaaten und der Kommission für Verbrechensverhütung und Strafrechtspflege im Rahmen seiner Tätigkeiten den Staaten, die dies beantragen, technische Hilfe gewähren soll, damit diese die internationalen Übereinkünfte und Protokolle betreffend den Terrorismus unterzeichnen, ihnen beitreten, sie ratifizieren und wirksam durchführen, unter Berücksichtigung des in den "Aktionsplänen zur Umsetzung der Wiener Erklärung über Verbrechen und Gerechtigkeit: Bewältigung der Herausforderungen des 21. Jahrhunderts", enthaltenen Aktionsplans gegen den Terrorismus sowie der einschlägigen Resolutionen der Generalversammlung; 4. betont außerdem, dass das Zentrum für internationale Verbrechensverhütung gemäß der Resolution 56/123 der Generalversammlung und unter der Anleitung der Mitgliedstaaten und der Kommission für Verbrechensverhütung und Strafrechtspflege im Rahmen seiner Tätigkeiten in Zusammenarbeit mit den Mitgliedstaaten Maßnahmen ergreifen soll, um die Öffentlichkeit für die Art und das Ausmaß des internationalen Terrorismus und seine Beziehungen zur Kriminalität, namentlich zur organisierten Kriminalität, soweit angezeigt, zu sensibilisieren, weiterhin Datenbanken über den Terrorismus führen und den Mitgliedstaaten analytische Unterstützung gewähren soll, indem es Informationen über Verbindungen zwischen dem Terrorismus und damit zusammenhängenden kriminellen Tätigkeiten sammelt und verbreitet, namentlich durch Forschungsarbeiten und analytische Studien über die enge Beziehung zwischen terroristischen Aktivitäten und anderen damit zusammenhängenden Verbrechen, wie etwa Drogenhandel und Geldwäsche; 5. fordert die Staaten nachdrücklich auf, auch künftig zusammenzuarbeiten, auch auf regionaler und bilateraler Ebene, um Akte des Terrorismus zu verhüten und zu bekämpfen, indem sie die internationale Zusammenarbeit und die technische Hilfe im Rahmen der internationalen Übereinkünfte und Protokolle betreffend den Terrorismus verstärken; 6. ersucht das Zentrum für internationale Verbrechensverhütung, im Rahmen seiner Tätigkeiten der technischen Hilfe betreffend die Terrorismusbekämpfung Maßnahmen zu ergreifen, um die einschlägigen internationalen Übereinkünfte und Protokolle, die verschiedene Aspekte des internationalen Terrorismus betreffen, denjenigen Staaten, die noch nicht Vertragsparteien sind, zur Kenntnis zu bringen, mit dem Ziel, ihnen auf Antrag Hilfestellung zu geben, damit sie Vertragsparteien dieser Übereinkünfte und Protokolle werden; 7. ersucht den Generalsekretär, dem Ausschuss zur Bekämpfung des Terrorismus regelmäßig Informationen über die Tätigkeiten des Zentrums für internationale Verbrechensverhütung, welche die Verhütung und Bekämpfung des Terrorismus betreffen, zu unterbreiten, mit dem Ziel, den ständigen Dialog zwischen den beiden Stellen zu verstärken; 8. nimmt Kenntnis von der Resolution 56/253 der Generalversammlung, mit der der Generalsekretär ersucht wird, Vorschläge zur Stärkung der personellen und finanziellen Ausstattung der Unterabteilung Terrorismusverhütung des Zentrums für internationale Verbrechensverhütung vorzulegen, die diese in die Lage versetzen sollen, ihr Mandat auf dem Gebiet der Verhütung und Bekämpfung des Terrorismus wahrzunehmen; 9. begrüßt die freiwilligen Beiträge, die bereits an den Fonds der Vereinten Nationen für Verbrechensverhütung und Strafrechtspflege entrichtet wurden, und fordert die Staaten sowie die multilateralen Finanzinstitutionen und die regionalen Entwicklungsbanken auf, durch neue wie auch zusätzliche freiwillige Beiträge zum Fonds der Vereinten Nationen für Verbrechensverhütung und Strafrechtspflege sowie durch andere Mittel, wie etwa die Bereitstellung der Dienste von Sachverständigen und Beratern, das Zentrum für internationale Verbrechensverhütung bei seinen Bemühungen zu unterstützen, Zusammenarbeit und technische Hilfe auf dem Gebiet der Verhütung und Bekämpfung des Terrorismus zu gewähren und zu erleichtern; 10. ersucht den Generalsekretär, der Kommission für Verbrechensverhütung und Strafrechtspflege auf ihrer zwölften Tagung über die Durchführung dieser Resolution Bericht zu erstatten. 37. Plenarsitzung 24. Juli 2002 E/CN.15/2002/2 und Corr.1. Resolution 56/261 der Generalversammlung, Anlage, Abschnitt VII. E/2002/INF/2/Add.2 E/2002/INF/2/Add.2 Vereinte Nationen E/2002/INF/2/Add.2
Resolutions and decisions adopted by the Economic and Social Council at its substantive session of 2002 (1-26 July 2002) Note: The provisional texts of the resolutions and decisions are circulated herein for information. The final texts will be issued in Official Records of the Economic and Social Council, 2002, Supplement No. 1 (E/2002/99). Contents Resolutions Decisions Resolutions 2002/1 Ad hoc advisory group on African countries emerging from conflict The Economic and Social Council, Recalling the report of the Secretary-General on the causes of conflict and the promotion of durable peace and sustainable development in Africa, which was submitted to the Security Council and the General Assembly, Recalling also paragraph 7 of General Assembly resolution 55/217 of 21 December 2000 on the causes of conflict and the promotion of durable peace and sustainable development in Africa, in which the Assembly requested the Economic and Social Council to consider the creation of an ad hoc advisory group on countries emerging from conflict with a view to assessing their humanitarian and economic needs and elaborating a long-term programme of support for implementation that begins with the integration of relief into development, Recalling further the ministerial declaration on the role of the United Nations in supporting the efforts of African countries to achieve sustainable development adopted by the Economic and Social Council at the high-level segment of its substantive session of 2001, and section VII on meeting the special needs of Africa of the United Nations Millennium Declaration, Taking into account the New Partnership for Africa's Development, which was adopted by the Assembly of Heads of State and Government of the Organization of African Unity at its thirty-seventh ordinary session, held in Lusaka from 9 to 11 July 2001, and looking forward to the final review and appraisal of the United Nations New Agenda for the Development of Africa in the 1990s, which is scheduled for September 2002, Bearing in mind the mandate of the Economic and Social Council, Takes note with appreciation of the report of the Secretary-General on the establishment of an ad hoc advisory group on African countries emerging from conflict; Decides to consider creating, at the request of any African country emerging from conflict, a limited but flexible and representative ad hoc advisory group at the ambassadorial level, in consultation with all regional groups and the national authorities of the country concerned, drawn from the membership of the Economic and Social Council and its observer States, including representation from the country concerned, and in so doing to take into account the need to include countries that can make a positive contribution to the objectives of such a group; Also decides that such an ad hoc advisory group is to examine the humanitarian and economic needs of the country concerned; review relevant programmes of support and prepare recommendations for a long-term programme of support, based on its development priorities, through the integration of relief, rehabilitation, reconstruction and development into a comprehensive approach to peace and stability; and provide advice on how to ensure that the assistance of the international community in supporting the country concerned is adequate, coherent, well-coordinated and effective and promotes synergy; Further decides that in order to carry out its work such an ad hoc advisory group should consult with the authorities of the country concerned and, as both deem necessary, with representatives of relevant national, subregional, regional and international organizations and other actors, as appropriate, according to the rules of procedure and relevant resolutions of the Economic and Social Council, and should make recommendations to the Council for consideration and forwarding to other appropriate and relevant settings; Requests the Secretary-General and the United Nations Development Group, as well as other relevant United Nations funds, programmes and specialized agencies, to assist such an ad hoc advisory group in accomplishing its mandate, and invites the Bretton Woods institutions to cooperate to that end; Urges such an ad hoc advisory group to make maximum use of existing mechanisms and coordination structures, as well as intergovernmentally approved and other relevant documentation; Encourages close cooperation between such an ad hoc advisory group and the Working Group on Conflict Prevention and Resolution in Africa of the Security Council in the areas related to the fulfilment of the mandate of such an ad hoc advisory group; Invites multilateral institutions, in particular the African Development Bank, the African Union and African subregional organizations, as well as other relevant actors, subject to the provisions of paragraph 4 above, to cooperate fully with such an ad hoc advisory group, upon its request; Encourages all States Members of the United Nations, particularly donor countries, to contribute to the work of such an ad hoc advisory group; Decides to undertake an assessment of lessons learned based on the initial experience of such ad hoc advisory groups, no later than at its substantive session of 2004. 23rd plenary meeting 15 July 2002 2002/2 Restructuring the conference structure of the Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific The Economic and Social Council, Recalling resolutions 143 (XXX) of 5 April 1974, 210 (XXXVI) of 29 March 1980, 262 (XLIII) of 30 April 1987, 47/3 of 10 April 1991, 48/2 of 23 April 1992 and 51/3 of 1 May 1995 of the Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific on the conference structure of the Commission, Recalling also Commission resolution 53/1 of 30 April 1997 on restructuring the conference structure of the Commission, in particular the Commission's decision contained therein to review its conference structure, including its thematic priorities and subsidiary structure, no later than at the fifty-eighth session of the Commission, Cognizant of its resolution 1998/46 of 31 July 1998 on further measures for the restructuring and revitalization of the United Nations in the economic, social and related fields, Recalling the objectives outlined in the relevant millennium development goals, as contained in the United Nations Millennium Declaration, adopted at the Millennium Summit on 8 September 2000, and other internationally agreed development goals, Recalling also General Assembly resolution 50/11 of 2 November 1995 on multilingualism, in particular paragraphs 1, 5 and 6 thereof, Recognizing that the major economic and social development challenges facing countries and areas of the Asia and Pacific region are interrelated and multidimensional in nature, particularly in an increasingly globalizing world, and that effective approaches to addressing them require multidisciplinary action as well as enhanced regional cooperation and intercountry exchanges of experiences, Cognizant of the scope of the responsibilities of the Commission, which constitutes the largest region in the world in respect of geographical coverage and contains 62 per cent of the world's population as well as the majority of the world's extreme poor, Noting the diversity in levels of development of countries and areas of the Asia and Pacific region and the special needs of the least developed, landlocked and island developing economies, and economies in transition, Noting also the unique role of the Commission as the most representative body for the Asia and Pacific region and its comprehensive mandate as the main economic and social development centre of the United Nations system for the Asia and Pacific region, Taking into account the indivisibility in attainment of economic and social development goals, Commending the initiatives taken by the Executive Secretary of the Commission to revitalize and restructure the programme of work of the Commission, and endorsing the focus of the work of the Commission on three key thematic areas, namely, poverty reduction, managing globalization and addressing emerging social issues, Having considered the recommendations of the Intergovernmental Meeting to Review the Conference Structure of the Commission, including Its Thematic Priorities and Subsidiary Structure, held at Bangkok from 26 to 28 March 2002, Decides to approve the revision of the conference structure of the Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific, including its thematic and sectoral priorities and subsidiary structure, to conform to the following pattern: The Commission The Commission shall meet annually, with each session comprising a senior officials' segment followed by a ministerial segment, for a maximum of seven working days to discuss and decide on important issues concerning economic and social development in the region, decide on the recommendations of its subsidiary bodies and of the Executive Secretary, examine and approve the programme of work and priorities and take any other decisions required, in conformity with its terms of reference. Subsidiary structure The subsidiary structure of the Commission shall consist of the two existing special bodies and the following three thematic committees and their respective subcommittees: (a) Committee on Poverty Reduction; (b) Committee on Managing Globalization; (c) Committee on Emerging Social Issues. The three thematic committees shall meet biennially for a maximum duration of three days for each session. Under the Committee on Poverty Reduction, the following two subcommittees shall be established: (a) Subcommittee on Poverty Reduction Practices; (b) Subcommittee on Statistics. Under the Committee on Managing Globalization, the following four subcommittees shall be established: (a) Subcommittee on International Trade and Investment; (b) Subcommittee on Transport Infrastructure and Facilitation and Tourism; (c) Subcommittee on Environment and Sustainable Development; (d) Subcommittee on Information, Communications and Space Technology. Under the Committee on Emerging Social Issues, the following two subcommittees shall be established: (a) Subcommittee on Socially Vulnerable Groups; (b) Subcommittee on Health and Development. The subcommittees shall meet biennially for a maximum duration of three days for each session. Should the Committee on Poverty Reduction so decide, the Subcommittee on Statistics shall meet annually for a maximum duration of three days for each session. The Special Body on Least Developed and Landlocked Developing Countries and the Special Body on Pacific Island Developing Countries shall be retained. Their sessions shall be held biennially for a maximum of two days, one each in alternate years, back-to-back with the annual sessions of the Commission. Ad hoc ministerial conferences (a) Subject to the approval of the Commission, ad hoc ministerial conferences may be organized on specific issues, but no more than one such conference shall be held per year; (b) In those years when a ministerial conference is held covering issues normally discussed in a committee/subcommittee, the corresponding committee/subcommittee may not be convened. Ad hoc intergovernmental meetings (a) Ad hoc intergovernmental meetings may be convened, with the prior approval of the Commission, to carry out a detailed examination of substantive and priority issues, including relevant cross-sectoral issues; (b) No more than five such intergovernmental meetings may be held during a calendar year and the total number of days shall not exceed twenty-five. Advisory Committee of Permanent Representatives and Other Representatives Designated by Members of the Commission The functions of the Advisory Committee of Permanent Representatives and Other Representatives Designated by Members of the Commission shall be in accordance with the terms of reference contained in annex I to the present resolution. The Advisory Committee shall examine ways to enhance and improve its ability to advise and assist the Executive Secretary in drawing up proposals for the medium-term plan, the programme budget, work programme priorities and resource allocation, consistent with the guidance provided by the Commission, and to monitor and evaluate the implementation, outcome and effectiveness of the programme of work of the Commission in accordance with paragraphs 2 and 3 of the terms of reference of the Advisory Committee, and shall report back to the Commission regularly. Existing regional institutions under the auspices of the Commission The following regional institutions under the auspices of the Commission shall continue to function as prescribed in their respective statutes and terms of reference: (a) Asian and Pacific Centre for Transfer of Technology; (b) Regional Coordination Centre for Research and Development of Coarse Grains, Pulses, Roots and Tuber Crops in the Humid Tropics of Asia and the Pacific; (c) Statistical Institute for Asia and the Pacific; (d) Asian and Pacific Centre for Agricultural Engineering and Machinery. General provisions (a) Functions The functions of the thematic committees and special bodies are specified in their respective terms of reference in annexes II to VI to the present resolution. The committees shall deal with issues covered under their respective terms of reference in a comprehensive manner following an intersectoral and thematic approach. (b) Rules of procedure Unless otherwise specified by the Commission, the rules of procedure of the Commission, including those pertaining to the decision-making process, shall apply mutatis mutandis to the committees/subcommittees and special bodies. (c) Informal session An informal session among the heads of delegations during the ministerial segment of each session of the Commission may be organized but shall not be institutionalized. The agenda for the informal session shall be decided by consensus and the annotated agenda shall reach members at least thirty days before the opening of the session to ensure the efficiency and effectiveness of the session. Simultaneous interpretation shall be provided; Invites the Executive Secretary of the Commission, under the direction of the Secretary-General and in conformity with the goal of maximizing the impact of the United Nations in the field of economic and social development, to reorganize the secretariat so as to enhance its capability to service the subsidiary structure of the Commission and implement its revised programme of work under the framework of the medium-term plan for the period 2002-2005; Requests the Executive Secretary to inform members and associate members of the Commission of his preliminary assessment of the organizational, staffing and financial implications of the revision of the intergovernmental structure subsidiary to the Commission within the next six months; Also requests the Executive Secretary to explore, in close consultation with members and associate members, inter alia, through the Advisory Committee of Permanent Representatives and Other Representatives Designated by Members of the Commission, innovative ways, including possible changes to the format of the Commission session, to bring about greater ministerial participation and more active exchanges among representatives at the sessions of the Commission and to submit his recommendations to the Commission at its fifty-ninth session; Commends the secretariat of the Commission on the implementation of General Assembly resolutions establishing language arrangements for both the official languages and the working languages of the Commission, and urges the Executive Secretary to continue his efforts to monitor closely the strict implementation of Assembly resolution 50/11; Requests the Executive Secretary to report to the Commission at its subsequent sessions on the implementation of the present resolution, focusing in particular on whether the conference structure has served the purpose of improving efficiency and attracting higher and wider representation from members and associate members, which would serve in particular as the basis for a mid-term review of the functioning of the conference structure, to be conducted during the sixty-first session of the Commission; Endorses the Commission's decision to review its conference structure, including its thematic and sectoral priorities and subsidiary structure, taking into account the outcome of the mid-term review of the conference structure, no later than at its sixty-third session 32nd plenary meeting 19 July 2002 Annex I Terms of reference of the Advisory Committee of Permanent Representatives and Other Representatives Designated by Members of the Commission The Advisory Committee of Permanent Representatives and Other Representatives Designated by Members of the Commission shall have the following functions: To maintain close cooperation and consultation between the members and the secretariat of the Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific. To advise and assist the Executive Secretary in drawing up proposals for the medium-term plan, programme budget and priorities, consistent with the guidance provided by the Commission. To receive on a regular basis information on the administrative and financial functioning of the Commission and to assist and advise the Executive Secretary in monitoring and evaluating the implementation of the programme of work of the Commission. To review the draft calendar of meetings prior to its submission to the Commission session. To exchange views with the Executive Secretary on the provisional agenda for each session of the Commission, bearing in mind chapter II of its rules of procedure. To advise the Executive Secretary on the identification of emerging economic and social issues and other relevant issues for incorporation into the provisional agendas of the sessions of the Commission. To assist the secretariat in the formulation of the annotated provisional agenda for each session of the Commission before it is finalized. To monitor the functioning of the thematic approach and the implementation of activities under it, in order to provide an assessment of the thematic approach and to suggest to the Commission at the appropriate time potential modifications to or changes in the themes. To carry out any other tasks to be entrusted to it by the Commission. Annex II Terms of reference of the Committee on Poverty Reduction Poverty is the leading development challenge facing developing countries in Asia and the Pacific, with two thirds of the world's poor living in this region. The urgent need for effective action on poverty reduction is reflected in the United Nations millennium development goals, which call for the proportion of people living in extreme poverty to be halved by the year 2015. Poverty is a multidimensional and dynamic phenomenon with complex and interlinked issues requiring an integrated focus on economic, social and environmental areas. Against this background, the Committee on Poverty Reduction shall serve as a regional forum to assist members and associate members in meeting the objectives of (a) developing strategies and policies to reduce poverty in a rapid and sustained manner and improve the quality of life of the poor, (b) strengthening national statistical infrastructure to collect, analyse and disseminate statistics through the promotion of common methodologies for intercountry comparisons and improvement in the quality of statistics and (c) developing and sharing experiences concerning best practices in poverty reduction in both urban and rural areas. The goal of the Committee shall be to enable the members and associate members of the Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific better to design and implement pro-poor policies and strategies to attain the millennium development goals. Under the overall supervision of the Commission, the Committee shall: Review the progress made and obstacles encountered in achieving both the quantitative and the qualitative aspects of the relevant millennium development goals. Analyse global and regional trends and developments, including emerging economic and social issues, that have an impact on poverty levels in the region, with a special focus on recommending policy options that support pro-poor economic growth and prevent social inequities. Review and analyse progress in the development of statistics in the region, assist in the strengthening of national statistical infrastructure and promote the improvement of the quality of statistics, with emphasis on the following areas: (a) Improvement and harmonization of methodologies for poverty measurement and related economic and social statistics; (b) Priority fields of statistics identified by members and associate members, including, but not limited to, national accounts, the informal sector, gender statistics, environment statistics and statistics on information and communications technologies and the knowledge-based economy. Promote the exchange of experiences and the transfer of best practices in poverty reduction, as well as human and institutional capacity-building, with special emphasis on: (a) Integrating poverty reduction, sustainable development and environmental protection; (b) Integrating poverty reduction and population dynamics and migration; (c) Strengthening the economic and social position of the poor through a needs-, development- and rights-based approach; (d) Enhancing the participation of the poor in decision-making through community-based organizations; (e) Fostering the development of sustainable and affordable information and communications technologies focused on the needs of the poor. Review and evaluate the implementation and effectiveness of the relevant programme of work of the Commission and make recommendations to the Commission concerning future programmes of work and, in this process, ensure that cross-sectoral issues such as the special concerns of the Pacific island countries, landlocked developing countries, least developed countries and countries with economies in transition, the environment, human resources development and women in development are adequately addressed. Strengthen liaison with governmental and non-governmental, regional and bilateral organizations as well as private sector entities to support poverty reduction policies and strategies that maximize synergies and avoid duplication of effort. Promote closer collaboration and joint activities with relevant agencies of the United Nations system to minimize overlap and duplication as well as promote increased liaison with financial institutions, development agencies outside the United Nations system, private sector organizations, non-governmental organizations and donor countries within and outside the Asia and Pacific region so as to maximize the use of available resources and enhance the effectiveness and impact of the work of the Commission in addressing critical development challenges in the region. Work closely and coordinate with other subsidiary bodies of the Commission. Carry out such other activities as the Commission may direct from time to time in matters relating to poverty reduction. Within the context of its terms of reference, the Committee shall identify the tasks to be undertaken during a specified period. The Committee shall indicate the outcomes expected for each task, set a time frame for the achievement of each task and monitor its implementation and effectiveness. The Committee shall be composed of all members and associate members of the Commission. The Committee shall meet biennially and present its report to the Commission to facilitate deliberations on poverty reduction. The Committee shall be assisted in its work by the following two subcommittees: (a) Subcommittee on Poverty Reduction Practices; (b) Subcommittee on Statistics. While the Committee shall consider overall policy aspects of poverty reduction, the subcommittees shall focus on specific sectoral aspects of the mandates given to the Committee under its terms of reference. The subcommittees shall meet in the intervals between sessions of the Committee, preferably in alternate years. The Committee shall provide overall direction to the subcommittees on the issues to be addressed and the prioritization of their work, which shall guide the subcommittees in determining their agendas. The Committee may decide that, in addition to meeting in years when the Committee does not meet, the Subcommittee on Statistics could meet in the alternate years to deliberate in particular on matters referred to in paragraph 3 (b) above. The reports of the subcommittees shall be submitted to the Committee at its subsequent session as a basis for deliberations at an intersectoral/thematic level. With regard to the reports of the Subcommittee on Statistics covering issues related to those referred to in paragraph 3 (b), the Committee on Poverty Reduction should review those reports and also make them available to the other committees, as appropriate, taking into account the recommendations of the Subcommittee on Statistics. Annex III Terms of reference of the Committee on Managing Globalization The process of globalization has profound, and still unfolding, implications for the economic and social development of the region. The challenge is how to manage globalization effectively by formulating and implementing effective policies to seize the new opportunities while minimizing inevitable costs. In this context, the Committee on Managing Globalization shall address issues within the focused subprogramme areas of (a) international trade and investment, (b) transport infrastructure and facilitation and tourism, (c) environment and sustainable development and (d) information, communications and space technology. Under the overall supervision of the Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific, the Committee shall: Review and analyse emerging economic issues and their implications for the region and recommend policy guidelines that could be considered for adoption by Governments. Review and analyse trends and developments in order to raise understanding of the implications of World Trade Organization agreements, regional trading arrangements and other multilateral trade negotiations and recommend appropriate activities to strengthen capacities of countries to consider accession to the World Trade Organization and for developing countries and countries with economies in transition to participate actively in international trade negotiations. Promote the development of internationally competitive trade by rationalizing and automating documentation, promoting the simplification and harmonization of trade rules and enhancing conformity with standards and certification as well as enhancing management skills. Promote the exchange of experiences and the sharing of best practices in investment promotion and facilitation and strengthen countries in building capacity to formulate and implement policies and strategies in support of enterprise and entrepreneurship development, with a special focus on small and medium-sized enterprises. Promote further development of sustainable tourism by strengthening capacities of human resources and institutions and promoting regional cooperation, especially networking of training institutions. Serve as a catalyst for action in formulating and implementing national, regional and interregional transport initiatives with a particular focus on the Asian Highway, the Trans-Asian Railway and the development of intermodal transport linkages to improve access to domestic and global markets. Promote a comprehensive approach to removing institutional and physical barriers in order to facilitate the movement of people, goods and services and strengthen the development of multimodal transport/logistics services, including transit facilities, to enable active participation in the process of globalization. Review, analyse and document transport trends and policy responses and assist members and associate members in addressing issues that focus on public/private partnerships and promotion of participatory approaches to the integration of economic, social and environmental considerations into transport planning and policy development. Review and assess the state of the environment in the region and highlight the major environmental considerations with a view to encouraging the integration of such concerns into development policies, strategic plans and programmes at the macroeconomic and sectoral levels and facilitating policy dialogues, training and exchange of experiences. Promote human and institutional capacity-building to respond effectively and in an integrated manner to global, regional, national and local environmental plans for participation in developing, acceding to and implementing multilateral environmental agreements. In this regard, promote the formulation and dissemination of regional perspectives and model legislation and standards as well as economic instruments that would be appropriate in the light of prevailing economic, social and environmental conditions, and support regional and subregional environmental cooperation. Assist in capacity-building, formulation and implementation of strategies and action plans for sustainable use of natural resources, particularly water resources, with a special focus on problems of water quality and access to safe drinking water for the poor. Strengthen national capacities in preventing, mitigating and managing water-related disasters and promote and strengthen collaboration with convention secretariats in combating land degradation, desertification and the negative effects of climate change, and coordinate with the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations on deforestation through the promotion of regional cooperation. Promote capacity-building in sustainable energy development through policy advice, human resources development and exchange of information so as to support national efforts in strategic planning and management and in enhanced utilization of renewable energy and energy efficiency improvement by integrating economic, social and environmental dimensions. Also support subregional cooperation in energy sector development, energy trade and sharing as well as policy reforms. Promote capacity-building for creating an enabling environment for the development of information and communications technologies transfer and application, particularly through regional cooperation and networking of governmental, non-governmental and private sector organizations for the benefit and mainstreaming of developing economies and economies in transition. Promote regional cooperation and effective integration of satellite-based applications of information and communications technologies with other information technologies for informed sustainable economic and social development planning and management, and improved quality of life, particularly integrated remote sensing and satellite communications for remote and rural areas, poverty mapping and distance education. Promote collective self-reliance and South-South cooperation, such as in economic and technical cooperation among developing countries and regional resilience. Review the implementation and effectiveness of the relevant programme of work of the Commission and make recommendations to the Commission concerning future programmes of work and, in this process, ensure that cross-sectoral issues such as the special concerns of the least developed, landlocked and Pacific island developing countries and countries with economies in transition are adequately addressed. Strengthen the relationship with relevant subregional organizations to promote intra-subregional and inter-subregional cooperation. Accelerate follow-up to the decisions and recommendations of global conferences relevant to the work of the Committee at the national, subregional and regional levels, evaluate progress and provide guidance on the formulation and implementation of regional action programmes. Promote liaison with development agencies and financial institutions, private sector organizations, non-governmental organizations, donors and supporting countries within and outside the region and relevant agencies of the United Nations system, with a view to minimizing overlap and duplication and strengthening cooperation with those organizations and bodies at the subregional, regional and global levels to maximize the effectiveness and impact of the activities of the Commission. Work closely and coordinate with other subsidiary bodies of the Commission. Carry out such other activities as the Commission may direct from time to time in matters relating to managing globalization. Within the context of its terms of reference, the Committee shall identify the tasks to be undertaken during a specified period. The Committee shall indicate the outcomes expected for each task, set a time frame for the achievement of each task and monitor its implementation and effectiveness. The Committee shall be composed of all members and associate members of the Commission. The Committee shall meet biennially and present its report to the Commission to facilitate deliberations on managing globalization. The Committee shall be assisted in its work by the following four subcommittees: (a) Subcommittee on International Trade and Investment; (b) Subcommittee on Transport Infrastructure and Facilitation and Tourism; (c) Subcommittee on Environment and Sustainable Development; (d) Subcommittee on Information, Communications and Space Technology. While the Committee shall consider overall policy aspects of managing globalization, the subcommittees shall focus on specific sectoral aspects of the mandates given to the Committee under its terms of reference. The subcommittees shall meet in the intervals between sessions of the Committee, preferably in alternate years. The Committee shall provide overall direction to the subcommittees on the issues to be addressed and the prioritization of their work, which shall guide the subcommittees in determining their agendas. The reports of the subcommittees shall be submitted to the Committee at its subsequent session as a basis for deliberations at an intersectoral/thematic level. Annex IV Terms of reference of the Committee on Emerging Social Issues The Asia and Pacific region faces new and continuing challenges from global and regional development trends that impact deeply on individuals, families and communities. Many in this region face barriers to equal participation and full enjoyment of the right to development because of gender, age, disability, income or other factors. There are other threats to “human security” relating to the rise in human immunodeficiency virus/acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (HIV/AIDS) infection and human trafficking and other crimes. Furthermore, new regional challenges arise from the rapidly ageing population and international migration, which impact on overall socio-economic development. The Committee on Emerging Social Issues shall be responsible to the Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific for assisting members and associate members in meeting the theme objective of designing and implementing effective policies and strategies to promote equal opportunities for the productive participation of all social groups and the overall improvement of the quality of life. Under the overall supervision of the Commission, the Committee shall: Review and analyse major development trends so as to anticipate and identify emerging social development challenges and issues having an impact on the Asia and Pacific region, focusing on socially vulnerable groups, including women, youth, people with disabilities, especially women with disabilities, the ageing population, migrants and people living with HIV/AIDS. Promote social policy development and the mainstreaming of social dimensions in national development programmes. Promote the goals of Education for All, particularly by mainstreaming education in all relevant programmes, especially for socially vulnerable groups. Recommend appropriate national capacity-building strategies at all levels for improving the development and delivery of basic social services such as education, health and nutrition, removing barriers to equal participation and threats to human security, focusing on disadvantaged and vulnerable groups, in tackling persistent and emerging social issues. Recommend multisectoral strategies for HIV/AIDS prevention, care and support, including preventive education and public awareness programmes. Provide guidance to the secretariat on the formulation of medium-term plans and biennial programmes of work to prevent or mitigate critical social problems and promote the right to development of all social groups focused on key areas under paragraph 1 above, through support for normative and operational activities, including: (a) Implementing technical assistance projects, providing advisory services, conducting training and research and fostering information development and exchange; (b) Identifying and disseminating best practices; (c) Conducting integrated, multisectoral social policy analyses and dialogue. Review the implementation and effectiveness of the relevant programme of work of the Commission in addressing persistent and emerging social issues and recommend measures to strengthen the impact and relevance of the programme, taking into account the comparative advantages of the Commission. Promote regional cooperation among members and associate members of the Commission to strengthen political commitment and advocacy and generate action at all levels to prevent and mitigate any adverse social impacts of development trends. In this regard, attention should be paid to those emerging social issues that could best benefit from close regional cooperation and collaboration. Accelerate national-, subregional- and regional-level follow-up to the decisions and recommendations of relevant global conferences, monitor and evaluate progress and provide guidance on the formulation and implementation of regional action programmes, taking into account pertinent recommendations of the Commission for Social Development, the Commission on the Status of Women and other intergovernmental United Nations subsidiary organs. Promote closer collaboration and joint activities with relevant United Nations bodies and specialized agencies, as well as increased liaison with other intergovernmental and non-governmental organizations, and the business sector, and liaise with financial institutions, donors and supporting countries within and outside the Asia and Pacific region so as to maximize resources and the impact of the work of the Commission in addressing critical social development challenges in the region. Work closely and coordinate with other subsidiary bodies of the Commission. Carry out such other activities as the Commission may direct from time to time in matters relating to emerging social issues. Within the context of its terms of reference, the Committee shall identify the tasks to be undertaken during a specified period. The Committee shall indicate the outcomes expected for each task, set a time frame for the achievement of each task and monitor its implementation and effectiveness. The Committee shall be composed of all members and associate members of the Commission. The Committee shall meet biennially and present its report to the Commission to facilitate deliberations on emerging social issues. The Committee shall be assisted in its work by the following two subcommittees: (a) Subcommittee on Socially Vulnerable Groups; (b) Subcommittee on Health and Development. While the Committee shall consider overall policy aspects of addressing emerging social issues, the subcommittees shall focus on specific sectoral aspects of the mandates given to the Committee under its terms of reference. The subcommittees shall meet in the intervals between sessions of the Committee, preferably in alternate years. The Committee shall provide overall direction to the subcommittees on the issues to be addressed and the prioritization of their work, which shall guide the subcommittees in determining their agendas. The reports of the subcommittees shall be submitted to the Committee at its subsequent session as a basis for deliberations at an intersectoral/thematic level. Annex V Terms of reference of the Special Body on Pacific Island Developing Countries The special problems and particular situations concerning the economic and social development of the Pacific island developing countries related to their isolation, small size and vulnerability to environmental hazards have been recognized by the international community and within the context of the Programme of Action for the Sustainable Development of Small Island Developing States and the implementation of the United Nations millennium development goals. These particular situations in Pacific island developing countries require focused priority attention in order to mainstream these countries into the ongoing regional integration process and associate them with the economic and social dynamism of the region. The Special Body on Pacific Island Developing Countries shall provide a focused forum for addressing the special issues and problems facing this group of countries in the spirit of regional cooperation. Under the overall supervision of the Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific, the Special Body shall: Review and analyse the economic and social progress in the Pacific island developing countries, including constraints on their development. Serve as a mobilizer of ideas and a catalyst for action to identify and promote new policy options at the national, subregional and regional levels that allow these countries to maximize the benefits from globalization. Assist in capacity-building of Pacific island developing countries. Foster and strengthen intercountry and inter-subregional cooperation arrangements for exchanges of experience and technical cooperation between and among the Pacific island developing countries and with other countries in the region. Promote liaison, particularly through the Pacific Operations Centre of the Commission, with development agencies and financial institutions, private sector organizations, non-governmental organizations, donors and supporting countries within and outside the region, in its initiatives and activities for the benefit of the Pacific island developing countries. Review the implementation and effectiveness of the relevant programme of work of the Commission and make recommendations to the Commission concerning future programmes of work and, in this process, ensure that cross-sectoral issues such as the environment, human resources development and gender concerns are adequately addressed. Accelerate follow-up to the decisions and recommendations of global conferences relevant to small island developing countries at the national, subregional and regional levels, in particular the Programme of Action for the Sustainable Development of Small Island Developing States and the implementation of the millennium development goals. Promote closer collaboration and joint activities with relevant United Nations bodies and specialized agencies. Work closely and coordinate with other subsidiary bodies of the Commission. Carry out such other functions as the Commission may direct from time to time in matters relating to Pacific island developing countries. Within the context of its terms of reference, the Special Body shall identify the tasks to be undertaken during a specified period. The Special Body shall indicate the outcomes expected for each task, set a time frame for the achievement of each task and monitor its implementation and effectiveness. The Special Body shall meet biennially for two days, back-to-back with the sessions of the Commission, in alternate years with the Special Body on Least Developed and Landlocked Developing Countries. Annex VI Terms of reference of the Special Body on Least Developed and Landlocked Developing Countries The special problems in respect of, and the constraints on, the economic and social development of the least developed and landlocked developing countries have been recognized by the international community, and also within the context of the Brussels Declaration and the Programme of Action for the Least Developed Countries for the Decade 2001-2010 adopted at the Third United Nations Conference on the Least Developed Countries, the international development strategy and the implementation of the United Nations millennium development goals. These constraints require focused priority attention in the Asia and Pacific region in order to mainstream the least developed and landlocked developing countries into the ongoing regional integration process and associate them with the economic and social dynamism of the region. The Special Body on Least Developed and Landlocked Developing Countries shall provide a focused forum for addressing the special issues and problems facing these groups of countries in the spirit of regional cooperation. Under the overall supervision of the Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific, the Special Body shall: Review and analyse the economic and social progress in the least developed and landlocked developing countries and undertake in-depth reviews of economic, social and environmental constraints on their development. Serve as a mobilizer of ideas and a catalyst for action to identify and promote new policy options at the national, subregional and regional levels that allow the least developed and landlocked developing countries to maximize the benefits from globalization, with emphasis on the adoption of measures for increased mobilization of domestic and foreign resources, trade and private sector development, public sector reform and the provision of advisory services on relevant issues, upon request, to Governments. Support national capacities in the least developed and landlocked developing countries, including those related to the formulation of development strategies at the national and sectoral levels. Foster and strengthen intercountry cooperation arrangements for exchanges of experience and technical cooperation between and among the least developed and landlocked countries and with other developing and developed countries in the region. Promote a comprehensive approach to removing institutional and physical barriers in order to facilitate the movement of people, goods and services and strengthen the development of multimodal transport/logistics services, including transit facilities, to enable active participation in the process of globalization. Without duplicating work done elsewhere, review and analyse the special transit trade and transport problems of Asian landlocked developing countries, recommend suitable measures for solving those problems in accordance with international agreements, in particular article 125 of the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, and encourage the Asian landlocked developing countries and their transit neighbours to cooperate, inter alia, in order to reduce transport costs in the final costs of delivered goods. Promote liaison with development agencies and financial institutions, private sector organizations, non-governmental organizations and donor countries, within and outside the region, in its initiatives and activities for the benefit of the least developed and landlocked developing countries. Review the implementation and effectiveness of the relevant programme of work of the Commission and make recommendations to the Commission concerning future programmes of work and, in this process, ensure that cross-sectoral issues such as the environment, human resources development and women in development are adequately addressed. Accelerate follow-up to the relevant decisions and recommendations of global conferences relating to the least developed and landlocked developing countries at the national, subregional and regional levels, in particular the Brussels Declaration and the Programme of Action for the Least Developed Countries for the Decade 2001-2010 adopted at the Third United Nations Conference on the Least Developed Countries. Promote closer collaboration and joint activities with relevant United Nations bodies and specialized agencies, as well as increased liaison with financial institutions, development agencies outside the United Nations system, private sector organizations, non-governmental organizations, donors and supporting countries within and outside the Asia and Pacific region so as to maximize the use of available resources and enhance the effectiveness and impact of the work of the Commission in addressing critical development challenges faced by the least developed and landlocked developing countries. Work closely and coordinate with other subsidiary bodies of the Commission. Carry out such other functions as the Commission may direct from time to time in matters relating to the least developed and landlocked developing countries. Within the context of its terms of reference, the Special Body shall identify the tasks to be undertaken during a specified period. The Special Body shall indicate the outcomes expected for each task, set a time frame for the achievement of each task and monitor its implementation and effectiveness. The Special Body shall meet biennially for two days, back-to-back with the sessions of the Commission, in alternate years with the Special Body on Pacific Island Developing Countries. 2002/3 Place and date of the thirtieth session of the Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean The Economic and Social Council, Bearing in mind paragraph 15 of the terms of reference of the Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean and rules 1 and 2 of its rules of procedure, Considering the invitation of the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico to host the thirtieth session of the Commission, Expresses its gratitude to the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico for its generous invitation; Accepts this invitation with pleasure; Approves the holding of the thirtieth session of the Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean in Puerto Rico during the first half of 2004. 32nd plenary meeting 19 July 2002 2002/4 Situation of women and girls in Afghanistan The Economic and Social Council, Guided by the Charter of the United Nations, the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, the International Covenants on Human Rights, the Convention against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment, the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women, the Declaration on the Elimination of Violence against Women, the Convention on the Rights of the Child and the Optional Protocols thereto on the involvement of children in armed conflict and on the sale of children, child prostitution and child pornography, the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action, the further actions and initiatives to implement the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action, adopted by the General Assembly at its twenty-third special session, accepted humanitarian rules as set out in the Geneva Conventions of 12 August 1949, and other instruments of human rights and international law, Recalling that Afghanistan is a party to the Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide, the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights,20 the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights,20 the Convention against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment, the Convention on the Rights of the Child, and the Geneva Conventions of 12 August 1949 and that it has signed the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women, Reaffirming that all States have an obligation to promote and protect human rights and fundamental freedoms and must fulfil the international legal obligations that they have undertaken, Recalling the importance of the implementation of Security Council resolution 1325 (2000) of 31 October 2000, on women and peace and security, as well as the statement made by the President of the Council on 31 October 2001, on women and peace and security, Welcoming the Agreement on Provisional Arrangements in Afghanistan pending the Re-establishment of Permanent Government Institutions, signed in Bonn, Germany, on 5 December 2001, Welcoming also the efforts of Afghan women to participate actively in civil society, as evidenced by the Afghan Women's Summit for Democracy, held in Brussels on 4 and 5 December 2001, the round table on building women's leadership in Afghanistan convened by the United Nations Development Fund for Women and the Government of Belgium, held in Brussels on 10 and 11 December 2001, and the Brussels Action Plan on Afghan women's participation in the reconstruction of Afghanistan, adopted at the round table, Welcoming further the international commitments expressed at the International Conference on Reconstruction Assistance to Afghanistan co-chaired by the Government of Japan, the Government of the United States of America, the European Union and the Government of Saudi Arabia, held in Tokyo on 21 and 22 January 2002, Welcoming the holding of the Afghan women's consultation in Kabul from 5 to 7 March 2002 under the auspices of the Ministry of Women's Affairs and the United Nations Development Fund for Women and the celebration of International Women's Day in Afghanistan on 8 March 2002, as well as the holding of the workshop on human rights in Kabul on 9 March 2002 under the auspices of the Afghan Interim Authority and the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, Welcoming also the efforts of Afghanistan's neighbouring countries, which have hosted millions of Afghan refugees, especially women and children, and have provided humanitarian assistance in many areas, such as education, health and other basic services, Welcoming further the role of the international humanitarian organizations in providing humanitarian assistance to Afghan refugees, Encouraging the international community to continue providing refugee-hosting countries with various forms of assistance and cooperation so that they can further assist Afghan refugees, Bearing in mind the desirability of a voluntary return of Afghan refugees to their country in safety and with dignity, Welcoming developments in Afghanistan that will contribute to the creation of conditions that will allow all Afghans, especially women and girls, to enjoy their inalienable human rights and fundamental freedoms and participate fully in the reconstruction and development of their country, Welcoming also the commitment of the Afghan Interim Administration to the active participation of Afghan women in political, economic and social life, to the education of girls as well as boys and to the right of women to work outside the home, Welcoming further the inclusion of women in the Afghan Interim Administration and in the twenty-one-member Special Independent Commission for the Convening of the Emergency Loya Jirga, and stressing the importance of the full and effective participation of women in all decision-making processes regarding the future of Afghanistan, Welcoming the signing of the Declaration of the Essential Rights of Afghan Women by the Chairman of the Afghan Interim Administration, Welcoming also the fact that the Immediate and Transitional Assistance Programme for the Afghan People 2002 reflects the needs of, and the importance of the role to be taken by, women and girls in the process of peace-building, reconstruction and development, Encouraging the members of the international community, including non-governmental organizations, to continue efforts to draw attention to the situation of Afghan women and girls, Recognizing the importance of the human rights and fundamental freedoms of women and girls in Afghanistan, Recognizing also that the effective participation of women in civil, cultural, economic, political and social life should be promoted and protected throughout Afghanistan, Recognizing further that Afghan women are primary stakeholders and agents of change, who must have the opportunity to identify their own needs and priorities in all sectors of society as full partners in the rebuilding of their society, Recognizing the need for the international community to ensure that a gender mainstreaming approach is adopted in all its activities and that it proceed in a gender-sensitive way that gives Afghan women a key role in the process, Recognizing also that non-governmental organizations are playing a valuable role both inside and outside Afghanistan in the provision of basic services and in the delivery of humanitarian assistance to the Afghan people and that they continue to be important partners in the recovery and reconstruction process, Mindful of the continued fragile humanitarian situation in Afghanistan and the importance of ensuring continued humanitarian assistance and protection for Afghan civilians, Emphasizing that a safe environment, free from violence, discrimination and abuse for all Afghans, is essential for a viable and sustainable recovery and reconstruction process, Welcomes the commitments made by the Afghan Interim Authority to recognize, protect, promote and act in accordance with all human rights and fundamental freedoms, in accordance with international human rights instruments, and to respect and ensure respect for international humanitarian law; Welcomes with appreciation the report of the Secretary-General to the Commission on the Status of Women on discrimination against women and girls in Afghanistan, including the conclusions and recommendations contained therein; Welcomes the establishment of the Ministry of Women's Affairs as an integral part of the Afghan Interim Administration, and urges the Interim Authority to provide the necessary assistance to enable the Ministry to function effectively, and encourages the international community to provide funding and technical assistance so that the Ministry can fulfil its task in promoting gender equality and develop the capacity to act as a catalyst for gender mainstreaming throughout the Government; Urges the Afghan Interim Authority and the future Afghan Transitional Authority: (a) To respect fully the equal human rights and fundamental freedoms of women and girls in accordance with international human rights law; (b) To give high priority to the issue of ratification of the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women,22 and consider signing and ratifying the Optional Protocol to the Convention; (c) To repeal all legislative and other measures that discriminate against women and girls, as well as those that impede the realization of their human rights and fundamental freedoms; (d) To enable the full, equal, and effective participation of women and girls in civil, cultural, economic, political and social life throughout the country at all levels; (e) To ensure the equal right of women and girls to education without discrimination, the reopening of schools and the admission of women and girls to all levels of education; (f) To respect the equal right of women to work and promote their reintegration in employment in all sectors and at all levels of the Afghan society; (g) To protect the right of women and girls to security of person and bring to justice those responsible for violence against women and girls; (h) To protect the right to freedom of movement for women and girls; (i) To respect the effective and equal access of women and girls to the facilities necessary to protect their right to the enjoyment of the highest attainable standard of physical and mental health in accordance with Afghanistan's obligations under the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights;20 (j) To reaffirm full support for the participation of women in the Special Independent Commission for the Convening of the Emergency Loya Jirga and in the Loya Jirga itself; (k) To reaffirm the equal rights of women to own land and other property, inter alia, through the right to inheritance, and undertake administrative reforms and other necessary measures to give women the same right as men to credit, capital, appropriate technologies and access to markets and information; (l) To provide women with an equal opportunity for employment in all ministries and commissions, including the Judicial Commission, the Civil Service Commission and the Human Rights Commission, and take steps so that the work of the Afghanistan Human Rights Commission is underpinned by international human rights standards and integrates women's rights in its mandate; (m) To provide a safe environment free from violence to facilitate the voluntary return of refugees and displaced persons; (n) To conduct a review of the impact on women and girls of the existing legal system in order to facilitate appropriate remedial measures with regard to family law, property and inheritance rights; Encourages the continuing efforts of the United Nations and its agencies, guided by Security Council resolution 1325 (2000) on women and peace and security, to: (a) Fully support the Afghan Interim Authority and the future Afghan Transitional Authority regarding the participation of women; (b) Provide support to ministries to help develop their capacity to mainstream a gender perspective into their programmes; (c) Support capacity-building for Afghan women to enable them to participate fully in all sectors; (d) Provide technical and other relevant assistance so that the judicial system has the capacity to adhere to international standards of human rights; (e) Develop and implement a programme of human rights education to promote respect for and understanding of human rights, including the human rights of women; (f) Support measures to hold accountable those who are responsible for gross violations of women's human rights in the past and to ensure that full investigations are conducted and perpetrators are brought to justice; Invites the United Nations system, international and non-governmental organizations, and multilateral and bilateral donors: (a) To ensure a human rights-based approach and gender mainstreaming in all programmes and operations, based on the principles of non-discrimination and equality between women and men, and ensure that women benefit equally with men from such programmes in all sectors; (b) To develop comprehensive and coherent gender policy and programmes in Afghanistan, apply good practices of gender budgeting and strengthen inter-agency mechanisms for coordination and cooperation; (c) To ensure the full and effective participation of Afghan women in all stages of humanitarian assistance, recovery, reconstruction and development, including planning, programme development, implementation, monitoring and evaluation; (d) To employ Afghan women, inter alia, in management positions, promote security in their employment with the assistance community and respect the right to women's freedom of movement for women; (e) To support the elements of civil society active in the field of human rights, in particular women's rights; (f) To ensure that all United Nations international and national personnel, prior to beginning their service, receive appropriate training on the history, culture and traditions of Afghanistan and are fully familiar with and guided by international standards of the human rights of women and girls; Encourages the continuing efforts of the United Nations, international and non-governmental organizations and donors to ensure that all United Nations-assisted programmes in Afghanistan are formulated and coordinated in such a way as to promote and ensure the participation of women in those programmes and that women benefit equally with men from such programmes; Welcomes the continuing efforts of United Nations organizations to mainstream a gender perspective and their efforts to reappoint a senior gender adviser in the Office of the Resident/Humanitarian Coordinator or the Office of the Special Representative of the Secretary-General; Calls upon the international community to continue to provide financial and technical assistance, including human rights education, to protect the human rights of women and girls and to support initiatives to end violence against them and to increase their economic security, as well as to strengthen the capacity of Afghan women to participate fully and effectively in conflict resolution and peace-building efforts and in civil, political, economic, cultural and social life; Invites the Special Rapporteur of the Commission on Human Rights on the situation of human rights in Afghanistan to continue to give special attention to the human rights of women and girls, to incorporate a gender perspective in his work and to cooperate with other special rapporteurs of the Commission; Calls upon the Afghan Interim Administration and the future Afghan Transitional Authority to take all necessary measures to ensure the safety and security of all humanitarian workers in Afghanistan, whether employed by Governments, international organizations, non-governmental organizations or the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement, so that they can, regardless of gender, carry out their work unhindered; Requests the Secretary-General to continue to review the situation of women and girls in Afghanistan and to submit to the Commission on the Status of Women at its forty-seventh session a report of progress made in the implementation of the present resolution. 37th plenary meeting 24 July 2002 2002/5 Agreed conclusions of the Commission on the Status of Women on thematic issues The Economic and Social Council, Endorses the following agreed conclusions adopted by the Commission on the Status of Women with respect to the thematic issues addressed by the Commission at its forty-sixth session: A Agreed conclusions on eradicating poverty, including through the empowerment of women throughout their life cycle, in a globalizing world The Commission on the Status of Women recalls and reiterates the strategic objectives and actions of the Beijing Platform for Action and the outcome document adopted at the twenty-third special session of the General Assembly entitled “Women 2000: gender equality, development and peace for the twenty-first century”, which emphasized the multidimensional nature of poverty and identified gender equality and the empowerment of women as critical factors in the eradication of poverty. It also recalls the United Nations Millennium Declaration and the development goals contained therein, as well as the resolve to promote gender equality and the empowerment of women as effective ways to combat poverty, hunger and disease and to stimulate development that is truly sustainable. The Commission on the Status of Women recognizes that, while it is the primary responsibility of States to attain economic and social development and to achieve the development and poverty eradication goals as set out in the United Nations Millennium Declaration, the international community should support the efforts of the developing countries to eradicate poverty and ensure basic social protection and to promote an enabling international environment. While globalization has brought greater economic opportunities and autonomy to some women, many others, owing to the deepening inequalities among and within countries, have been marginalized and deprived of the benefits of this process. Globalization should be fully inclusive and equitable. To that end, there is a strong need for policies and measures at the national and international levels, formulated and implemented with the full and effective participation of developing countries and countries with economies in transition to help them to respond effectively to those challenges and opportunities. Further efforts at the national and international levels should be made to eliminate the obstacles facing the integration of developing countries in the global economy. The empowerment of women is the process by which women take control over their lives, acquiring the ability to make strategic choices. Empowerment is an important strategy to eradicate poverty. Special attention must be given to the situation of women and children, who often bear the greatest burden of extreme poverty. The Commission urges Governments and, as appropriate, the relevant funds and programmes, organizations and the specialized agencies of the United Nations system, the international financial institutions, civil society, including the private sector and non-governmental organizations (NGOs), and other stakeholders to take the following actions to accelerate implementation of these strategic objectives to address the needs of all women: (a) Ensure that all actions to achieve the poverty eradication goals established in the United Nations Millennium Declaration include the promotion of gender equality and the empowerment of women throughout their life cycle; (b) Ensure that, in order to eradicate poverty and promote gender equality and democracy and strengthen the rule of law, both women and men are involved in decision-making, political agenda-setting and allocation of resources; (c) Ensure that women and men have equal access to full and effective participation in all processes and that a gender perspective is mainstreamed in development, trade and financial institutions; (d) Create an enabling environment and design and implement policies that promote and protect the enjoyment of all human rights — civil, cultural, economic, political and social rights, including the right to development — and fundamental freedoms, as part of the efforts to achieve gender equality, development and peace; (e) Evaluate the relationship between the empowerment of women and poverty eradication in different stages of women's life cycle and analyse the intersection of gender and other factors, reflect the implications for policies and programmes and compile and widely disseminate good practices and lessons learned; (f) Strengthen efforts to mainstream gender perspectives and the empowerment of women through the whole policy process, from the identification to the formulation, implementation, evaluation and follow-up of macroeconomic policies, as well as economic and social policy formulation and implementation and poverty eradication policies, programmes, development frameworks and strategies; (g) Establish or improve gender-specific analysis of poverty and strengthen institutional capacities at all levels, including relevant national machineries, in order to undertake gender analysis in poverty eradication initiatives by, inter alia, the allocation of sufficient resources; (h) Improve the collection, compilation and dissemination of timely, reliable, comparable data disaggregated by sex and age and further develop quantitative and qualitative indicators, including social indicators, by national and international statistical organizations so as to increase capacity to measure, assess and analyse poverty among women and men, including at the household level, and make progress in the empowerment of women throughout their life cycle; (i) Encourage the inclusion of data on women's equal access to land and other property in United Nations reports; (j) Identify and take all appropriate measures to address obstacles to the empowerment of women and to their full enjoyment of all human rights and fundamental freedoms throughout the life cycle with a view to eradicating poverty; (k) Take the strongest measures to eliminate all forms of discrimination and violence against women and girls; (l) Incorporate a gender perspective into the design, development, adoption and execution of all budgetary processes, as well as economic and financial policies, in a transparent manner so as to ensure, where appropriate, that national budget policies and priorities as well as resource allocations support the eradication of poverty, the empowerment of women and the achievement of gender equality goals, and ensure full participation by women in all such processes; (m) Review and reform, where appropriate, fiscal policies, particularly taxation policies, to ensure equality between women and men in this regard; (n) Strengthen the provision of and ensure access to adequate, affordable and accessible public and social services to meet the needs of all women, in particular women living in poverty; (o) Design, implement and promote family-friendly policies and services, including affordable, accessible and quality care services for children and other dependants, parental and other leave schemes and campaigns to sensitize public opinion and other relevant actors on equal sharing of employment and family responsibilities between women and men; (p) Improve and develop physical and mental health programmes and services, including preventive health care, for women, particularly women living in poverty; (q) Strengthen policies and programmes at the national level to provide equal access to health-care services for all women and girls, particularly for those living in poverty; (r) Create and ensure equal access to all types of permanent and sustainable social protection/social security systems at all stages throughout women's life cycle, taking into account the specific needs of all women living in poverty; (s) Ensure full and equal access at all levels to formal and non-formal education and training for women and girls, including pregnant adolescents and adolescent mothers, as key to their empowerment by, inter alia, the reallocation of resources, as necessary; (t) Take urgent and effective measures in accordance with international law with a view to alleviating the negative impact of economic sanctions on women and children; (u) Enhance market access for developing countries and countries with economies in transition, in particular for those sectors that provide greater employment opportunities for women, and expand access for women entrepreneurs to trade opportunities; (v) Undertake socio-economic policies that promote sustainable development and support and ensure poverty eradication programmes, especially for women, by, inter alia, providing skills training, equal access to and control over resources, finance, credit, including microcredit, information and technology and equal access to markets to benefit women of all ages, in particular those living in poverty and marginalized women, including rural women, indigenous women and female-headed households; (w) Take measures to develop and implement gender-sensitive programmes aimed at stimulating women's entrepreneurship and private initiative and assist women-owned business in participating in and benefiting from, inter alia, international trade, technological innovation and investment; (x) Develop strategies to increase employment of women and to ensure that women, including women living in poverty, are protected by law against discriminatory terms and conditions of employment and any form of exploitation, that they benefit fully from job creation through a balanced representation of women and men in all sectors and occupations and that women receive equal pay for equal work or work of equal value to diminish differentials in incomes between women and men; (y) Facilitate the transfer to developing countries and countries with economies in transition of appropriate technology, particularly new and modern technology, and encourage efforts by the international community to eliminate restrictions on such transfers as an effective means of complementing national efforts for further acceleration in achieving the goals of gender equality, development and peace; (z) Promote and facilitate the equal access of women and girls, including those living in rural areas, to information and communications technologies, including newly developed technologies, and promote women's and girls' access to education and training in their use, access to, investment and use of these technologies for, inter alia, networking, advocacy, exchange of information, business, education, media consultation and e-commerce initiatives; (aa) Ensure that national legislative and administrative reform processes, including those linked to land reform, decentralization and reorientation of the economy, promote the rights of women, particularly those of rural women and women living in poverty, and take measures to promote and implement those rights through women's equal access to and control over economic resources, including land, property rights, the right to inheritance, credit and traditional saving schemes, such as women's banks and cooperatives; (bb) Ensure that clean water is available and accessible to all, particularly to women living in poverty; (cc) Provide additional international financing and assistance to developing countries in support of their efforts to empower women and eradicate poverty and mainstream gender perspectives in the official development assistance process, including specific provisions for meeting the needs of women living in poverty in areas such as education, training, employment and health, as well as in social and economic policies, including macroeconomic policies, with a view of achieving sustainable development, and urge developed countries that have not done so to make concrete efforts towards the target of 0.7 per cent of gross national product (GNP) as official development assistance to developing countries and 0.15 to 0.20 per cent of GNP of developed countries to least developed countries, as reconfirmed at the Third United Nations Conference on Least Developed Countries, and encourage developing countries to build on progress achieved in ensuring that official development assistance is used effectively to help to achieve development goals and targets; (dd) Promote, in the spirit of solidarity, international cooperation, including through voluntary contributions, in order to undertake actions in the field of poverty eradication, particularly among women and girls; (ee) Ensure that women, especially poor women in developing countries, benefit from the pursuit of effective, equitable, development-oriented and durable solutions to the external debt and debt-servicing problems of developing countries, including the option of official development assistance debt cancellation, and call for continued international cooperation; (ff) Forge constructive partnerships among Governments, NGOs, the private sector and other stakeholders to promote gender equality and the empowerment of women in poverty eradication efforts and to further support and encourage women and men, girls and boys, to form new advocacy networks and alliances. The Commission on the Status of Women welcomes the convening of the International Conference on Financing for Development, and underlines the importance of its objectives in relation to gender equality, the empowerment of women and poverty eradication. The Commission on the Status of Women also welcomes the convening of the Second World Assembly on Ageing, stresses the importance of mainstreaming a gender perspective into the preparations, work and outcome of the Assembly, including the Political Declaration and Madrid International Plan of Action on Ageing, 2002, and welcomes the involvement of all women in the work of the Assembly, and the inclusion of women in delegations to the Assembly. Recognition should be given to the contribution of older women and special attention paid to their empowerment and well-being. The Commission on the Status of Women further welcomes the convening of the World Summit on Sustainable Development, stresses the importance of mainstreaming a gender perspective and of the involvement of women in the preparations, work and outcome of the World Summit, and encourages the inclusion of women in delegations to the Summit. B Agreed conclusions on environmental management and the mitigation of natural disasters The Commission on the Status of Women recalls that, in the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action, it was recognized that environmental degradation and disasters affect all human lives and often have a more direct impact on women and that it was recommended that the role of women and the environment be further investigated. The twenty-third special session of the General Assembly identified natural disasters as a current challenge affecting the full implementation of the Platform for Action and emphasized the need to incorporate a gender perspective in the development and implementation of disaster prevention, mitigation and recovery strategies. The Commission also recalls the resolve in the United Nations Millennium Declaration39 to intensify cooperation to reduce the number and effects of natural and man-made disasters, as well as General Assembly resolution 46/182 of 19 December 1991, the annex to which contained the guiding principles of humanitarian assistance. Deeply convinced that economic development, social development and environmental protection are interdependent and mutually reinforcing components of sustainable development, which is the framework for our efforts to achieve a higher quality of life for all people. The Commission reiterates the strategic objectives and actions adopted by the Fourth World Conference on Women, held in Beijing in 1995,37 and in the outcome document of the twenty-third special session of the General Assembly entitled “Women 2000: gender equality, development and peace for the twenty-first century”, held in New York in 2000.38 The Commission recognizes that women play a vital role in disaster reduction (prevention, mitigation and preparedness), response and recovery and in natural resources management, that disaster situations aggravate vulnerable conditions and that some women face particular vulnerabilities in this context. The Commission also recognizes that women's strengths in dealing with disasters and supporting their families and communities should be built upon following disasters to rebuild and restore their communities and mitigate against future disasters. The Commission further recognizes the need to enhance women's capacities and institutional mechanisms to respond to disasters in order to enhance gender equality and the empowerment of women. The Commission urges Governments and, as appropriate, also urges the relevant funds and programmes, organizations and the specialized agencies of the United Nations system, the international financial institutions, civil society, including the private sector and NGOs, and other stakeholders to take the following actions to accelerate implementation of these strategic objectives to address the needs of all women: (a) Pursue gender equality and gender-sensitive environmental management and disaster reduction, response and recovery as an integral part of sustainable development; (b) Take measures to integrate a gender perspective in the design and implementation of, among other things, environmentally sound and sustainable resource and disaster management mechanisms and establish mechanisms to review such efforts; (c) Ensure the full participation of women in sustainable development decision-making and disaster reduction management at all levels; (d) Ensure the full enjoyment by women and girls of all human rights — civil, cultural, economic, political and social, including the right to development — including in disaster reduction, response and recovery; in this context, special attention should be given to the prevention and prosecution of gender-based violence; (e) Mainstream a gender perspective into ongoing research by, inter alia, the academic sector on the impact of climate change, natural hazards, disasters and related environmental vulnerability, including their root causes, and encourage the application of the results of this research in policies and programmes; (f) Collect demographic and socio-economic data and information disaggregated by sex and age, develop national gender-sensitive indicators and analyse gender differences with regard to environmental management, disaster occurrence and associated losses and risks and vulnerability reduction; (g) Develop, review and implement, as appropriate, with the involvement and participation of women's groups, gender-sensitive laws, policies and programmes, including on land-use and urbanization planning, natural resource and environmental management and integrated water resources management, to provide opportunities to prevent and mitigate damage; (h) Encourage, as appropriate, the development and implementation of national building standards that take into account natural hazards so that women, men and their families are not exposed to high risk from disasters; (i) Include gender analysis and methods of mapping hazards and vulnerabilities at the design stage of all relevant development programmes and projects in order to improve the effectiveness of disaster risk management, involving women and men equally; (j) Ensure women's equal access to information and formal and non-formal education on disaster reduction, including through gender-sensitive early warning systems, and empower women to take related action in a timely and appropriate manner; (k) Promote income-generating activities and employment opportunities, including through the provision of microcredit and other financial instruments, ensure equal access to resources, in particular land and property ownership, including housing, and take measures to empower women as producers and consumers, in order to enhance the capacity of women to respond to disasters; (l) Design and implement gender-sensitive economic relief and recovery projects and ensure equal economic opportunities for women, including in both the formal and the non-formal sectors, taking into account the loss of land and property, including housing and other productive and personal assets; (m) Make women full and equal partners in the development of safer communities and in determining national or local priorities for disaster reduction and incorporate local and indigenous knowledge, skills and capacities into environmental management and disaster reduction; (n) Support capacity-building at all levels aimed at disaster reduction, based on knowledge about women's and men's needs and opportunities; (o) Introduce formal and non-formal education and training programmes at all levels, including in the areas of science, technology and economics, with an integrated and gender-sensitive approach to environmentally sound and sustainable resource management and disaster reduction, response and recovery in order to change behaviour and attitudes in rural and urban areas; (p) Ensure the implementation of their commitments by all Governments made in Agenda 21 and the Beijing Platform for Action37 and the outcome document of the twenty-third special session of the General Assembly, including those in the areas of financial and technical assistance and the transfer of environmentally sound technologies to the developing countries, and ensure that a gender perspective is mainstreamed into all such assistance and transfers; (q) Document good practice and lessons learned, particularly from effective community-based strategies for disaster reduction, response and recovery, which actively involve women as well as men, and widely disseminate this information to all stakeholders; (r) Improve and develop physical and mental health programmes, services and social support networks for women who suffer from the effects of natural disasters, including trauma; (s) Strengthen the capacities of ministries, emergency authorities, practitioners and communities to apply a gender-sensitive approach to environmental management and disaster reduction and the involvement of women professionals and field workers; (t) Forge constructive partnerships between Governments, international organizations and civil society, including the private sector and NGOs, and other stakeholders in integrated and gender-sensitive sustainable development initiatives to reduce environmental risks; (u) Encourage civil society, including NGOs, to mainstream a gender perspective in the promotion of sustainable development initiatives, including in disaster reduction; (v) Ensure coordination in the United Nations system, including the full and active participation of funds, programmes and specialized agencies to mainstream a gender perspective in sustainable development including, inter alia, environmental management and disaster reduction activities. The Commission on the Status of Women calls for the integration of a gender perspective in the implementation of all policies and treaties related to sustainable development and in the review of the implementation of the Yokohama Strategy for a Safer World: Guidelines for Natural Disaster Prevention, Preparedness and Mitigation and its Plan of Action, scheduled for 2004. The Commission on the Status of Women welcomes the International Strategy for Disaster Reduction efforts to mainstream a gender perspective in the mitigation of disasters. The Commission on the Status of Women welcomes also the policy statement of the Inter-Agency Standing Committee for the integration of a gender perspective in humanitarian assistance, of 31 May 1999. The Commission on the Status of Women welcomes further the convening of the International Conference on Financing for Development and takes note of the recognition, contained in the Monterrey Consensus, of the particular needs of women and the importance of gender equality and the empowerment of women, as well as the recognition of the impact of disasters. The Commission on the Status of Women welcomes the convening of the World Summit on Sustainable Development in Johannesburg, South Africa, stresses the importance of gender mainstreaming throughout the process and urges gender balance in the composition of delegations as well as the involvement and full participation of women in the preparations, work and outcome of the World Summit, thus renewing the commitment to gender equality objectives at the international level. The Commission on the Status of Women further reiterates that all States and all people shall cooperate in the essential task of eradicating poverty as an indispensable requirement for sustainable development, in order to decrease the disparities in standards of living and better meet the needs of the majority of the people of the world. 37th plenary meeting 24 July 2002 2002/6 Preparations for and observance of the tenth anniversary of the International Year of the Family The Economic and Social Council, Recommends to the General Assembly the adoption of the following draft resolution: “The General Assembly, “Recalling its resolutions 44/82 of 8 December 1989, 46/92 of 16 December 1991, 47/237 of 20 September 1993, 50/142 of 21 December 1995, 52/81 of 12 December 1997, 54/124 of 17 December 1999 and 56/113 of 19 December 2001 concerning the proclamation, preparations for and observance of the International Year of the Family and its tenth anniversary, “Recognizing that the follow-up to the International Year of the Family is an integral part of the agenda and of the multi-year programme of work of the Commission for Social Development until 2004, “Noting that the family-related provisions of the outcomes of the United Nations summits and conferences of the 1990s and their follow-up processes continue to provide policy guidance on ways to strengthen family-centred components of policies and programmes as part of an integrated comprehensive approach to development, “Recalling that relevant United Nations instruments on human rights as well as relevant global plans and programmes of action call for the widest possible protection and assistance to be accorded to the family, bearing in mind that in different cultural, political and social systems, various forms of the family exist, “Emphasizing that equality between women and men and respect for the human rights of all family members is essential to family well-being and to society at large, and noting the importance of reconciliation of work and family life, “Aware that families are affected by social and economic changes expressing themselves in trends that are observable worldwide and that the causes and consequences of those trends concerning families have to be identified and analysed, “Recognizing the important role of non-governmental organizations, at both the local and the national levels, working in the interest of families, “Having considered the report of the Secretary-General on the preparations for the observance of the tenth anniversary of the International Year of the Family,44 “1. Takes note of the report of the Secretary-General and the recommendations contained therein; “2. Reaffirms its invitation to all States to take prompt action to establish national mechanisms, as appropriate, to prepare for, observe and follow up the tenth anniversary of the International Year of the Family, in particular for the purpose of planning, stimulating and harmonizing the activities of the governmental and non-governmental agencies and organizations concerned with the preparations for and observance of the tenth anniversary, and to cooperate with the Secretary-General in achieving the objectives of the tenth anniversary; “3. Calls upon all United Nations bodies, the specialized agencies, the regional commissions and the intergovernmental and non-governmental organizations concerned, in particular family-related organizations, to make every possible effort towards the implementation of the objectives of the tenth anniversary of the International Year of the Family by integrating the family perspective into the planning and decision-making processes; “4. Decides that the major activities for the observance of the tenth anniversary of the International Year of the Family should be concentrated at the local, national and regional levels and that the United Nations system should assist Governments in these efforts; “5. Takes note of the major study on the most important trends affecting families to be submitted to the General Assembly at the commencement of the tenth anniversary of the International Year of the Family in December 2003; “6. Calls for a concerted promotional, informational and media campaign on behalf of the tenth anniversary of the International Year of the Family at the national, regional and international levels; “7. Invites the Secretary-General to launch the tenth anniversary of the International Year of the Family in early December 2003; “8. Decides to devote one plenary meeting at its fifty-ninth session, in 2004, to the observance of the tenth anniversary of the International Year of the Family, building upon the events to be held on 15 May 2004 on the occasion of the International Day of Families; “9. Invites the Secretary-General to continue to play an active role in facilitating international cooperation within the framework of the follow-up to the International Year of the Family, to facilitate the exchange of experiences and information among Governments on effective policies and strategies, to facilitate technical assistance, with a focus on least developed and developing countries, and to encourage the organization of subregional and interregional meetings and relevant research; “10. Requests the Secretary-General to report to the General Assembly at its fifty-eighth session through the Commission for Social Development and the Economic and Social Council on the preparations for the tenth anniversary of the International Year of the Family at all levels.” 37th plenary meeting 24 July 2002 2002/7 Comprehensive and integral international convention to promote and protect the rights and dignity of persons with disabilities The Economic and Social Council, Reaffirming the outcome of the major United Nations conferences and summits and their respective follow-up reviews, in particular as they pertain to the promotion of the rights and well-being of persons with disabilities on an equal and participatory basis, Noting the important role of Governments in the promotion and protection of all human rights of persons with disabilities, Underlining the important contribution of the Commission on Human Rights and the Commission for Social Development to the elaboration of a comprehensive and integral international convention to protect and promote the rights and dignity of persons with disabilities, Acknowledging the important role of non-governmental organizations in the promotion and protection of the human rights of persons with disabilities, and noting, in this regard, their work in promoting the elaboration of an international convention on the rights of persons with disabilities, Deeply concerned about the disadvantaged and vulnerable situation faced by 600 million persons with disabilities around the world, Welcomes the adoption of General Assembly resolution 56/168 of 19 December 2001, by which the Assembly decided to establish an Ad Hoc Committee, open to the participation of all Member States and observers to the United Nations, to consider proposals for a comprehensive and integral international convention to promote and protect the rights and dignity of persons with disabilities, based on the holistic approach in the work done in the fields of social development, human rights and non-discrimination and taking into account the recommendations of the Commission on Human Rights and the Commission for Social Development; Notes with appreciation the valuable work undertaken by the Special Rapporteur on disability of the Commission for Social Development, and takes note of his final report for the period 2000-2002, in particular his recommendations relating to the international convention, as part of efforts to strengthen the international framework for the protection of persons with disabilities; Underlines the importance of receiving, as soon as possible, the contributions requested by the General Assembly from States, relevant bodies and organizations of the United Nations system, including relevant human rights treaty bodies, the regional commissions and the Special Rapporteur on disability of the Commission for Social Development, as well as intergovernmental and non-governmental organizations with an interest in the matter to the work entrusted to the Ad Hoc Committee, based on the practice of the United Nations; Also underlines the importance of the request made by the General Assembly to the Secretary-General, with the support of the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights and the Division for Social Policy and Development of the Department of Economic and Social Affairs of the Secretariat, for the submission to the Ad Hoc Committee, prior to its first session, of a compilation of existing international legal instruments, documents and programmes that directly or indirectly address the situation of persons with disabilities, to include those of conferences, summits, meetings or international or regional seminars convened by the United Nations and intergovernmental and non-governmental organizations; Further underlines the importance of the request made by the General Assembly to the Secretary-General, to provide the Ad Hoc Committee with the outcome of the study undertaken pursuant to Commission on Human Rights resolution 2000/51 of 25 April 2000 and the final report presented by the Special Rapporteur on disability of the Commission for Social Development to that Commission; Recommends that the Ad Hoc Committee, when considering proposals for a convention, take into account the relationship of the proposed convention with the Standard Rules on the Equalization of Opportunities for Persons with Disabilities; Encourages Member States to provide adequate financial resources to ensure necessary expertise and the participation of international disability organizations in the work of the Ad Hoc Committee, in accordance with the standard practice of the General Assembly; Decides to remain seized of this matter. 37th plenary meeting 24 July 2002 2002/8 International cooperation in the fight against transnational organized crime: assistance to States in capacity-building with a view to facilitating the implementation of the United Nations Convention against Transnational Organized Crime and the Protocols thereto The Economic and Social Council Recommends to the General Assembly the adoption of the following draft resolution: “The General Assembly, “Recalling its resolution 55/25 of 15 November 2000, in which it adopted the United Nations Convention against Transnational Organized Crime, the Protocol to Prevent, Suppress and Punish Trafficking in Persons, Especially Women and Children, supplementing the United Nations Convention against Transnational Organized Crime, and the Protocol against the Smuggling of Migrants by Land, Sea and Air, supplementing the United Nations Convention against Transnational Organized Crime, and its resolution 55/255 of 31 May 2001, in which it adopted the Protocol against the Illicit Manufacturing of and Trafficking in Firearms, Their Parts, Components and Ammunition, supplementing the United Nations Convention against Transnational Organized Crime, “Recalling also its resolution 56/120 of 19 December 2001, in which it requested the Secretary-General to provide the Centre for International Crime Prevention of the Office for Drug Control and Crime Prevention of the Secretariat with the resources necessary to enable it to promote, in an effective manner, the entry into force and implementation of the Convention and the Protocols thereto, and encouraged Member States to make adequate voluntary contributions to the United Nations Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice Fund, in accordance with article 30 of the Convention, for the provision of technical assistance to developing countries and countries with economies in transition for the implementation of those international legal instruments, “Reaffirming its deep concern over the impact of transnational organized crime on the political, social and economic stability and development of societies, “Reaffirming that the adoption of the Convention and the Protocols thereto is a significant development in international criminal law and that they constitute important instruments for effective international cooperation against transnational organized crime, “1. Takes note with appreciation of the report of the Secretary-General on promoting the ratification of the United Nations Convention against Transnational Organized Crime and the Protocols thereto; “2. Welcomes the fact that a number of States have already ratified the Convention and the Protocols thereto, and reiterates the importance of ensuring the speedy entry into force of those instruments in accordance with its resolutions 55/25 and 55/255; “3. Commends the Centre for International Crime Prevention of the Office for Drug Control and Crime Prevention of the Secretariat for its work in promoting the ratification of the Convention and the Protocols thereto; “4. Welcomes the proposed action by the Centre for International Crime Prevention, described in the report of the Secretary-General, to promote the early entry into force and implementation of the Convention and the Protocols thereto; “5. Welcomes also the financial support provided by several donors to promote the entry into force and implementation of the Convention and the Protocols thereto, and further encourages Member States to make sufficient voluntary contributions to the United Nations Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice Fund for the provision of technical assistance to developing countries and countries with economies in transition for the implementation of those international legal instruments; “6. Requests the Secretary-General to continue to provide the Centre for International Crime Prevention with the resources necessary to enable it to promote, in an effective manner, the entry into force and implementation of the Convention and the Protocols thereto; “7. Also requests the Secretary-General to report on the implementation of the present resolution in his report on the work of the Centre for International Crime Prevention to be submitted to the General Assembly at its fifty-eighth session.” 37th plenary meeting 24 July 2002 2002/9 High-level political conference for the purpose of signing the United Nations convention against corruption The Economic and Social Council Recommends to the General Assembly the adoption of the following draft resolution: “The General Assembly, “Recalling its resolution 55/61 of 4 December 2000, in which it decided to establish an ad hoc committee for the negotiation of an international legal instrument against corruption, “Recalling also its resolution 56/260 of 31 January 2002 on the terms of reference for the negotiation of an international legal instrument against corruption, in which it decided that the ad hoc committee established pursuant to its resolution 55/61 should negotiate a broad and effective convention which, subject to the final determination of its title, should be referred to as the “United Nations Convention against Corruption”, and requested the ad hoc committee to complete its work by the end of 2003, “Recalling further its resolution 55/188 of 20 December 2000 on preventing and combating corrupt practices and illegal transfer of funds and repatriation of such funds to the countries of origin and its resolution 56/186 of 21 December 2001 on preventing and combating corrupt practices and transfer of funds of illicit origin and returning such funds to the countries of origin, “Commending the efforts of the United Nations to address concerns about corruption in a global forum and the efforts of Member States to implement the various instruments and standards relating to corruption, including the United Nations Declaration against Corruption and Bribery in International Commercial Transactions and the International Code of Conduct for Public Officials, “Mindful of the fact that negotiations on the draft United Nations Convention against Corruption are continuing in Vienna in accordance with General Assembly resolutions 40/243 of 18 December 1985, 55/61 and 56/260, “1. Notes the progress made to date by the Ad Hoc Committee for the Negotiation of a Convention against Corruption, and urges the Ad Hoc Committee to endeavour to complete its work by the end of 2003; “2. Accepts with appreciation the offer made by the Government of Mexico to host a high-level political conference for the purpose of signing the convention; “3. Decides to convene in Mexico the high-level political conference for the purpose of signing the convention by the end of 2003; “4. Requests the Secretary-General to schedule the high-level political conference for a period of three days before the end of 2003 and to organize it in accordance with General Assembly resolution 40/243; “5. Requests the Centre for International Crime Prevention of the Office for Drug Control and Crime Prevention of the Secretariat to work with the Government of Mexico, in consultation with Member States, in formulating proposals on organizing the high-level political conference so that it will provide opportunities for high-level delegates to consider issues connected with the convention, in particular follow-up activities for its effective implementation and for future work in the area of fighting corruption; “6. Invites all States to arrange to be represented at the high-level political conference by persons at the highest possible level of government; “7. Requests the Secretary-General to provide the Centre for International Crime Prevention, which will act as the secretariat for the high-level political conference, with all the resources necessary for organizing the conference in an effective and appropriate manner.” 37th plenary meeting 24 July 2002 2002/10 Follow-up to the plans of action for the implementation of the Vienna Declaration on Crime and Justice: Meeting the Challenges of the Twenty-first Century The Economic and Social Council Recommends to the General Assembly the adoption of the following draft resolution: “The General Assembly, “Recalling its resolution 55/59 of 4 December 2000, in which it endorsed the Vienna Declaration on Crime and Justice: Meeting the Challenges of the Twenty-first Century, adopted by the Tenth United Nations Congress on the Prevention of Crime and the Treatment of Offenders, held in Vienna from 10 to 17 April 2000, “Recalling also its resolution 55/60 of 4 December 2000, in which it urged Governments, in their efforts to prevent and combat crime, especially transnational crime, and to maintain well-functioning criminal justice systems, to be guided by the results of the Tenth Congress, “Recalling further its resolution 56/261 of 31 January 2002, in which it took note with appreciation of the plans of action for the implementation of the Vienna Declaration and invited the Commission on Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice to follow up their implementation and to make any recommendations as appropriate, “Underlining the significance of the plans of action in providing guidance for the implementation of and follow-up to the commitments undertaken in the Vienna Declaration, “Having taken note of the fact that the plans of action reflect a wide range of United Nations standards and norms in crime prevention and criminal justice, “Recognizing that effective follow-up to the plans of action could promote the use and application of those standards and norms while facilitating an effective long-term response to the challenges of the twenty-first century in the field of crime prevention and criminal justice, “1. Invites Governments and relevant intergovernmental organizations and non-governmental organizations to consider carefully and use, as appropriate, the plans of action for the implementation of the Vienna Declaration on Crime and Justice: Meeting the Challenges of the Twenty-first Century as guidance for the formulation of legislation, policies and programmes in the field of crime prevention and criminal justice at the national and international levels; “2. Requests the Secretariat to report to the Commission on Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice at its twelfth session on the outcome of its discussion with the institutes of the United Nations Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice Programme network regarding their possible contribution to the implementation of the plans of action, pursuant to General Assembly resolution 56/261; “3. Requests the Executive Director of the Office for Drug Control and Crime Prevention of the Secretariat to keep the Commission on Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice informed of the progress made in the follow-up to the plans of action in his reports on the work of the Centre for International Crime Prevention; “4. Invites the Commission on Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice, while formulating recommendations regarding the Eleventh United Nations Congress on Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice pursuant to General Assembly resolution 56/119 of 19 December 2001, to take into account the progress made in the follow-up to the Vienna Declaration and the plans of action, as well as new developments that, in the meantime, have taken place in the areas covered by the Vienna Declaration.” 37th plenary meeting 24 July 2002 2002/11 Preparations for the Eleventh United Nations Congress on Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice The Economic and Social Council Recommends to the General Assembly the adoption of the following draft resolution: “The General Assembly, “Recalling its resolution 56/119 of 19 December 2001 on the role, function, periodicity and duration of the United Nations congresses on the prevention of crime and the treatment of offenders, “Considering that, pursuant to its resolutions 415 (V) of 1 December 1950 and 46/152 of 18 December 1991, the Eleventh United Nations Congress on Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice is to be held in the year 2005, “Bearing in mind the guidelines for and the new format of the United Nations congresses, as stipulated in paragraph 2 of General Assembly resolution 56/119, as well as paragraphs 29 and 30 of the statement of principles and programme of action of the United Nations Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice Programme, annexed to resolution 46/152, “Bearing in mind General Assembly resolution 56/119, in which the Assembly requested the Commission on Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice, as the preparatory body for the United Nations congresses, to formulate, at its eleventh session, recommendations regarding the Eleventh Congress, including recommendations on the main topic, the organization of round tables and workshops to be held by panels of experts and the venue and duration of the Eleventh Congress, and to submit those recommendations, through the Economic and Social Council, to the General Assembly at its fifty-seventh session, “Recognizing the significant contributions of the United Nations congresses in promoting the exchange of experiences in research, law and policy development and the identification of emerging trends and issues in crime prevention and criminal justice among States, intergovernmental organizations and individual experts representing various professions and disciplines, “1. Takes note of the report of the Commission on Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice on its eleventh session and of its discussion on the preparations for the Eleventh United Nations Congress on Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice; “2. Decides that the main theme of the Eleventh Congress shall be `Synergies and responses: strategic alliances in crime prevention and criminal justice'; “3. Suggests that the following topics be included for discussion during the plenary session of the Eleventh Congress, and notes that Member States may refine these topics and propose additional topics at future intersessional meetings of the Commission for finalization at its twelfth session: “(a) Effective measures against transnational organized crime; “(b) Corruption: threats and trends in the twenty-first century; “(c) Economic and financial crimes: challenges to sustainable development; “(d) Making standards work: fifty years of standard-setting in crime prevention and criminal justice; “4. Also suggests that the following issues be considered by workshops within the framework of the Eleventh Congress, and notes that Member States may refine these issues and propose additional workshop topics at future intersessional meetings of the Commission for finalization at its twelfth session: “(a) Measures against economic crime: the role of the private sector; “(b) Cross-border law enforcement cooperation; “(c) Human rights in criminal justice; “(d) Restorative justice: community involvement, diversion and other alternative measures; “(e) Links between transnational organized crime and terrorism; “(f) Measures against high-technology and computer-related crime; “(g) Measures against money-laundering; “(h) Combating corruption; “(i) Crime prevention strategies for youth at risk; “(j) Current practices in and ways of over-coming obstacles to extradition; “5. Requests the Secretary-General to facilitate the organization of regional preparatory meetings for the Eleventh Congress; “6. Also requests the Secretary-General to prepare, in cooperation with the institutes of the United Nations Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice Programme network, a discussion guide for the regional preparatory meetings for the Eleventh Congress for the consideration of the Commission, and invites Member States to be involved actively in that process; “7. Accepts with gratitude the offer of the Government of Thailand to host the Eleventh United Nations Congress on Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice, and requests the Secretary-General to initiate consultations with the Government of Thailand and to report to the Commission at its twelfth session; “8. Decides that the duration of the Eleventh Congress shall not exceed eight days, including pre-Congress consultations; “9. Invites Member States to be represented at the Eleventh Congress at the highest possible level, for example, by heads of State or Government or government ministers and attorneys-general, to make statements on the theme and topics of the Congress and to participate in thematic interactive round tables; “10. Encourages relevant specialized agencies, United Nations programmes and intergovernmental and non-governmental organizations, as well as other professional organizations, to cooperate with the Centre for International Crime Prevention of the Office for Drug Control and Crime Prevention of the Secretariat in the preparations for the Eleventh Congress; “11. Reiterates its request to the Secretary-General to provide the Centre for International Crime Prevention with the necessary resources, within the overall appropriations of the programme budget for the biennium 2002-2003, for the preparations for the Eleventh Congress and to ensure that adequate resources are provided in the programme budget for the biennium 2004-2005 to support the holding of the Congress; “12. Requests the Secretary-General to make available the necessary resources for the participation of the least developed countries in the regional preparatory meetings for the Eleventh Congress and in the Congress itself, in accordance with past practice; “13. Requests the Commission, at its twelfth session, to finalize the programme for the Eleventh Congress and to make its final recommendations, through the Economic and Social Council, to the General Assembly; “14. Requests the Secretary-General to ensure the proper follow-up to the present resolution and to report thereon to the General Assembly, through the Commission on Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice at its twelfth session.” 37th plenary meeting 24 July 2002 2002/12 Basic principles on the use of restorative justice programmes in criminal matters The Economic and Social Council, Recalling its resolution 1999/26 of 28 July 1999, entitled “Development and implementation of mediation and restorative justice measures in criminal justice”, in which the Council requested the Commission on Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice to consider the desirability of formulating United Nations standards in the field of mediation and restorative justice, Recalling also its resolution 2000/14 of 27 July 2000, entitled “Basic principles on the use of restorative justice programmes in criminal matters”, in which it requested the Secretary-General to seek comments from Member States and relevant intergovernmental and non-governmental organizations, as well as institutes of the United Nations Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice Programme network, on the desirability and the means of establishing common principles on the use of restorative justice programmes in criminal matters, including the advisability of developing a new instrument for that purpose, Taking into account the existing international commitments with respect to victims, in particular the Declaration of Basic Principles of Justice for Victims of Crime and Abuse of Power, Noting the discussions on restorative justice during the Tenth United Nations Congress on the Prevention of Crime and the Treatment of Offenders, under the agenda item entitled “Offenders and victims: accountability and fairness in the justice process”, Taking note of General Assembly resolution 56/261 of 31 January 2002, entitled “Plans of action for the implementation of the Vienna Declaration on Crime and Justice: Meeting the Challenges of the Twenty-first Century”, in particular the action on restorative justice in order to follow up the commitments undertaken in paragraph 28 of the Vienna Declaration, Noting with appreciation the work of the Group of Experts on Restorative Justice at their meeting held in Ottawa from 29 October to 1 November 2001, Taking note of the report of the Secretary-General on restorative justice and the report of the Group of Experts on Restorative Justice, Takes note of the basic principles on the use of restorative justice programmes in criminal matters annexed to the present resolution; Encourages Member States to draw on the basic principles on the use of restorative justice programmes in criminal matters in the development and operation of restorative justice programmes; Requests the Secretary-General to ensure the widest possible dissemination of the basic principles on the use of restorative justice programmes in criminal matters among Member States, the institutes of the United Nations Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice Programme network and other international, regional and non-governmental organizations; Calls upon Member States that have adopted restorative justice practices to make information about those practices available to other States upon request; Also calls upon Member States to assist one another in the development and implementation of research, training or other programmes, as well as activities to stimulate discussion and the exchange of experience on restorative justice; Further calls upon Member States to consider, through voluntary contributions, the provision of technical assistance to developing countries and countries with economies in transition, on request, to assist them in the development of restorative justice programmes. 37th plenary meeting 24 July 2002 Annex Basic principles on the use of restorative justice programmes in criminal matters Preamble Recalling that there has been, worldwide, a significant growth of restorative justice initiatives, Recognizing that those initiatives often draw upon traditional and indigenous forms of justice which view crime as fundamentally harmful to people, Emphasizing that restorative justice is an evolving response to crime that respects the dignity and equality of each person, builds understanding, and promotes social harmony through the healing of victims, offenders and communities, Stressing that this approach enables those affected by crime to share openly their feelings and experiences, and aims at addressing their needs, Aware that this approach provides an opportunity for victims to obtain reparation, feel safer and seek closure; allows offenders to gain insight into the causes and effects of their behaviour and to take responsibility in a meaningful way; and enables communities to understand the underlying causes of crime, to promote community well-being and to prevent crime, Noting that restorative justice gives rise to a range of measures that are flexible in their adaptation to established criminal justice systems and that complement those systems, taking into account legal, social and cultural circumstances, Recognizing that the use of restorative justice does not prejudice the right of States to prosecute alleged offenders, Use of terms “Restorative justice programme” means any programme that uses restorative processes and seeks to achieve restorative outcomes. “Restorative process” means any process in which the victim and the offender, and, where appropriate, any other individuals or community members affected by a crime, participate together actively in the resolution of matters arising from the crime, generally with the help of a facilitator. Restorative processes may include mediation, conciliation, conferencing and sentencing circles. “Restorative outcome” means an agreement reached as a result of a restorative process. Restorative outcomes include responses and programmes such as reparation, restitution and community service, aimed at meeting the individual and collective needs and responsibilities of the parties and achieving the reintegration of the victim and the offender. “Parties” means the victim, the offender and any other individuals or community members affected by a crime who may be involved in a restorative process. “Facilitator” means a person whose role is to facilitate, in a fair and impartial manner, the participation of the parties in a restorative process. Use of restorative justice programmes Restorative justice programmes may be used at any stage of the criminal justice system, subject to national law. Restorative processes should be used only where there is sufficient evidence to charge the offender and with the free and voluntary consent of the victim and the offender. The victim and the offender should be able to withdraw such consent at any time during the process. Agreements should be arrived at voluntarily and should contain only reasonable and proportionate obligations. The victim and the offender should normally agree on the basic facts of a case as the basis for their participation in a restorative process. Participation of the offender shall not be used as evidence of admission of guilt in subsequent legal proceedings. Disparities leading to power imbalances, as well as cultural differences among the parties, should be taken into consideration in referring a case to, and in conducting, a restorative process. The safety of the parties shall be considered in referring any case to, and in conducting, a restorative process. Where restorative processes are not suitable or possible, the case should be referred to the criminal justice authorities and a decision should be taken as to how to proceed without delay. In such cases, criminal justice officials should endeavour to encourage the offender to take responsibility vis-à-vis the victim and affected communities, and support the reintegration of the victim and the offender into the community. Operation of restorative justice programmes Member States should consider establishing guidelines and standards, with legislative authority when necessary, that govern the use of restorative justice programmes. Such guidelines and standards should respect the basic principles set forth in the present instrument and should address, inter alia: (a) The conditions for the referral of cases to restorative justice programmes; (b) The handling of cases following a restorative process; (c) The qualifications, training and assessment of facilitators; (d) The administration of restorative justice programmes; (e) Standards of competence and rules of conduct governing the operation of restorative justice programmes. Fundamental procedural safeguards guaranteeing fairness to the offender and the victim should be applied to restorative justice programmes and in particular to restorative processes: (a) Subject to national law, the victim and the offender should have the right to consult with legal counsel concerning the restorative process and, where necessary, to translation and/or interpretation. Minors should, in addition, have the right to the assistance of a parent or guardian; (b) Before agreeing to participate in restorative processes, the parties should be fully informed of their rights, the nature of the process and the possible consequences of their decision; (c) Neither the victim nor the offender should be coerced, or induced by unfair means, to participate in restorative processes or to accept restorative outcomes. Discussions in restorative processes that are not conducted in public should be confidential, and should not be disclosed subsequently, except with the agreement of the parties or as required by national law. The results of agreements arising out of restorative justice programmes should, where appropriate, be judicially supervised or incorporated into judicial decisions or judgements. Where that occurs, the outcome should have the same status as any other judicial decision or judgement and should preclude prosecution in respect of the same facts. Where no agreement is reached among the parties, the case should be referred back to the established criminal justice process and a decision as to how to proceed should be taken without delay. Failure to reach an agreement alone shall not be used in subsequent criminal justice proceedings. Failure to implement an agreement made in the course of a restorative process should be referred back to the restorative programme or, where required by national law, to the established criminal justice process and a decision as to how to proceed should be taken without delay. Failure to implement an agreement, other than a judicial decision or judgement, should not be used as justification for a more severe sentence in subsequent criminal justice proceedings. Facilitators should perform their duties in an impartial manner, with due respect to the dignity of the parties. In that capacity, facilitators should ensure that the parties act with respect towards each other and enable the parties to find a relevant solution among themselves. Facilitators shall possess a good understanding of local cultures and communities and, where appropriate, receive initial training before taking up facilitation duties. Continuing development of restorative justice programmes Member States should consider the formulation of national strategies and policies aimed at the development of restorative justice and at the promotion of a culture favourable to the use of restorative justice among law enforcement, judicial and social authorities, as well as local communities. There should be regular consultation between criminal justice authorities and administrators of restorative justice programmes to develop a common understanding and enhance the effectiveness of restorative processes and outcomes, to increase the extent to which restorative programmes are used, and to explore ways in which restorative approaches might be incorporated into criminal justice practices. Member States, in cooperation with civil society where appropriate, should promote research on and evaluation of restorative justice programmes to assess the extent to which they result in restorative outcomes, serve as a complement or alternative to the criminal justice process and provide positive outcomes for all parties. Restorative justice processes may need to undergo change in concrete form over time. Member States should therefore encourage regular evaluation and modification of such programmes. The results of research and evaluation should guide further policy and programme development. Saving clause Nothing in these basic principles shall affect any rights of an offender or a victim which are established in national law or applicable international law. Action to promote effective crime prevention The Economic and Social Council, Bearing in mind its resolution 1996/16 of 23 July 1996, in which it requested the Secretary-General to continue to promote the use and application of United Nations standards and norms in crime prevention and criminal justice matters, Recalling the elements of responsible crime prevention: standards and norms annexed to its resolution 1997/33 of 21 July 1997, in particular those relating to community involvement in crime prevention contained in paragraphs 14 to 23 of that annex, as well as the revised draft elements of responsible crime prevention prepared by the Expert Group Meeting on Elements of Responsible Crime Prevention: Addressing Traditional and Emerging Crime Problems, held in Buenos Aires from 8 to 10 September 1999, Taking note of the international colloquium of crime prevention experts convened in Montreal, Canada, from 3 to 6 October 1999, by the Governments of France, the Netherlands and Canada, in collaboration with the International Centre for the Prevention of Crime in Montreal, as a preparatory meeting for the Tenth United Nations Congress on the Prevention of Crime and the Treatment of Offenders, Noting that the draft elements of responsible crime prevention were considered at the workshop on community involvement in crime prevention held at the Tenth United Nations Congress on the Prevention of Crime and the Treatment of Offenders, held in Vienna from 10 to 17 April 2000, Acknowledging the need to update and finalize the draft elements of responsible crime prevention, Aware of the scope for significant reductions in crime and victimization through knowledge-based approaches, and of the contribution that effective crime prevention can make in terms of the safety and security of individuals and their property, as well as the quality of life in communities around the world, Taking note of General Assembly resolution 56/261 of 31 January 2002, entitled “Plans of action for the implementation of the Vienna Declaration on Crime and Justice: Meeting the Challenges of the Twenty-first Century”, in particular the action on crime prevention in order to follow up the commitments undertaken in paragraphs 11, 13, 20, 21, 24 and 25 of the Vienna Declaration, Convinced of the need to advance a collaborative agenda for action with respect to the commitments made in the Vienna Declaration, Noting with appreciation the work of the Group of Experts on Crime Prevention at their meeting held in Vancouver, Canada, from 21 to 24 January 2002, and the work of the Secretary-General in preparing a report on the results of that interregional meeting, containing revised draft guidelines for crime prevention and proposed priority areas for international action, Recognizing that each Member State is unique in its governmental structure, social characteristics and economic capacity and that those factors will influence the scope and implementation of its crime prevention programmes, Recognizing also that changing circumstances and evolving approaches to crime prevention may require further elaboration and adaptation of crime prevention guidelines, Accepts the Guidelines for the Prevention of Crime, annexed to the present resolution, with a view to providing elements for effective crime prevention; Invites Member States to draw upon the Guidelines, as appropriate, in the development or strengthening of their policies in the field of crime prevention and criminal justice; Requests relevant United Nations bodies and other specialized organizations to strengthen inter-agency coordination and cooperation in crime prevention, as set out in the Guidelines, and, to that end, to disseminate the Guidelines widely within the United Nations system; Requests the Centre for International Crime Prevention of the Office for Drug Control and Crime Prevention of the Secretariat, in consultation with Member States, the institutes of the United Nations Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice Programme network and other relevant entities in the United Nations system, to prepare a proposal for technical assistance in the area of crime prevention, in accordance with the guidelines of the Office for Drug Control and Crime Prevention; Requests Member States to establish or strengthen international, regional and national crime prevention networks, with a view to developing knowledge-based strategies, exchanging proven and promising practices, identifying elements of their transferability and making such knowledge available to communities throughout the world; Requests the Secretary-General to report to the Commission on Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice at its fourteenth session on the implementation of the present resolution. 37th plenary meeting 24 July 2002 Annex Guidelines for the Prevention of Crime Introduction There is clear evidence that well-planned crime prevention strategies not only prevent crime and victimization, but also promote community safety and contribute to the sustainable development of countries. Effective, responsible crime prevention enhances the quality of life of all citizens. It has long-term benefits in terms of reducing the costs associated with the formal criminal justice system, as well as other social costs that result from crime. Crime prevention offers opportunities for a humane and more cost-effective approach to the problems of crime. The present Guidelines outline the necessary elements for effective crime prevention. Conceptual frame of reference It is the responsibility of all levels of government to create, maintain and promote a context within which relevant governmental institutions and all segments of civil society, including the corporate sector, can better play their part in preventing crime. For the purposes of the present Guidelines, “crime prevention” comprises strategies and measures that seek to reduce the risk of crimes occurring, and their potential harmful effects on individuals and society, including fear of crime, by intervening to influence their multiple causes. The enforcement of laws, sentences and corrections, while also performing preventive functions, falls outside the scope of the Guidelines, given the comprehensive coverage of the subject in other United Nations instruments. The present Guidelines address crime and its effects on victims and society and take into account the growing internationalization of criminal activities. Community involvement and cooperation/ partnerships represent important elements of the concept of crime prevention set out herein. While the term “community” may be defined in different ways, its essence in this context is the involvement of civil society at the local level. Crime prevention encompasses a wide range of approaches, including those which: (a) Promote the well-being of people and encourage pro-social behaviour through social, economic, health and educational measures, with a particular emphasis on children and youth, and focus on the risk and protective factors associated with crime and victimization (prevention through social development or social crime prevention); (b) Change the conditions in neighbourhoods that influence offending, victimization and the insecurity that results from crime by building on the initiatives, expertise and commitment of community members (locally based crime prevention); (c) Prevent the occurrence of crimes by reducing opportunities, increasing risks of being apprehended and minimizing benefits, including through environmental design, and by providing assistance and information to potential and actual victims (situational crime prevention); (d) Prevent recidivism by assisting in the social reintegration of offenders and other preventive mechanisms (reintegration programmes). Basic principles Government leadership All levels of government should play a leadership role in developing effective and humane crime prevention strategies and in creating and maintaining institutional frameworks for their implementation and review. Socio-economic development and inclusion Crime prevention considerations should be integrated into all relevant social and economic policies and programmes, including those addressing employment, education, health, housing and urban planning, poverty, social marginalization and exclusion. Particular emphasis should be placed on communities, families, children and youth at risk. Cooperation/partnerships Cooperation/partnerships should be an integral part of effective crime prevention, given the wide-ranging nature of the causes of crime and the skills and responsibilities required to address them. This includes partnerships working across ministries and between authorities, community organizations, non-governmental organizations, the business sector and private citizens. Sustainability/accountability Crime prevention requires adequate resources, including funding for structures and activities, in order to be sustained. There should be clear accountability for funding, implementation and evaluation and for the achievement of planned results. Knowledge base Crime prevention strategies, policies, programmes and actions should be based on a broad, multidisciplinary foundation of knowledge about crime problems, their multiple causes and promising and proven practices. Human rights/rule of law/culture of lawfulness The rule of law and those human rights which are recognized in international instruments to which Member States are parties must be respected in all aspects of crime prevention. A culture of lawfulness should be actively promoted in crime prevention. Interdependency National crime prevention diagnoses and strategies should, where appropriate, take account of links between local criminal problems and international organized crime. Differentiation Crime prevention strategies should, when appropriate, pay due regard to the different needs of men and women and consider the special needs of vulnerable members of society. Organization, methods and approaches Recognizing that all States have unique governmental structures, this section sets out tools and methodologies that Governments and all segments of civil society should consider in developing strategies to prevent crime and reduce victimization. It draws on international good practice. Community involvement In some of the areas listed below, Governments bear the primary responsibility. However, the active participation of communities and other segments of civil society is an essential part of effective crime prevention. Communities, in particular, should play an important part in identifying crime prevention priorities, in implementation and evaluation, and in helping to identify a sustainable resource base. A Organization Government structures Governments should include prevention as a permanent part of their structures and programmes for controlling crime, ensuring that clear responsibilities and goals exist within government for the organization of crime prevention, by, inter alia: (a) Establishing centres or focal points with expertise and resources; (b) Establishing a crime prevention plan with clear priorities and targets; (c) Establishing linkages and coordination between relevant government agencies or departments; (d) Fostering partnerships with non-governmental organizations, the business, private and professional sectors and the community; (e) Seeking the active participation of the public in crime prevention by informing it of the need for and means of action and its role. Training and capacity-building Governments should support the development of crime prevention skills by: (a) Providing professional development for senior officials in relevant agencies; (b) Encouraging universities, colleges and other relevant educational agencies to offer basic and advanced courses, including in collaboration with practitioners; (c) Working with the educational and professional sectors to develop certification and professional qualifications; (d) Promoting the capacity of communities to develop and respond to their needs. Supporting partnerships Governments and all segments of civil society should support the principle of partnership, where appropriate, including: (a) Advancing knowledge of the importance of this principle and the components of successful partnerships, including the need for all of the partners to have clear and transparent roles; (b) Fostering the formation of partnerships at different levels and across sectors; (c) Facilitating the efficient operation of partnerships. Sustainability Governments and other funding bodies should strive to achieve sustainability of demonstrably effective crime prevention programmes and initiatives through, inter alia: (a) Reviewing resource allocation to establish and maintain an appropriate balance between crime prevention and the criminal justice and other systems, to be more effective in preventing crime and victimization; (b) Establishing clear accountability for funding, programming and coordinating crime prevention initiatives; (c) Encouraging community involvement in sustainability. B Methods Knowledge base As appropriate, Governments and/or civil society should facilitate knowledge-based crime prevention by, inter alia: (a) Providing the information necessary for communities to address crime problems; (b) Supporting the generation of useful and practically applicable knowledge that is scientifically reliable and valid; (c) Supporting the organization and synthesis of knowledge and identifying and addressing gaps in the knowledge base; (d) Sharing that knowledge, as appropriate, among, inter alia, researchers, policy makers, educators, practitioners from other relevant sectors and the wider community; (e) Applying this knowledge in replicating successful interventions, developing new initiatives and anticipating new crime problems and prevention opportunities; (f) Establishing data systems to help manage crime prevention more cost-effectively, including by conducting regular surveys of victimization and offending; (g) Promoting the application of those data in order to reduce repeat victimization, persistent offending and areas with a high level of crime. Planning interventions Those planning interventions should promote a process that includes: (a) A systematic analysis of crime problems, their causes, risk factors and consequences, in particular at the local level; (b) A plan that draws on the most appropriate approach and adapts interventions to the specific local problem and context; (c) An implementation plan to deliver appropriate interventions that are efficient, effective and sustainable; (d) Mobilizing entities that are able to tackle causes; (e) Monitoring and evaluation. Support evaluation Governments, other funding bodies and those involved in programme development and delivery should: (a) Undertake short- and longer-term evaluation to test rigorously what works, where and why; (b) Undertake cost-benefit analyses; (c) Assess the extent to which action results in a reduction in levels of crime and victimization, in the seriousness of crime and in fear of crime; (d) Systematically assess the outcomes and unintended consequences, both positive and negative, of action, such as a decrease in crime rates or the stigmatization of individuals and/or communities. C Approaches This section expands upon the social development and situational crime prevention approaches. It also outlines approaches that Governments and civil society should endeavour to follow in order to prevent organized crime. Social development Governments should address the risk factors of crime and victimization by: (a) Promoting protective factors through comprehensive and non-stigmatizing social and economic development programmes, including health, education, housing and employment; (b) Promoting activities that redress marginalization and exclusion; (c) Promoting positive conflict resolution; (d) Using education and public awareness strategies to foster a culture of lawfulness and tolerance while respecting cultural identities. Situational Governments and civil society, including, where appropriate, the corporate sector, should support the development of situational crime prevention programmes by, inter alia: (a) Improved environmental design; (b) Appropriate methods of surveillance that are sensitive to the right to privacy; (c) Encouraging the design of consumer goods to make them more resistant to crime; (d) Target “hardening” without impinging upon the quality of the built environment or limiting free access to public space; (e) Implementing strategies to prevent repeat victimization. Prevention of organized crime Governments and civil society should endeavour to analyse and address the links between transnational organized crime and national and local crime problems by, inter alia: (a) Reducing existing and future opportunities for organized criminal groups to participate in lawful markets with the proceeds of crime, through appropriate legislative, administrative or other measures; (b) Developing measures to prevent the misuse by organized criminal groups of tender procedures conducted by public authorities and of subsidies and licences granted by public authorities for commercial activity; (c) Designing crime prevention strategies, where appropriate, to protect socially marginalized groups, especially women and children, who are vulnerable to the action of organized criminal groups, including trafficking in persons and smuggling of migrants. International cooperation Standards and norms In promoting international action in crime prevention, Member States are invited to take into account the main international instruments related to human rights and crime prevention to which they are parties, such as the Convention on the Rights of the Child (General Assembly resolution 44/25, annex), the Declaration on the Elimination of Violence against Women (General Assembly resolution 48/104), the United Nations Guidelines for the Prevention of Juvenile Delinquency (the Riyadh Guidelines) (General Assembly resolution 45/112, annex), the Declaration of Basic Principles of Justice for Victims of Crime and Abuse of Power (General Assembly resolution 40/34, annex), the guidelines for cooperation and technical assistance in the field of urban crime prevention (resolution 1995/9, annex), as well as the Vienna Declaration on Crime and Justice: Meeting the Challenges of the Twenty-first Century (General Assembly resolution 55/59, annex) and the United Nations Convention against Transnational Organized Crime and the Protocols thereto (General Assembly resolution 55/25, annexes I-III, and resolution 55/255, annex). Technical assistance Member States and relevant international funding organizations should provide financial and technical assistance, including capacity-building and training, to developing countries and countries with economies in transition, communities and other relevant organizations for the implementation of effective crime prevention and community safety strategies at the regional, national and local levels. In that context, special attention should be given to research and action on crime prevention through social development. Networking Member States should strengthen or establish international, regional and national crime prevention networks with a view to exchanging proven and promising practices, identifying elements of their transferability and making such knowledge available to communities throughout the world. Links between transnational and local crime Member States should collaborate to analyse and address the links between transnational organized crime and national and local crime problems. Prioritizing crime prevention The Centre for International Crime Prevention of the Office for Drug Control and Crime Prevention of the Secretariat, the United Nations Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice Programme network of affiliated and associated institutes and other relevant United Nations entities should include in their priorities crime prevention as set out in these Guidelines, set up a coordination mechanism and establish a roster of experts to undertake needs assessment and to provide technical advice. Dissemination Relevant United Nations bodies and other organizations should cooperate to produce crime prevention information in as many languages as possible, using both print and electronic media. 2002/14 Promoting effective measures to deal with the issues of missing children and sexual abuse or exploitation of children The Economic and Social Council, Recalling the Convention on the Rights of the Child, the Optional Protocol to the Convention on the Rights of the Child on the sale of children, child prostitution and child pornography, the United Nations Convention against Transnational Organized Crime and the Protocol to Prevent, Suppress and Punish Trafficking in Persons, Especially Women and Children, supplementing the United Nations Convention against Transnational Organized Crime, Recalling also the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, Recalling further General Assembly resolution 50/145 of 21 December 1995 on the Ninth United Nations Congress on the Prevention of Crime and the Treatment of Offenders, in which the Assembly endorsed the resolutions adopted by the Ninth Congress, including resolution 7 of 7 May 1995 on children as victims and perpetrators of crime and the United Nations criminal justice programme, Recalling the First World Congress against Commercial Sexual Exploitation of Children, held in Stockholm from 27 to 31 August 1996, and the Declaration and Agenda for Action adopted by the World Congress to promote the protection of the rights of the child and end the commercial sexual exploitation of children, in particular by applying the Convention on the Rights of the Child and other relevant instruments, Recalling also the Second World Congress against Commercial Sexual Exploitation of Children, held in Yokohama, Japan, from 17 to 20 December 2001, at which the participants adopted the Yokohama Global Commitment 2001, welcoming the enhancement by States of actions towards the elimination of child prostitution, child pornography and trafficking in children for sexual purposes, Recalling further International Labour Organization Convention No. 182 concerning the Prohibition and Immediate Action for the Elimination of the Worst Forms of Child Labour, of 17 June 1999, which prohibits forced or obligatory labour of all people under the age of 18, Action to promote cooperation with civil society in dealing with the issues of missing children and sexual abuse or exploitation of children Convinced that civil society can play a role in the fight against the disappearance of children and that organizations or a structured network of associations can be useful in finding missing children and in preventing and countering that problem, Convinced also that civil society can also play a role in the fight against sexual abuse or exploitation of children and that organizations or a structured network of associations can be useful in assisting sexually abused or exploited children and in preventing and countering that problem, Encourages Member States to facilitate cooperation between the competent authorities and qualified organizations or associations of civil society involved in tracing missing children or in assisting sexually abused or exploited children; Emphasizes that such cooperation does not prejudice the role of the competent authorities in conducting investigations and proceedings; Calls upon Member States to examine the possibility, taking into account the resources available, of providing, inter alia, a toll-free hotline or other means of communication or encouraging arrangements, for instance through the use of the Internet, whereby the qualified organizations or associations referred to in paragraph 1 above could make a hotline available twenty-four hours a day; Also calls upon Member States to establish appropriate arrangements, to the extent necessary, in accordance with their legislation pertaining to investigations and proceedings, in order to facilitate the mutual exchange, between such organizations or associations and the competent authorities, of appropriate information concerning the tracing of missing or sexually abused or exploited children. Measures against child prostitution Recalling the Convention on the Rights of the Child, _/ in article 34 (a) of which States parties are called upon to prevent the inducement or coercion of a child to engage in any unlawful sexual activity, Noting that, in article 3, paragraph 1 (b), of the Optional Protocol to the Convention on the Rights of the Child on the sale of children, child prostitution and child pornography, States parties are called upon to ensure that the act of offering, obtaining, procuring or providing a child for prostitution is fully covered under their criminal or penal law, Considering that child prostitution is undeniably a traumatic experience for the children involved, Reaffirming the need to make persons who procure or obtain the sexual services of children responsible for their action, which violates the rights and the dignity of the children involved, Calls upon Member States to take immediate steps to provide for the effective and proportional punishment, under their domestic law, of persons who procure or obtain the sexual services of children. Time limits for criminal proceedings in cases involving the sexual abuse or exploitation of children Emphasizing that sexual abuse or exploitation provokes traumas among children who are the victims of such abuse or exploitation and that that experience may affect them throughout their life, Emphasizing also that the perpetrators are often to be found within the family, among the acquaintances or friends of the family, or among other persons in the immediate environment of or holding a position of authority over the victims, Considering that the victims of sexual abuse or exploitation generally need time to reach the level of maturity required to perceive the abusive nature of the events that they have experienced, to express their opinion about those events and to dare to denounce them, Calls upon Member States to make every effort to ensure, in conformity with domestic legislation, that the time limit for bringing criminal proceedings in cases involving the sexual abuse or exploitation of a child does not obstruct the effective prosecution of the offender, for instance, by considering the possibility of postponing the beginning of the time limit until the child has reached the age of civil majority. 37th plenary meeting 24 July 2002 2002/15 United Nations standards and norms in crime prevention and criminal justice The Economic and Social Council, Reaffirming the importance of United Nations standards and norms in crime prevention and criminal justice and the need to maintain a balance between the current main priority issue of combating transnational organized crime and the other priority issues of the United Nations Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice Programme, Recalling General Assembly resolution 56/161 of 19 December 2001 on human rights in the administration of justice, Taking note of Commission on Human Rights resolution 2002/47 of 23 April 2002 on human rights in the administration of justice, in particular juvenile justice, Bearing in mind that the theme for the eleventh session of the Commission on Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice was “Reform of the criminal justice system: achieving effectiveness and equity”, Recalling the relevant provisions of the Vienna Declaration on Crime and Justice: Meeting the Challenges of the Twenty-first Century, annexed to General Assembly resolution 55/59 of 4 December 2000, Recalling also the plans of action for the implementation of the Vienna Declaration, annexed to General Assembly resolution 56/261 of 31 January 2002, in particular the plans of action on crime prevention, on witnesses and victims of crime, on prison overcrowding and alternatives to incarceration, on juvenile justice, on the special needs of women in the criminal justice system and on standards and norms, Mindful of the recommendation of the Office of Internal Oversight Services, submitted to the Committee for Programme and Coordination of the Economic and Social Council at its forty-first session, that the Centre for International Crime Prevention of the Office for Drug Control and Crime Prevention of the Secretariat should propose to the Commission on Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice at its twelfth session a revised mechanism for reporting on the use and application of the United Nations standards and norms in crime prevention and criminal justice, Use and application of United Nations standards and norms in crime prevention and criminal justice Recalling its resolution 1993/34 of 27 July 1993, in section III of which it requested the Secretary-General to commence without delay a process of information-gathering to be undertaken by means of surveys, Recalling also its resolution 1998/21 of 28 July 1998, in section I of which it requested the Secretary-General to continue the information-gathering, Takes note of the report of the Secretary-General on reform of the criminal justice system: achieving effectiveness and equity and the use and application of United Nations standards and norms, especially concerning juvenile justice and penal reform; Also takes note of the reports of the Secretary-General on the implementation of the United Nations Declaration against Corruption and Bribery in International Commercial Transactions, the report of the Secretary-General on the implementation of the United Nations Declaration on Crime and Public Security, and the report of the Secretary-General on the implementation of the International Code of Conduct for Public Officials, and considers the first cycle of information-gathering on the use and application of the United Nations standards and norms in crime prevention and criminal justice to have been completed; Requests the Secretary-General to convene a meeting of a group of experts, subject to the availability of extrabudgetary funds, to evaluate the results achieved and the progress made in the application of existing United Nations standards and norms in crime prevention and criminal justice, to review the present system of reporting, to assess the advantages to be expected in using a cross-sectoral approach and to make concrete proposals to be considered by the Commission on Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice at its twelfth session; Encourages the Centre for International Crime Prevention of the Office for Drug Control and Crime Prevention of the Secretariat to continue, subject to the availability of existing funds, to provide technical assistance and advisory services to Member States, upon request, in support of criminal justice reform, including in the framework of peacekeeping and post-conflict reconstruction, drawing on the United Nations standards and norms in crime prevention and criminal justice; Invites Member States to make available voluntary funds for technical cooperation projects in the area of criminal justice reform; Invites the Centre for International Crime Prevention further to increase cooperation and coordination with other relevant entities, in particular the institutes of the United Nations Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice Programme network and the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, in the use and application of the United Nations standards and norms in crime prevention and criminal justice, with the aim of enhancing complementarities and reinforcing the existing collaboration in the implementation of their respective programmes, and to strengthen collaborative ties with other United Nations entities and relevant intergovernmental and non-governmental organizations. Penal reform Recalling its resolution 1999/27 of 28 July 1999 on penal reform, Recognizing that acute prison overcrowding may result in the violation of basic human rights of prisoners and prison staff, Invites Member States to undertake the necessary efforts to solve the problem of prison overcrowding, inter alia, by, if necessary, introducing or making appropriate use of alternatives to imprisonment; Invites relevant bodies and specialized agencies of the United Nations system, subject to the availability of existing funds, as well as Member States, to continue to provide assistance in the form of advisory services, needs assessment, capacity-building, training or other assistance to States, upon request, in order to enable them to improve prison conditions, reduce prison overcrowding and increase reliance on alternatives to imprisonment. Administration of juvenile justice Recalling its resolution 1999/28 of 28 July 1999 on administration of juvenile justice, Requests the Secretary-General to strengthen cooperation between the Centre for International Crime Prevention of the Office for Drug Control and Crime Prevention of the Secretariat and other relevant partners, in particular the other members of the coordination panel on technical advice and assistance in juvenile justice established in line with the Guidelines for Action on Children in the Criminal Justice System, including follow-up to the recommendations of the Committee on the Rights of the Child on juvenile justice matters; Invites the Centre for International Crime Prevention and Member States to continue, in cooperation with the institutes of the United Nations Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice Programme network and other entities, subject to the availability of existing funds, to develop and carry out projects to prevent youth crime, to strengthen juvenile justice systems and to improve the rehabilitation and treatment of juvenile offenders, as well as to improve the protection of child victims. 37th plenary meeting 24 July 2002 2002/16 International cooperation in the prevention, combating and elimination of kidnapping and in providing assistance for the victims The Economic and Social Council, Convinced that the kidnapping of persons is a serious crime and a violation of the right to individual freedom, as well as other fundamental rights, including international humanitarian law applicable in situations of armed conflict, Recalling General Assembly resolution 55/25 of 15 November 2000, in which the Assembly adopted the United Nations Convention against Transnational Organized Crime, an instrument forming part of the legal framework necessary for international cooperation in the fight against kidnapping, especially kidnapping committed for the purpose of extortion, Noting the transnational nature of organized crime and the tendency of organized criminal groups to expand their illicit operations, Concerned by the growing tendency of organized criminal groups to resort to kidnapping, especially kidnapping for the purpose of extortion, as a method of accumulating capital with a view to consolidating their criminal operations and carrying out other illegal activities, such as illicit trafficking in firearms, money-laundering, drug trafficking, illicit trafficking in human beings and crimes related to terrorism, Convinced that the links between various illegal activities and organized criminal groups pose an additional threat to personal security and the quality of life, hindering economic and social development, Convinced also that one of the most effective ways to combat organized crime is to trace, detect, freeze and confiscate the assets of criminal groups in order to undermine their structure, Recalling the Tenth United Nations Congress on the Prevention of Crime and the Treatment of Offenders, held in Vienna from 10 to 17 April 2000, which was convened with the intention of adopting more effective concerted action, in a spirit of cooperation, to combat the world crime problem, Recalling also the Vienna Declaration on Crime and Justice: Meeting the Challenges of the Twenty-first Century, endorsed by the General Assembly in its resolution 55/59 of 4 December 2000, in which Member States participating in the Tenth Congress declared their intention to strengthen international cooperation in order to create a conducive environment for the fight against organized crime, Concerned about the increase in kidnapping in various countries of the world and by the harmful effects of that crime on the victims and their families, and resolved to support the provision of assistance to them and measures to protect them and promote their recovery, Vigorously condemns and rejects the worldwide practice of kidnapping, in any circumstance and for any purpose, which consists in unlawfully detaining a person or persons against their will for the purpose of demanding for their liberation an illicit gain or any other economic gain or other material benefit, or in order to oblige someone to do or not do something, and resolves to treat it henceforth as a serious crime, particularly when it is connected with the action of organized criminal groups or terrorist groups; Urges Member States that have not already done so to adopt the legislative or other measures necessary to establish as a serious crime in their domestic legislation kidnapping in all its modalities, especially kidnapping committed for the purpose of extortion, in accordance with the United Nations Convention against Transnational Organized Crime; Encourages Member States to foster international cooperation, especially mutual legal assistance and collaboration between law enforcement authorities, through information exchange with a view to preventing, combating and eradicating kidnapping, in particular kidnapping committed for the purpose of extortion; Exhorts Member States that have not already done so, in furtherance of the fight against kidnapping, to strengthen their measures against money-laundering and to provide international cooperation and mutual assistance through the tracing, detection, freezing and confiscation of proceeds of kidnapping, in order to undermine the structure of organized criminal groups; Invites Member States to provide to the Secretary-General information on the practice of kidnapping and on relevant domestic measures that have been taken, including those related to support and assistance to the victims and their families; Requests the Secretary-General, drawing upon extrabudgetary contributions or within existing resources, based on replies received from Member States and in coordination with competent entities of the United Nations system, to report to the Commission on Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice at its thirteenth session on the factual and legal situation of kidnapping throughout the world, including the situation of victims, and to submit a progress report on that subject to the Commission at its twelfth session. 37th plenary meeting 24 July 2002 2002/17 International cooperation, technical assistance and advisory services in crime prevention and criminal justice The Economic and Social Council, Recalling the Vienna Declaration on Crime and Justice: Meeting the Challenges of the Twenty-first Century, adopted by the Tenth United Nations Congress on the Prevention of Crime and the Treatment of Offenders and endorsed by the General Assembly in its resolution 55/59 of 4 December 2000, Recalling also General Assembly resolution 56/123 of 19 December 2001 on strengthening the United Nations Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice Programme, in particular its technical cooperation capacity, Recalling further the plans of action for the implementation of the Vienna Declaration on Crime and Justice: Meeting the Challenges of the Twenty-first Century, annexed to General Assembly resolution 56/261 of 31 January 2002, Recalling its resolution 1998/24 of 28 July 1998 on technical cooperation and advisory services in crime prevention and criminal justice, Stressing the direct relevance of crime prevention and criminal justice to sustained development, improved quality of life, democracy and human rights, which is increasingly being recognized by United Nations entities, specialized agencies of the United Nations system and other international organizations, Aware of the continued increase in requests for technical assistance forwarded to the Centre for International Crime Prevention of the Office for Drug Control and Crime Prevention of the Secretariat by least developed countries, developing countries, countries with economies in transition and countries emerging from conflict, Appreciating the funding provided by certain Member States in 2001 that has permitted the Centre for International Crime Prevention to enhance its capacity to execute an increased number of projects, Takes note with appreciation of the report of the Executive Director of the Office for Drug Control and Crime Prevention of the Secretariat on the work of the Centre for International Crime Prevention, in particular its technical cooperation activities focused on those areas specifically mandated by the Commission on Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice, especially the promotion of the ratification and implementation of the United Nations Convention against Transnational Organized Crime and the Protocols thereto; Expresses its gratitude to the Centre for International Crime Prevention for assisting Member States in the improvement of their criminal justice systems by responding to the increasing requests for technical assistance, by implementing a number of important projects and by formulating new projects according to guidelines of the Office for Drug Control and Crime Prevention; Commends the increased cooperation between the Centre for International Crime Prevention, the United Nations Development Programme and the United Nations Office for Project Services, and calls upon those entities, together with the World Bank and other international, regional and national funding agencies, to support the technical cooperation activities and interregional advisory services of the Centre; Invites relevant entities of the United Nations system, including the United Nations International Drug Control Programme, the United Nations Development Programme and the World Bank, and other international funding agencies to increase their interaction with the Centre for International Crime Prevention, in order to ensure that, as appropriate, activities on crime prevention and criminal justice, including terrorism, kidnapping and corruption, are considered in their sustainable development agenda, to ensure the full utilization of the expertise of the Centre in activities related to crime prevention and criminal justice and promotion of the rule of law and to avoid duplication of effort; Expresses its appreciation to those Member States that contribute to the activities of the United Nations Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice Programme by providing funding and the services of associate experts, by developing training manuals, legislative guides and other material and by hosting action-oriented workshops and expert group meetings; Expresses the need to have adequate resources in order to make progress in the further operationalization of the activities of the Centre for International Crime Prevention and in order to implement the projects carried out under the global programme against trafficking in human beings, the global programme against corruption and the global programme against organized crime; Invites potential donors and relevant multi-lateral financial institutions to make significant and regular financial contributions, including, in particular, general-purpose funds, for the formulation, coordination and implementation of technical assistance projects developed within the framework of the United Nations Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice Programme and to strengthen the role of the Programme as facilitator of bilateral assistance in that area; Invites developing countries and countries with economies in transition to include in their requests for assistance from the United Nations Development Programme, in particular as part of its country programme framework, projects and/or elements on crime prevention and criminal justice, with a view to strengthening national institutional capacity, professional expertise and continuing education in that field; Requests the Secretary-General to enhance further the resources available within the existing overall budgetary framework of the United Nations for the operational activities and, in particular, the interregional advisory services of the Centre for International Crime Prevention under section 21 of the regular budget of the United Nations; Also requests the Secretary-General to make all possible efforts, including appeals to donors in the private sector, in increasing extrabudgetary resources, including general-purpose funds, and in the mobilization of resources and fund-raising. 37th plenary meeting 24 July 2002 2002/18 Illicit trafficking in protected species of wild flora and fauna The Economic and Social Council, Aware of the reported existence of organized criminal groups with transnational operations involving illicit trafficking in protected species of wild flora and fauna and, hence, of the link between transnational organized crime and that form of illicit trafficking, Aware also of the adverse environmental, economic, social and scientific impact of transnational organized criminal activities related to illicit trafficking in protected species of wild flora and fauna and of the consequences of access to genetic resources on terms other than those mutually agreed upon, and not in accordance with relevant domestic law and, as appropriate, international agreements, Convinced that both international cooperation and mutual legal assistance are essential to preventing, combating and eradicating illicit trafficking in protected species of wild flora and fauna, Recalling the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora, the Convention on Biological Diversity and action taken to implement those conventions, Recalling also its resolution 2001/12 of 24 July 2001, entitled “Illicit trafficking in protected species of wild flora and fauna”, in which it requested the Secretary-General to prepare, in coordination with other competent entities of the United Nations system, reports analysing domestic, bilateral, regional and multilateral legal provisions and other relevant documents, resolutions and recommendations dealing with the prevention, combating and eradication of illicit trafficking in protected species of wild flora and fauna by organized criminal groups and with illicit access to genetic resources, and to present those reports to the Commission on Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice at its eleventh session, Takes note with appreciation of the report of the Secretary-General on progress made in the implementation of Economic and Social Council resolution 2001/12 on illicit trafficking in protected species of wild flora and fauna; Urges all Member States to cooperate with the Secretary-General and other competent entities of the United Nations system, in particular the Centre for International Crime Prevention of the Office for Drug Control and Crime Prevention of the Secretariat, the secretariat of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora and the secretariat of the Convention on Biological Diversity, including by submitting comments on the report of the Secretary-General, information on relevant national legislation and practical experiences, relevant statistics on transnational organized crime and information on measures taken, legal proceedings instituted and penalties imposed against such trafficking, so that the report of the Secretary-General may be finalized; Encourages all Member States to promote judicial cooperation and mutual technical assistance with a view to preventing, combating and eradicating illicit trafficking in protected species of wild flora and fauna; Invites all Member States further to promote and organize regional networks for information exchange with a view to preventing, combating and eradicating illicit trafficking in protected species of wild flora and fauna and to consider measures to regulate access to genetic resources on mutually agreed terms, in accordance with relevant domestic law and, as appropriate, relevant international agreements; Requests the Secretary-General to finalize his report on the implementation of Economic and Social Council resolution 2001/12 and to submit it to the Commission on Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice at its twelfth session. 37th plenary meeting 24 July 2002 2002/19 Strengthening international cooperation and technical assistance within the framework of the activities of the Centre for International Crime Prevention in preventing and combating terrorism The Economic and Social Council, Recalling General Assembly resolution 56/1 of 12 September 2001, in which it strongly condemned the heinous acts of terrorism of 11 September 2001, and urgently called for international cooperation to prevent and eradicate acts of terrorism, Recalling also General Assembly resolution 56/123 of 19 December 2001, in which the Assembly invited the Secretary-General to consider, in consultation with Member States and the Commission on Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice, the ways in which the Centre for International Crime Prevention of the Office for Drug Control and Crime Prevention of the Secretariat could contribute to the efforts of the United Nations system against terrorism, in accordance with relevant General Assembly and Security Council resolutions, Recalling further General Assembly resolution 56/253 of 24 December 2001, in paragraph 103 of which the Assembly requested the Secretary-General to make proposals to strengthen the Terrorism Prevention Branch at the United Nations Office at Vienna and to report thereon to the Assembly for its consideration, Recalling General Assembly resolution 56/261 of 31 January 2002, in which the Assembly took note with appreciation of the plans of action for the implementation of the Vienna Declaration on Crime and Justice: Meeting the Challenges of the Twenty-first Century, which included a plan of action against terrorism, Recalling also Security Council resolutions 1373 (2001) of 28 September 2001 and 1377 (2001) of 12 November 2001 and the relevant General Assembly resolutions relating to the prevention and suppression of terrorism, Stressing the need for closer coordination and cooperation between States and the Centre for International Crime Prevention in preventing and combating terrorism and criminal activities carried out for the purpose of furthering terrorism in all its forms and manifestations, Stressing also the importance of international cooperation and technical assistance in the activities of the Centre for International Crime Prevention in the area of preventing and combating terrorism, Recognizing the role of the United Nations and its various entities, in particular the Terrorism Prevention Branch of the Centre for International Crime Prevention, as well as the possible contribution of the institutes of the United Nations Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice Programme network, in preventing and combating terrorism, Stressing that the work of the Centre for International Crime Prevention aimed at preventing and combating terrorism, in particular strengthening international cooperation and technical assistance, should be conducted and coordinated in such a way as to complement the work of other United Nations entities, especially the Counter-Terrorism Committee and the Office of Legal Affairs of the Secretariat, Taking into account the Charter of the United Nations and the relevant resolutions of the General Assembly and the Security Council, convinced of the need to prevent and combat acts of terrorism, and noting with deep concern the growing links between transnational organized crime and acts of terrorism, Takes note with appreciation of the activities of the Centre for International Crime Prevention of the Office for Drug Control and Crime Prevention of the Secretariat in the area of preventing terrorism, described in the report of the Executive Director on the work of the Centre; Reaffirms the important role that the Centre for International Crime Prevention has to play in promoting effective action to strengthen international cooperation and in providing technical assistance, upon request, in preventing and combating terrorism, and reiterates its request to the Centre to promote effective measures to that end, in accordance with relevant General Assembly resolutions and in coordination with the Counter-Terrorism Committee and the Office of Legal Affairs of the Secretariat and other relevant United Nations entities and other international organizations; Stresses in this context that the Centre for International Crime Prevention should, pursuant to General Assembly resolution 56/123 and under the guidance of Member States and the Commission on Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice, include in its activities the provision to States, upon request, of technical assistance for the signature, accession, ratification and effective implementation of the international conventions and protocols related to terrorism, taking into account the plan of action against terrorism contained in the plans of action for the implementation of the Vienna Declaration on Crime and Justice: Meeting the Challenges of the Twenty-first Century and the relevant General Assembly resolutions; Also stresses that the Centre for International Crime Prevention should, pursuant to General Assembly resolution 56/123 and under the guidance of Member States and the Commission on Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice, include in its activities the taking of measures, in cooperation with Member States, to raise public awareness of the nature and scope of international terrorism and its relationship to crime, including organized crime, where appropriate, continuing to maintain databases on terrorism and offering analytical support to Member States by collecting and disseminating information on the relationship between terrorism and related criminal activities, including conducting research and analytical studies on the close connection between terrorist activities and other related crimes, such as drug trafficking and money-laundering; Urges States to continue working together, also on a regional and bilateral basis, to prevent and combat acts of terrorism by strengthening international cooperation and technical assistance within the framework of the international conventions and protocols related to terrorism; Requests the Centre for International Crime Prevention, within the framework of its technical assistance activities related to countering terrorism, to take measures to draw the relevant international conventions and protocols relating to various aspects of international terrorism to the attention of those States which are not yet parties to them, with a view to assisting them, upon request, to become parties thereto; Requests the Secretary-General to offer, on a regular basis, to the Counter-Terrorism Committee information on the activities of the Centre for International Crime Prevention relevant to preventing and combating terrorism with the aim of strengthening a permanent dialogue between the two entities; Takes note of General Assembly resolution 56/253, requesting the Secretary-General to make proposals to strengthen the human and financial capacity of the Terrorism Prevention Branch of the Centre for International Crime Prevention to enable it to carry out its mandate in the area of preventing and combating terrorism; Welcomes the voluntary contributions already made to the United Nations Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice Fund, and calls upon States, as well as multilateral financial institutions and regional development banks, to support, through voluntary contributions, both new and additional, to the United Nations Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice Fund and through other means, such as the provision of services of experts and consultants, the efforts of the Centre for International Crime Prevention to facilitate the provision of and to provide cooperation and technical assistance in the area of preventing and combating terrorism; Requests the Secretary-General to report to the Commission on Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice at its twelfth session on the implementation of the present resolution. 37th plenary meeting 24 July 2002 2002/20 Demand for and supply of opiates for medical and scientific needs The Economic and Social Council, Recalling its resolution 2001/17 of 24 July 2001 and previous relevant resolutions, Emphasizing that the need to balance the global licit supply of opiates against the legitimate demand for opiates for medical and scientific purposes is central to the international strategy and policy of drug control, Noting the fundamental need for international cooperation with the traditional supplier countries in drug control to ensure universal application of the provisions of the Single Convention on Narcotic Drugs of 1961, Considering that a balance between consumption and production of opiate raw materials has been achieved as a result of efforts made by the two traditional supplier countries, India and Turkey, together with other producer countries, Considering also that application of technical methods of morphine production, including from unlaced poppy capsules, would contribute to the control and prevention from diversion to illicit channels of narcotic drugs, Noting the importance of opiates in pain relief therapy as advocated by the World Health Organization, Urges all Governments to continue to contribute to the maintenance of a balance between the licit supply of and demand for opiate raw materials for medical and scientific purposes, the achievement of which would be facilitated by maintaining, insofar as their constitutional and legal systems permit, support to the traditional and legal supplier countries, and to cooperate in preventing the proliferation of sources of production of opiate raw materials; Urges Governments of all producer countries to adhere strictly to the provisions of the Single Convention on Narcotic Drugs of 1961,83 to take effective measures to prevent illicit production, or diversion of opiate raw materials to illicit channels, especially when increasing licit production, and to adopt, after due technical study by the International Narcotics Control Board of the relative merits of different methods, the best method in this respect; Urges consumer countries to assess their licit needs for opiate raw materials realistically and to communicate those needs to the International Narcotics Control Board in order to ensure easy supply, and also urges the producer countries concerned and the Board to increase their efforts to monitor the available supply and to ensure sufficient stocks of licit opiate raw materials; Requests the Board to continue its efforts in monitoring the implementation of the relevant Economic and Social Council resolutions in full compliance with the Single Convention on Narcotic Drugs of 1961; Commends the Board for its efforts in monitoring the implementation of the relevant Economic and Social Council resolutions and, in particular: (a) In urging the Governments concerned to adjust global production of opiate raw materials to a level corresponding to actual licit needs and to avoid unforeseen imbalances between licit supply of and demand for opiates caused by the exportation of products manufactured from seized and confiscated drugs; (b) In inviting the Governments concerned to ensure that opiates imported into their countries for medical and scientific use do not originate in countries that transform seized and confiscated drugs into licit opiates; (c) In arranging informal meetings, during sessions of the Commission on Narcotic Drugs, with the main States that import and produce opiate raw materials; Requests the Secretary-General to transmit the text of the present resolution to all Governments for consideration and implementation. 37th plenary meeting 24 July 2002 2002/21 International assistance to the States most affected by the transit of drugs The Economic and Social Council, Recalling its resolution 2001/16 of 24 July 2001, the Political Declaration adopted by the General Assembly at its twentieth special session, devoted to countering the world drug problem together the Declaration on the Guiding Principles of Drug Demand Reduction and the Action Plan for the Implementation of the Declaration on the Guiding Principles of Drug Demand Reduction, Considering that action against the world drug problem is a shared responsibility calling for coordinated and balanced action consistent with the relevant multilateral instruments in force at the international level, Stressing the unswerving determination and commitment to resolve the world drug problem by means of national and international strategies aimed at reducing both the supply of and demand for illicit drugs, Taking into account the report of the Secretariat on the world situation with regard to illicit drug trafficking and action taken by subsidiary bodies of the Commission on Narcotic Drugs, the report of the Secretariat on the world situation with regard to drug abuse, in particular the spread of human immuno-deficiency virus/acquired immunodeficiency syndrome through drug injection, and other relevant reports submitted to the Commission on Narcotic Drugs at its forty-fifth session, Noting the emerging linkage between the transit of drugs through certain States and the increasing incidence of drug abuse in those States, Recognizing the desirability of providing, to the States most affected by the transit of drugs, assistance in enhancing law enforcement capabilities and in reducing illicit drug demand, Appreciating the work being done in that area by the United Nations International Drug Control Programme of the Office for Drug Control and Crime Prevention of the Secretariat, Emphasizing the need to continue providing international assistance to such transit States, which are faced with growing challenges, such as increased drug addiction, Requests the United Nations International Drug Control Programme of the Office for Drug Control and Crime Prevention of the Secretariat to continue to provide assistance, using voluntary contributions available for that purpose, to the States most affected by the transit of drugs, as identified by relevant international bodies, in particular developing countries in need of such assistance and support; Calls upon the United Nations International Drug Control Programme, in providing assistance to such States, to adopt a comprehensive approach that takes into account the linkage between the transit of drugs through and the increase in drug abuse in those States and their needs regarding the reduction of illicit drug demand, including the treatment and rehabilitation of drug addicts; Exhorts the international financial institutions well as other potential donors, to provide financial assistance to such transit States so that they may intensify their efforts to address drug trafficking and its consequences, in particular increased drug addiction; Requests the Executive Director of the Office for Drug Control and Crime Prevention to submit to the Commission on Narcotic Drugs at its forty-sixth session a report on the implementation of the present resolution. 37th plenary meeting 24 July 2002 2002/22 Long-term programme of support for Haiti The Economic and Social Council, Recalling its resolutions 1999/11 of 27 July 1999 and 2001/25 of 26 July 2001, and its decision 2000/235 of 27 July 2000, Taking note of the comprehensive report of the Secretary-General on the long-term programme of support for Haiti, Welcoming the efforts of the Organization of American States, including its Special Mission to Haiti, and of the Caribbean Community, to mediate dialogue and promote reconciliation in order to strengthen the political environment in Haiti necessary for the promotion of economic and social development and the alleviation of poverty, Noting the most recent report of the United Nations independent expert on the situation of human rights in Haiti, and encouraging the work of the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights and the Commission on Human Rights in that regard, Requests that the Secretary-General, in coordination with the United Nations resident coordinator in Haiti, report on progress achieved in implementing a long-term programme of support for Haiti, and that the report be prepared for the Economic and Social Council on the basis of developments in Haiti; Decides to include the item entitled “Long-term programme of support for Haiti” in the agenda of its substantive session of 2003. 37th plenary meeting 24 July 2002 2002/23 Mainstreaming a gender perspective into all policies and programmes in the United Nations system The Economic and Social Council, Recalling its resolution 2001/41 of 26 July 2001, in which it decided to include in its agenda a sub-item entitled “Mainstreaming a gender perspective into all policies and programmes of the United Nations system” in order to, inter alia, monitor and evaluate achievements made and obstacles encountered by the United Nations system, and to consider further measures to strengthen the implementation and monitoring of gender mainstreaming within the United Nations system, Also recalling its agreed conclusions 1997/2 on mainstreaming the gender perspective into all policies and programmes in the United Nations system, and its subsequent decision to devote a coordination segment before 2005 to a review and appraisal of the system-wide implementation of those agreed conclusions, Affirming that gender mainstreaming is a globally accepted strategy for promoting gender equality, Reaffirming that gender mainstreaming constitutes a critical strategy in the implementation of the Beijing Platform for Action and the outcome of the twenty-third special session of the General Assembly, Underlining the catalytic role played by the Commission on the Status of Women in promoting gender mainstreaming, Welcomes the report of the Secretary-General on follow-up to, and progress in the implementation of the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action and the outcome of the twenty-third special session of the General Assembly, especially concerning the measures taken by the Economic and Social Council and its subsidiary bodies to mainstream a gender perspective into their work; Calls upon Member States and all other actors of the United Nations system to continue to mainstream a gender perspective into all activities at all levels; Decides to intensify its efforts to ensure that gender mainstreaming is an integral part of all activities in its work and that of its subsidiary bodies, and therefore to give appropriate attention to gender perspectives and the particular obstacles that women face in all its segments and agenda items, both during discussions and in the drafting of outcomes; Expresses its appreciation to its subsidiary bodies for the progress made in giving attention to situations that are specific to women and to the mainstreaming of gender perspectives into their work, for example by: (a) Identifying gender equality as an essential element for the realization of social, people-centred and sustainable development, and approaching gender as an issue that cuts across all areas of policy rather than only addressing women as a social group to be targeted; (b) Stressing the need to include women in planning, decision-making and implementation processes at all levels; (c) Emphasizing the link between human rights and gender equality by using specific agenda items to focus attention on gender equality issues and ensuring the general consideration of gender perspectives throughout their respective agendas; (d) Recognizing that men and women are often affected differently by political, economic, social and environmental factors, and the consequent need to develop gender-sensitive policies that address the different experiences of men and women in response; (e) Continuing to use and call for data disaggregated on the basis of sex and using indicators that provide separate analysis by sex; Calls upon its subsidiary bodies to intensify their efforts to mainstream gender perspectives in their work; Also calls upon its subsidiary bodies to continue their efforts to address gender perspectives in relation to the thematic issues of their multi-year programmes of work or in relation to annual themes; Calls upon the bureaux of its subsidiary bodies to consider how best to facilitate specific gender discussions in their work; Encourages its subsidiary bodies to increase their collaboration with the Commission on the Status of Women, and encourages the Commission to continue its efforts to highlight gender perspectives in the work of the Council and its other subsidiary bodies; Invites its Bureau to consider, during meetings with the bureaux of its subsidiary bodies, progress made and obstacles encountered in gender mainstreaming, and encourages the President of the Council to consider, during meetings with the Chairpersons of its subsidiary bodies, enhanced coordination in the area of gender mainstreaming across the Council and its subsidiary bodies; Encourages the collection, provision and use by the United Nations system and its subsidiary bodies of data disaggregated by sex and other gender-specific information, as one of the means by which obstacles to the integration of a gender perspective can be monitored and addressed; Encourages the Special Adviser to the Secretary-General on Gender Issues and the Advancement of Women and the Division for the Advancement of Women of the Secretariat to expand their efforts to raise awareness across the United Nations system of gender issues; Notes with appreciation the work of the Inter-Agency Network on Women and Gender Equality, especially its efforts to ensure that gender perspectives are addressed systematically by the United Nations System Chief Executives Board for Coordination, and in that regard encourages the Board in its efforts to mainstream gender perspectives throughout the United Nations system; Also notes with appreciation the work of the regional commissions to promote gender mainstreaming and improve the situation of women by, inter alia, convening meetings of experts, issuing publications, developing indicators and deriving programmes specifically focused on women's issues, and encourages the regional commissions to intensify those efforts; Underlines the importance of reports to intergovernmental bodies presenting issues and approaches in a gender-sensitive manner so as to give concrete and practical recommendations and serve as an analytical basis for those bodies to undertake gender-responsive policy formulation, in accordance with its agreed conclusions 1997/2; Requests the Secretary-General to submit to it at its substantive session of 2003 a report on the follow-up to and implementation of the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action and the outcome of the twenty-third special session of the General Assembly, including progress in the area of gender mainstreaming. 37th plenary meeting 24 July 2002 2002/24 Arrangements for the negotiation of an agreement between the United Nations and the World Tourism Organization The Economic and Social Council, Having considered the request for conversion of the World Tourism Organization to a specialized agency of the United Nations contained in the letter dated 21 December 2001 from the Secretary-General of the World Tourism Organization to the Secretary-General of the United Nations, Desirous of making arrangements for the negotiation with the World Tourism Organization of an agreement to constitute it as a specialized agency in accordance with Articles 57 and 63 of the Charter of the United Nations, Authorizes the President of the Economic and Social Council to appoint from among States members of the Council, in consultation with the Chairmen of the regional groups, the members of the Committee on Negotiations with Intergovernmental Agencies; Requests the Committee to meet at an appropriate time to negotiate with the World Tourism Organization a relationship agreement between the United Nations and the World Tourism Organization, on the basis of proposals submitted by the Secretary-General; Requests the Committee to submit a draft relationship agreement between the United Nations and the World Tourism Organization for the consideration of the Council at its substantive session of 2003. 37th plenary meeting 24 July 2002 2002/25 Situation of and assistance to Palestinian women The Economic and Social Council, Having considered with appreciation the report of the Secretary-General on the situation of and assistance to Palestinian women, Recalling the Nairobi Forward-looking Strategies for the Advancement of Women, in particular paragraph 260 concerning Palestinian women and children, the Beijing Platform for Action adopted at the Fourth World Conference on Women, and the outcome of the twenty-third special session of the General Assembly, entitled “Women 2000: gender equality, development and peace for the twenty-first century”, Recalling also its resolution 2001/2 of 24 July 2001 and other relevant United Nations resolutions, Recalling further the Declaration on the Elimination of Violence against Women as it concerns the protection of civilian populations, Stressing the need for compliance with the existing Israeli-Palestinian agreements concluded within the context of the Middle East peace process and the need to resume peace negotiations, as soon as possible, in order to reach a final settlement, Concerned about the continuing dangerous deterioration of the situation of Palestinian women in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, including Jerusalem, and about the severe consequences of continuous illegal Israeli settlements activities as well as the harsh economic conditions and other consequences for the situation of Palestinian women and their families, resulting from the frequent closures and isolation of the occupied territory, Expressing its condemnation of acts of violence, especially the excessive use of force against Palestinians, many of them women and children, resulting in injury and loss of human life, Calls upon the concerned parties, as well as the international community, to exert all the necessary efforts to ensure the immediate resumption of the peace process on its agreed basis, taking into account the common ground already gained, and calls for measures for tangible improvements in the difficult situation on the ground and the living conditions faced by Palestinian women and their families; Reaffirms that the Israeli occupation remains a major obstacle for Palestinian women with regard to their advancement, self-reliance and integration into the development planning of their society; Demands that Israel, the occupying Power, comply fully with the provisions and principles of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, the Regulations annexed to the Hague Convention IV, of 18 October 1907 and the Geneva Convention relative to the Protection of Civilian Persons in Time of War, of 12 August 1949, in order to protect the rights of Palestinian women and their families; Calls upon Israel to facilitate the return of all refugees and displaced Palestinian women and children to their homes and properties, in compliance with the relevant United Nations resolutions; Urges Member States, financial organization of the United Nations system, non-governmental organizations and other relevant institutions to intensify their efforts to provide financial and technical assistance to Palestinian women, especially during the transitional period; Requests the Commission on the Status of Women to continue to monitor and take action with regard to the implementation of the Nairobi Forward-looking Strategies for the Advancement of Women,97 in particular paragraph 260 concerning Palestinian women and children, the Beijing Platform for Action,98 and the outcome of the twenty-third special session of the General Assembly entitled “Women 2000: gender equality, development and peace for the twenty-first century”;99 Requests the Secretary-General to continue to review the situation and to assist Palestinian women by all available means, and to submit to the Commission on the Status of Women at its forty-seventh session a report on the progress made in the implementation of the present resolution. 38th plenary meeting 24 July 2002 2002/26 Further promotion of equalization of opportunities by, for and with persons with disabilities and protection of their human rights The Economic and Social Council, Recalling the purposes and principles of the Charter of the United Nations, and reaffirming the obligations contained in the relevant human rights instruments, including the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women and the Convention on the Rights of the Child, Recalling also General Assembly resolutions 37/52 of 3 December 1982, by which it adopted the World Programme of Action concerning Disabled Persons, resolution 48/96 of 20 December 1993, by which it adopted the Standard Rules on the Equalization of Opportunities for Persons with Disabilities, and resolution 56/115 of 19 December 2001, Recalling further Economic and Social Council resolution 2000/10 of 27 July 2000 on equalization of opportunities for persons with disabilities and Commission on Human Rights resolution 2000/51 of 25 April 2000 on the human rights of persons with disabilities, and other relevant resolutions of the General Assembly and the Economic and Social Council and its functional commissions, Taking note of General Comment No. 5 of the Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights on persons with disabilities of 25 November 1994, Recalling General Assembly resolution 56/168 of 19 December 2001, by which it decided to establish an Ad Hoc Committee to consider proposals for a comprehensive and integral international convention to promote and protect the rights and dignity of persons with disabilities, Recalling also Commission on Human Rights resolution 2000/51, in which it requested a study on the adequacy of instruments in respect of the protection and monitoring of the human rights of persons with disabilities, Welcoming the cooperation between the Commission on Human Rights and the Special Rapporteur on disability of the Commission for Social Development in sharing experiences and knowledge, Noting with grave concern that persons with disabilities are, in some circumstances, among the poorest of the poor and that they continue to be excluded from the benefits of development, such as education and access to gainful employment, Mindful of the need to adopt and implement effective strategies and policies to promote the rights and the full and effective participation of persons with disabilities in economic, social, cultural and political life, on the basis of equality, in order to achieve a society for all, Noting with satisfaction that the Standard Rules play an increasingly important role in the equalization of opportunities for persons with disabilities and that the issue of the human rights and dignity of persons with disabilities is being addressed and promoted in an increasing number of forums, Noting the important efforts of Governments to implement the Standard Rules, Noting also the important contributions made by various national and regional forums, expert group meetings and other activities in promoting the implementation of the Standard Rules, Appreciating the active role played by non-governmental organizations, in particular organizations of persons with disabilities, in cooperation with Governments and relevant intergovernmental bodies and organizations, to promote awareness and support implementation and evaluation of the Standard Rules at the national, regional and international levels, Welcomes the work of the Special Rapporteur on disability of the Commission for Social Development, takes note of his third periodic report, including the elaboration of recommendations for future action, and supports the proposals for mainstreaming disability issues contained in the report; Takes note with appreciation of the important efforts made by Governments as well as non-governmental organizations and academic institutions during the missions of the Special Rapporteur to build capacities to implement the Standard Rules on the Equalization of Opportunities for Persons with Disabilities at the national, regional and interregional levels; Welcomes the many initiatives and actions of Governments to implement further the goal of full participation and equality for persons with disabilities, in accordance with the Standard Rules, and the significant role played by the United Nations system, including the Bretton Woods institutions, as well as non-governmental organizations, in this regard; Urges Governments, intergovernmental organizations and non-governmental organizations to take practical action to create greater awareness and support for the further implementation of the Standard Rules, to suggest measures for the further promotion and protection of the human rights of persons with disabilities, to improve cooperation within the United Nations system in the field of disability and to find forms for future monitoring of the Standard Rules; Urges Governments to ensure that persons with disabilities have equal access to education, health, employment, social services, housing, public transport, information, legal protection and political decision-making processes; Invites multilateral development agencies, in the light of the Standard Rules, to pay due attention to disability-related human rights issues in connection with the projects they fund; Requests the Secretary-General to strengthen and improve mechanisms for consultation, the exchange of information and coordination, as appropriate, and active participation of the relevant United Nations bodies, specialized agencies and related organizations to implement further the Standard Rules; Invites the relevant bodies and organizations of the United Nations system, including relevant human rights treaty bodies within their respective mandates, and urges the regional commissions, intergovernmental organizations, as well as non-governmental organizations, in particular organizations of persons with disabilities, to work closely with the United Nations programme on persons with disabilities to promote the rights of persons with disabilities, including activities at the field level, by sharing knowledge, experiences, results and recommendations concerning persons with disabilities; Encourages Governments and the United Nations system, including the Bretton Woods institutions, to enhance cooperation with organizations of persons with disabilities and other organizations concerned with disability issues so as to implement the Standard Rules in an effective and coordinated manner; Encourages States parties to include in their reports to the relevant treaty bodies specific information on persons with disabilities so as to ensure that the human rights of persons with disabilities are appropriately addressed, noting that General Comment No. 5 of the Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights could serve as a mainstreaming model on disability issues; Decides to renew the mandate of the Special Rapporteur through 2005 to further the promotion and monitoring of the Standard Rules in accordance with the provisions set out in section IV of the Standard Rules, including the human rights dimensions of disability; Requests the Secretary-General to seek the views of Member States on the proposals contained in the report of the Special Rapporteur,109 especially on the suggested supplement to the Standard Rules, and to submit a substantive report to the Commission at its forty-second session; Recommends that the Ad Hoc Committee set up by the General Assembly by its resolution 56/168 consider proposals for a comprehensive and integral international convention to protect and promote the rights and dignity of persons with disabilities, taking into account the relationship of such a convention with the relevant human rights instruments and the Standard Rules, and, in so doing, carefully study the report and the proposals made by the Special Rapporteur at the fortieth session of the Commission for Social Development and the study commissioned by the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, as well as the views of the Member States, international organizations and non-governmental organizations, in particular organizations of persons with disabilities, on these proposals; Encourages Governments, the United Nations system, including the Bretton Woods institutions, as well as non-governmental organizations, in particular organizations of persons with disabilities, to take active part in the work of the Ad Hoc Committee, in accordance with the standard practice of the General Assembly; Also encourages Governments, as well as non-governmental organizations and the private sector, to continue to contribute to the United Nations Voluntary Fund on Disability in order to support the activities of the Special Rapporteur as well as new and expanded initiatives to strengthen national capacities for equalization of opportunities by, for and with persons with disabilities. 38th plenary meeting 24 July 2002 Progress on the implementation of General Assembly resolution 56/201 on the triennial policy review of operational activities for development of the United Nations system 2002/27 Draft optional protocol to the Convention against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment The Economic and Social Council, Taking note of Commission on Human Rights resolution 2002/33 of April 2002, in which the Commission adopted the text of the draft optional protocol to the Convention against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment, relating to the creation of a mechanism for visits to places of detention in order to prevent torture. Expresses its appreciation to the Commission on Human Rights for the adoption of the draft optional protocol to the Convention against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment; Adopts the draft optional protocol contained in the annex to Commission resolution 2002/33; Recommends to the General Assembly that it adopt and open for signature, ratification and accession as early as possible the optional protocol to the Convention against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment. 38th plenary meeting 24 July 2002/28 Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues The Economic and Social Council, Recommends to the General Assembly the adoption of the following draft resolution: “The General Assembly, “Recalling Economic and Social Council resolution 2000/22 of 28 July 2000, in which the Council established the Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues, as well as Council decision 2001/316 of July 2001 concerning the election/appointment of the 16 members of the Forum and other organizational matters, “Also recalling its resolution 56/140 of 19 December 2001 on the International Decade of the World's Indigenous People, in which it welcomed Council resolution 2000/22, “Saluting the successful holding of the historic first annual session of the Forum in New York, from 13 to 24 May 2002, “Having considered the report of the Forum on its first session, “Wishing to strengthen, within the mandate of the Council, the interactive dialogue and partnership between the Forum and Governments, United Nations specialized agencies, funds and programmes, other relevant international and regional organizations, indigenous people and indigenous peoples, as well as civil society at large, “Welcoming the creation of an inter-agency support group for the Forum, “Underlining the importance of securing adequate financial and secretariat support for the activities of the Forum, while reaffirming that the financing of the Forum shall be provided from within existing resources through the regular budget of the United Nations and its specialized agencies, funds and programmes and through such voluntary contributions as may be donated, “Recalling the decision of the Council in paragraph 8 of its resolution 2000/22 to conduct a review, without prejudging any outcome, of all existing mechanisms, procedures and programmes within the United Nations concerning indigenous issues, including the Working Group on Indigenous Populations of the Subcommission on the Promotion and Protection of Human Rights, with a view to rationalizing activities, avoiding duplication and overlap and promoting effectiveness, and to hold the review as soon as possible and not later than its substantive session of 2003, as stipulated in Council decision 2001/316, “1. Requests the Secretary-General, in connection with draft decisions I to IV recommended by the Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues at its first session for adoption by the Economic and Social Council: (a) To appoint a secretariat unit, in accordance with the budget procedures established by the General Assembly in its resolution 41/213 of December 1986, within the Department of Economic and Social Affairs of the Secretariat in New York, to assist the Forum in carrying out its mandate, as defined in paragraph 2 of Council resolution 2000/22; (b) To establish a voluntary fund for the Forum for the purpose of funding the implementation of recommendations made by the Forum through the Council, in line with paragraph 2 (a) of Council resolution 2000/22, as well as funding activities under its mandate, as defined in paragraphs 2 (b) and (c) of the same resolution; “2. Encourages applications of indigenous persons to the Secretariat, and invites the Secretary-General to give broad publicity to vacancies, when available; “3. Invites the organizations and bodies of the United Nations system, including the Inter-Agency Support Group for the Forum, other relevant international and regional organizations and bodies and indigenous people and indigenous peoples to assist the Forum in carrying out its mandate as enumerated in paragraph 2 of Council resolution 2000/22, including through the provision of staff; “4. Urges Governments, financial institutions and other intergovernmental and non-governmental organizations to consider contributing to the voluntary fund for the Forum to be established by the Secretary-General; “5. Takes note with interest of the proposals, objectives, recommendations and areas of possible future action identified by the Forum in its report on its first session, and invites States, organizations of the United Nations system, other relevant international and regional organizations, and indigenous people and indigenous peoples to take them into consideration and, where they so decide, to take action; “6. Decides to authorize an exceptional three-day pre-sessional meeting of the members of the Forum from 7 to 9 May 2003.” 40th plenary meeting 25 July 2002/29 Progress on the implementation of General Assembly resolution 56/201 on the triennial policy review of operational activities for development of the United Nations system The Economic and Social Council, Recalling General Assembly resolution 56/201 of 21 December 2001 on the triennial policy review of operational activities for development of the United Nations system, Takes note of the reports of the Secretary-General on the progress in the implementation of General Assembly resolution 56/201, including the actions, targets, benchmarks and time frames indicated therein, on the United Nations system support for capacity-building, on the simplification and harmonization of rules and procedures for operational activities for development, and on assessing the effectiveness of the operational activities for development of the United Nations system, the as well as the consolidated list of issues related to the coordination of operational activities for development, 2002; Stresses the need for all organizations of the United Nations development system, in accordance with their respective mandates, to focus their efforts at the field level in accordance with the priorities identified by recipient countries and the goals, targets and commitments set in the United Nations Millennium Declaration and by the major United Nations conferences; Reiterates that the fundamental characteristics of the operational activities of the United Nations system should be, inter alia, their universal, voluntary and grant nature, their neutrality and their multilateralism, as well as their ability to respond to development needs in a flexible manner, and that the operational activities of the United Nations system are carried out for the benefit of recipient countries, at the request of those countries and in accordance with their own policies and priorities for development; Funding of operational activities for development of the United Nations system Recalls the endorsement by the General Assembly in its resolution 56/210 B of 9 July 2002 of the Monterrey Consensus of the International Conference on Financing for Development; Takes note of the concern with respect to current estimates of shortfalls in the resources required to achieve the internationally agreed development goals, including those contained in the Millennium Declaration; Encourages all countries to further their support for the operational activities of the United Nations through increased funding, particularly to the regular resources of the United Nations funds and programmes; Notes the efforts of the executive boards and secretariats of the United Nations Development Programme and United Nations Population Fund and of the United Nations Children's Fund to establish multi-year funding frameworks that integrate programme objectives, resources, budgets and outcomes, with the objective of increasing core resources and enhancing their predictability, and in this regard invites them to continue to develop and refine the frameworks as a strategic resource management tool; Notes with regret that, although significant progress has been achieved with regard to the governance and functioning of the United Nations development system, there has not been, as part of that overall process of change, a significant increase in the regular resources for operational activities for development; Stresses that the achievement of the internationally agreed development goals, including those contained in the Millennium Declaration, requires a new partnership between donor and recipient countries, based on the recognition of national leadership and ownership of development plans, as well as sound policies and good governance at national and international levels; Also stresses the need to strive to achieve the targets for resource mobilization identified in the relevant multi-year funding frameworks of United Nations funds and programmes; Capacity-building Recognizes that capacity-building is a major component of the overall efforts to achieve the internationally agreed development goals and objectives, including those contained in the Millennium Declaration and, in this regard, urges all Member States to devote more attention and resources to developing national capacities; Urges Member States to pay greater attention, inter alia, to the capacity-building requirements inherent in reducing the global digital divide; Takes note with appreciation of the report of the Secretary-General114 prepared in response to paragraph 28 of resolution 56/201 on United Nations system support for capacity-building and the review included therein of the efforts undertaken by United Nations system organizations in this area; Requests all organizations of the United Nations development system at the country level, in full consultations with recipient Governments and other relevant stakeholders, to focus on capacity-building as one of their primary objectives, and to identify and focus on those areas where national capacities do not exist or are inadequate and, in this regard, also requests all organizations of the United Nations development system to formulate explicitly the expected outcomes of their capacity-building activities, and to integrate them into the implementation and monitoring of their projects and programmes; Requests all organizations of the United Nations development system, under the aegis of the United Nations System Chief Executives Board for Coordination, to cooperate closely in further defining and/or updating the indicators and benchmarks used to design, manage and monitor capacity-building activities in support of the efforts made by recipient countries to achieve the internationally agreed development goals and objectives, including those contained in the Millennium Declaration; Encourages the organizations of the United Nations development system, in full collaboration with recipient Governments and other relevant stakeholders, to intensify their efforts to reflect on and analyse their knowledge of and experience with capacity-building, with a view to offering improved support to the development of national capacities and, in this context, to intensify the exchange of experience and the sharing of best practices; Requests all organizations of the United Nations development system to develop further and implement monitoring and evaluation methodologies and mechanisms related to capacity-building outcomes; Common country assessment and the United Nations Development Assistance Framework Requests United Nations funds, programmes and specialized agencies to ensure the integration of their operational activities for development with national development efforts, with active and full government participation and leadership at all stages of the common country assessment and United Nations Development Assistance Framework processes, as well as broader involvement of all relevant stakeholders; Encourages the United Nations system organizations to continue their efforts to promote collaboration among themselves, under the leadership of the recipient Government, on the basis of frameworks for coordination, assessment and programming such as, inter alia, the common country assessment and the United Nations Development Assistance Framework, taking into account the lessons learned from the current applications; Also encourages greater cooperation among the World Bank, the regional development banks and all funds and programmes, taking into account their respective competencies, mandates and comparative advantages, with a view to achieving increased complementarity and better division of labour, as well as enhanced coherence in their sectoral activities, building on the existing arrangements and in full accordance with the priorities of the recipient Government and, in this regard, emphasizes the importance of ensuring, under the leadership of national Governments, greater consistency between the strategic frameworks developed by the United Nations funds, programmes and agencies and the Bretton Woods institutions, and the national poverty reduction strategies, including the Poverty Reduction Strategy Papers, where they exist; Evaluation of operational activities for development Takes note of the report of the Secretary-General on assessing the effectiveness of the operational activities for development of the United Nations system;116 Reaffirms that the effectiveness of operational activities should be assessed by their impact on poverty eradication, economic growth and sustainable development of recipient countries as set out in the commitments, goals and targets of the Millennium Declaration and of the major United Nations conferences; Emphasizes that the United Nations system should strive towards continuous improvement of instruments of monitoring and evaluation with a view to ensuring that evaluation results and lessons learned are taken into account in decision-making on policy and programming, bearing in mind that national ownership of operational activities and the integration with national efforts are necessary conditions for their effectiveness and sustainability; Underlines that future assessments of the effectiveness of the operational activities for development of the United Nations system should make full use of the data and expertise available within the United Nations system and from national authorities in full collaboration with national stakeholders and United Nations entities; Simplification and harmonization of rules and procedures on operational activities Notes with appreciation the submission of a programme of work for the full simplification and harmonization of rules and procedures in key areas by the United Nations funds and programmes as contained in the annex to the consolidated list of issues related to the coordination of operational activities for development, 2002,117 and requests its implementation in a timely manner; Notes the role of the Executive Committee of the United Nations Development Group in facilitating the definition of the agenda on simplification and harmonization and its implementation, while acknowledging that the ultimate responsibility for implementing this agenda rests with the funds and programmes, and also notes, in this respect, that the United Nations funds and programmes are requested to report annually on the progress made in this area to the Economic and Social Council and the respective executive boards; Also notes the progress made in increasing the number of United Nations Houses and the approach adopted to achieve and enhance common premises and services at the country level, particularly by members of the Executive Committee of the United Nations Development Group, in cooperation with other organizations of the system; Encourages the United Nations funds and programmes to continue their efforts to promote collaboration among themselves through joint initiatives, including joint programming, where appropriate; Invites the executive boards of the United Nations funds and programmes as well as the governing bodies of the specialized agencies to consider the issue of common services and take concrete steps to facilitate its implementation at the country level, inter alia, by providing financial support to the process of setting up such services; Encourages the executive boards of the United Nations funds and programmes to consider further progress in the areas of simplification and harmonization of the rules and procedures on operational activities at an upcoming joint session of the boards before the next triennial comprehensive policy review. 40th plenary meeting 25 July 2002 2002/30 Implementation of the Declaration on the Granting of Independence to Colonial Countries and Peoples by the specialized agencies and the international institutions associated with the United Nations The Economic and Social Council, Having examined the report of the Secretary-General and the report of the President of the Economic and Social Council containing the information submitted by the specialized agencies and other organizations of the United Nations system on their activities with regard to the implementation of the Declaration on the Granting of Independence to Colonial Countries and Peoples, Having heard the statement by the representative of the Special Committee on the Situation with Regard to the Implementation of the Declaration on the Granting of Independence to Colonial Countries and Peoples, Recalling General Assembly resolutions 1514 (XV) of 14 December 1960 and 1541 (XV) of 15 December 1960, the resolutions of the Special Committee and other relevant resolutions and decisions, including in particular Economic and Social Council resolution 2001/28 of 26 July 2001, Bearing in mind the relevant provisions of the final documents of the successive Conferences of Heads of State or Government of Non-Aligned Countries and of the resolutions adopted by the Assembly of Heads of State and Government of the Organization of African Unity, now transformed into the African Union, the South Pacific Forum, now known as the Pacific Islands Forum, and the Caribbean Community, Conscious of the need to facilitate the implementation of the Declaration, Welcoming the current participation in the capacity of observer of those Non-Self-Governing Territories that are associate members of the regional commissions in United Nations world conferences in the economic and social sphere, subject to the rules of procedure of the General Assembly and in accordance with relevant United Nations resolutions and decisions, including resolutions and decisions of the Assembly and the Special Committee on specific Territories, and in the special session of the Assembly on children, held in New York from 8 to 10 May 2002, Noting that the large majority of the remaining Non-Self-Governing Territories are small island Territories, Welcoming the assistance extended to Non-Self-Governing Territories by certain specialized agencies and other organizations of the United Nations system, in particular the United Nations Development Programme, Stressing that, because the development options of the small island Non-Self-Governing Territories are limited, there are special challenges to planning for and implementing sustainable development and that those Territories will be constrained in meeting the challenges without the continued cooperation and assistance of the specialized agencies and other organizations of the United Nations system, Stressing also the importance of securing the necessary resources for funding expanded assistance programmes for the peoples concerned and the need to enlist the support of all major funding institutions within the United Nations system in that regard, Reaffirming the mandates of the specialized agencies and other organizations of the United Nations system to take all the appropriate measures, within their respective spheres of competence, to ensure the full implementation of General Assembly resolution 1514 (XV) and other relevant resolutions, Expressing its appreciation to the Organization of African Unity, the South Pacific Forum, the Caribbean Community and other regional organizations for the continued cooperation and assistance they have extended to the specialized agencies and other organizations of the United Nations system in this regard, Expressing its conviction that closer contacts and consultations between and among the specialized agencies and other organizations of the United Nations system and regional organizations help to facilitate the effective formulation of programmes of assistance to the peoples concerned, Mindful of the imperative need to keep under continuous review the activities of the specialized agencies and other organizations of the United Nations system in the implementation of the various United Nations decisions relating to decolonization, Bearing in mind the extremely fragile economies of the small island Non-Self-Governing Territories and their vulnerability to natural disasters, such as hurricanes, cyclones and sea-level rise, and recalling the relevant resolutions of the General Assembly, Recalling General Assembly resolution 56/67 of 10 December 2001, entitled “Implementation of the Declaration on the Granting of Independence to Colonial Countries and Peoples by the specialized agencies and the international institutions associated with the United Nations”, Takes note of the report of the President of the Economic and Social Council containing the information submitted by the specialized agencies and other organizations of the United Nations system on their activities with regard to the implementation of the Declaration on the Granting of Independence to Colonial Countries and Peoples,121 and endorses the observations and suggestions arising therefrom; Also takes note of the report of the Secretary-General;120 Recommends that all States intensify their efforts in the specialized agencies and other organizations of the United Nations system to ensure the full and effective implementation of the Declaration, contained in General Assembly resolution 1514 (XV), and other relevant resolutions of the United Nations; Reaffirms that the specialized agencies and other organizations and institutions of the United Nations system should continue to be guided by the relevant resolutions of the United Nations in their efforts to contribute to the implementation of the Declaration and all other relevant General Assembly resolutions; Also reaffirms that the recognition by the General Assembly, the Security Council and other United Nations organs of the legitimacy of the aspirations of the peoples of the Non-Self-Governing Territories to exercise their right to self-determination entails, as a corollary, the extension of all appropriate assistance to those peoples; Expresses its appreciation to those specialized agencies and other organizations of the United Nations system that have continued to cooperate with the United Nations and the regional and subregional organizations in the implementation of General Assembly resolution 1514 (XV) and other relevant resolutions of the United Nations, and requests all the specialized agencies and other organizations of the United Nations system to implement the relevant provisions of those resolutions; Requests the specialized agencies and other organizations of the United Nations system and international and regional organizations to examine and review conditions in each Territory so as to take appropriate measures to accelerate progress in the economic and social sectors of the Territories; Requests the specialized agencies and the international institutions associated with the United Nations and regional organizations to strengthen existing measures of support and formulate appropriate programmes of assistance to the remaining Non-Self-Governing Territories, within the framework of their respective mandates, in order to accelerate progress in the economic and social sectors of those Territories; Recommends that the executive heads of the specialized agencies and other organizations of the United Nations system formulate, with the active cooperation of the regional organizations concerned, concrete proposals for the full implementation of the relevant resolutions of the United Nations and submit the proposals to their governing and legislative organs; Also recommends that the specialized agencies and other organizations of the United Nations system continue to review, at the regular meetings of their governing bodies, the implementation of General Assembly resolution 1514 (XV) and other relevant resolutions of the United Nations; Welcomes the continuing initiative exercised by the United Nations Development Programme in maintaining close liaison among the specialized agencies and other organizations of the United Nations system and in providing assistance to the peoples of the Non-Self-Governing Territories; Encourages Non-Self-Governing Territories to take steps to establish and/or strengthen disaster preparedness and management institutions and policies; Requests the administering Powers concerned to facilitate, when appropriate, the participation of appointed and elected representatives of Non-Self-Governing Territories in the relevant meetings and conferences of the specialized agencies and other organizations of the United Nations system, in accordance with relevant United Nations resolutions and decisions, including resolutions and decisions of the General Assembly and the Special Committee on the Situation with Regard to the Implementation of the Declaration on the Granting of Independence to Colonial Countries and Peoples, on specific Territories, so that the Territories may benefit from the related activities of those agencies and organizations; Recommends that all Governments intensify their efforts in the specialized agencies and other organizations of the United Nations system of which they are members to accord priority to the question of providing assistance to the peoples of the Non-Self-Governing Territories; Draws the attention of the Special Committee to the present resolution and to the discussion held on the subject at the substantive session of 2002 of the Economic and Social Council; Welcomes the adoption by the Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean of resolution 574 (XXVII) of 16 May 1998 calling for the necessary mechanisms for its associate members, including small island Non-Self-Governing Territories, to participate in the special sessions of the General Assembly, subject to the rules of procedure of the Assembly, to review and assess the implementation of the plans of action of those United Nations world conferences in which the Territories originally participated in the capacity of observer, and in the work of the Economic and Social Council and its subsidiary bodies; Requests the President of the Council to continue to maintain close contact on these matters with the Chairman of the Special Committee, and to report thereon to the Council; Requests the Secretary-General to follow the implementation of the present resolution, paying particular attention to cooperation and integration arrangements for maximizing the efficiency of the assistance activities undertaken by various organizations of the United Nations system, and to report thereon to the Council at its substantive session of 2003; Decides to keep these questions under continuous review. 40th plenary meeting 25 July 2002 2002/31 Economic and social repercussions of the Israeli occupation on the living conditions of the Palestinian people in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, including Jerusalem, and the Arab population in the occupied Syrian Golan The Economic and Social Council, Recalling General Assembly resolution 56/204 of 21 December 2001, Also recalling its resolution 2001/19 of 25 July 2001, Guided by the principles of the Charter of the United Nations affirming the inadmissibility of the acquisition of territory by force, and recalling relevant Security Council resolutions, including resolutions 242 (1967) of 22 November 1967, 465 (1980) of 1 March 1980 and 497 (1981) of 17 December 1981, Reaffirming the applicability of the Geneva Convention relative to the Protection of Civilian Persons in Time of War, of 12 August 1949, to the Occupied Palestinian Territory, including Jerusalem, and other Arab territories occupied by Israel since 1967, Stressing the importance of the revival of the Middle East peace process on the basis of Security Council resolutions 242 (1967), 338 (1973) of 22 October 1973 and 425 (1978) of 19 March 1978, and the principle of land for peace as well as the compliance with the agreements reached between the Government of Israel and the Palestine Liberation Organization, the representative of the Palestinian people, Reaffirming the principle of the permanent sovereignty of peoples under foreign occupation over their natural resources, Convinced that the Israeli occupation impedes efforts to achieve sustainable development and a sound economic environment in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, including Jerusalem, and the occupied Syrian Golan, Gravely concerned about the deterioration of economic and living conditions of the Palestinian people in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, including Jerusalem, and of the Arab population of the occupied Syrian Golan and the exploitation by Israel, the occupying Power, of their natural resources, Expressing grave concern over the continuation of the recent tragic and violent events since September 2000 that have led to many deaths and injuries and the continuous deterioration of the situation, Aware of the important work being done by the United Nations and the specialized agencies in support of the economic and social development of the Palestinian people, Conscious of the urgent need for the reconstruction and development of the economic and social infrastructure of the Occupied Palestinian Territory, including Jerusalem, and for addressing the humanitarian crisis facing the Palestinian people, Stresses the need to preserve the territorial integrity of all of the Occupied Palestinian Territory and to guarantee the freedom of movement of persons and goods in the Territory, including the removal of restrictions on going into and from East Jerusalem, and the freedom of movement to and from the outside world; Also stresses the vital importance of the construction and operation of the seaport in Gaza and safe passage to the economic and social development of the Palestinian people; Calls upon Israel, the occupying Power, to end its occupation of Palestinian cities and other populated centres, to end all kinds of closures and to cease destruction of homes and economic facilities and agricultural fields; Reaffirms the inalienable right of the Palestinian people and the Arab population of the occupied Syrian Golan to all their natural and economic resources, and calls upon Israel, the occupying Power, not to exploit, endanger or cause loss or depletion of these resources; Also reaffirms that Israeli settlements in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, including Jerusalem, and the occupied Syrian Golan, are illegal and an obstacle to economic and social development; Stresses the importance of the work of the organizations and agencies of the United Nations and of the United Nations Special Coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process and Personal Representative of the Secretary-General to the Palestine Liberation Organization and the Palestinian Authority; Urges Member States to encourage private foreign investment in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, including Jerusalem, in infrastructure, job-creation projects and social development in order to alleviate the hardship of the Palestinian people and improve living conditions; Requests the Secretary-General to submit to the General Assembly at its fifty-seventh session, through the Economic and Social Council, a report on the implementation of the present resolution and to continue to include, in the report of the United Nations Special Coordinator, an update on the living conditions of the Palestinian people, in collaboration with relevant United Nations agencies; Decides to include the item entitled “Economic and social repercussions of the Israeli occupation on the living conditions of the Palestinian people in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, including Jerusalem, and the Arab population in the occupied Syrian Golan” in the agenda of its substantive session of 2003. 40th plenary meeting 25 July 2002 2002/32 Strengthening of the coordination of emergency humanitarian assistance of the United Nations The Economic and Social Council, Reaffirming General Assembly resolution 46/182 of 19 December 1991, and recalling that humanitarian assistance should be provided in accordance with and with due respect for the guiding principles contained in the annex to that resolution, and also recalling other relevant Assembly resolutions, Recalling its agreed conclusions 1998/1 of 17 July 1998 and 1999/1 of 23 July 1999, Emphasizing the importance of the discussion of humanitarian policies and activities in the Economic and Social Council, Reaffirming the need for the Council to continue to consider ways to enhance further the humanitarian affairs segment of future substantive sessions of the Council, Welcoming the fact that the 2002 humanitarian affairs segment considered the theme “Strengthening of the coordination of United Nations humanitarian assistance in cases of natural disasters and complex humanitarian emergencies, with particular attention to reaching the vulnerable and the transition from relief to development”, Deeply concerned about alleged sexual abuse, exploitation and misuse of humanitarian assistance by personnel involved in humanitarian assistance activities and stressing the need for appropriate measures in this regard, Encouraging the direct participation of local communities and populations in the identification and implementation of humanitarian and transitional programmes, with a view to supporting overall peace-building, reconciliation, reconstruction and development efforts, Stressing the need to address the funding and strategic planning gap between relief and development activities in the context of natural disasters and complex emergencies, Emphasizing the importance of international cooperation in support of the efforts of affected States in dealing with natural disasters and complex emergencies in all their phases, Recognizing that special attention should be given to women as well as the most vulnerable, including children, older persons and persons with disabilities, as well as victims of terrorism, Welcoming the efforts made by the United Nations system to strengthen the consolidated appeals process as a coordination and strategic planning tool for the provision of humanitarian assistance and transition from relief to development, Noting with concern that, while the consolidated appeals process remains one of the most significant mechanisms for humanitarian resource mobilization, it has suffered consistent shortfalls and, in this regard, encouraging the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs of the Secretariat to continue to examine in greater depth the reasons for and implications of this, Taking note of the assessment by the Secretary-General regarding criminal activities in the context of complex emergencies in pursuit of economic gain including, inter alia, illicit use by armed groups of natural resources and trafficking of women and children, and expressing concern over their impact on humanitarian assistance in such emergencies, Bearing in mind that reaching the vulnerable is essential for providing adequate protection and assistance in contexts of natural disasters and complex emergencies as well as for strengthening local capacity to cope with humanitarian needs in such contexts, Welcoming the Inter-Agency Standing Committee policy statement on the integration of a gender perspective in humanitarian affairs and stressing the importance of its effective implementation, Takes note with appreciation of the report of the Secretary-General on strengthening the coordination of emergency humanitarian assistance of the United Nations; Invites the Secretary-General to continue to strengthen the capacities of and consult with, where appropriate, regional and subregional organizations so as to respond to complex humanitarian crises and natural disasters and to report to the Economic and Social Council on practical steps taken in this regard; Welcomes the efforts of the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs and the United Nations Development Programme to strengthen their coordination and regional activities so as to provide more effective support to disaster-prone countries and, to this end, calls on them, and other relief organizations and institutions to identify innovative ways to support those countries in building and, where necessary, strengthening local, national and regional capacities in disaster prevention, mitigation and management; Recalls the efforts of the Emergency Relief Coordinator to expand participation in United Nations disaster assessment and coordination teams and encourages the further participation of United Nations organizations in United Nations disaster assessment coordination; Stresses the continued need and relevance of integrating a gender perspective in the development and implementation of humanitarian assistance activities throughout all their phases and in prevention and recovery strategies; Calls upon United Nations country teams in consultation with and in support of Governments to promote contingency planning for possible risks related to complex emergencies or natural disasters; Encourages States that have not signed or ratified the Tampere Convention on the Provision of Telecommunication Resources for Disaster Mitigation and Relief Operations, adopted at Tampere, Finland, on 18 June 1998, to consider doing so; Also encourages humanitarian agencies to engage in the further strengthening of humanitarian information centres, by providing timely and accurate information on assessed needs, and the activities developed to respond to them; Calls upon the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs as well as the United Nations Development Programme, in consultation with Governments and the humanitarian and development community, with the support of international financial institutions where appropriate, to develop humanitarian strategies to support the engagement of local communities and institutions as a means of supporting humanitarian assistance activities and the transition from relief to development; Calls upon Governments, when providing guidance to the United Nations system, including the agencies, funds and programmes through their governing bodies, to articulate areas of responsibility in addressing the transition from relief to development; Calls upon Member States to support the incorporation and operationalization of disaster risk management analysis into humanitarian assistance activities, poverty eradication and sustainable development strategies; Urges the United Nations system to strengthen and align its existing planning tools such as the consolidated appeals process and, where they exist, common country assessments and the United Nations Development Assistance Frameworks in order to facilitate the transition from relief to development and better to reflect disaster risk management; Requests the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, other members of the Inter-Agency Standing Committee, affected countries and other partners concerned to ensure that consolidated appeals contain adequate plans to align relief and transitional programmes, inter alia, in the area of resource mobilization; Takes note of its decision to consider creating ad hoc advisory groups to examine the humanitarian and economic needs of African countries emerging from conflict, and encourages relevant parts of the United Nations system, including existing coordination structures and mechanisms, to cooperate with such ad hoc advisory groups; Encourages further strengthening of the consolidated appeals process as a coordination and strategic planning tool and urges donors to contribute to this objective and to address priority needs identified through the process, and also urges affected countries to reflect these priorities in their national efforts; Supports the efforts of the Emergency Relief Coordinator to engage in a dialogue with other humanitarian actors, including non-governmental organizations, on strengthening their involvement in the development of common humanitarian action plans and consolidated appeals, and encourages them to contribute actively to their implementation; Calls upon United Nations organizations to continue to improve needs- assessment methodologies in the consolidated appeals process and to strengthen efforts to report on results; Encourages donors to ensure that financing of high-profile emergencies does not come at the expense of low-profile emergency appeals, inter alia, by making efforts to increase the overall levels of humanitarian assistance; Welcomes the initiative of donors to meet and consider the global trend in humanitarian response to ensure that imbalances can be addressed when consolidated appeals are launched; Encourages the development of a global humanitarian financial tracking system in order to contribute to improved coordination and accountability, and requests the Emergency Relief Coordinator to make proposals, without delay, for a comprehensive system for the collection and dissemination of data on humanitarian needs and contributions; Calls upon all parties to armed conflict to comply with their obligations under international humanitarian law, human rights law and refugee law; Calls upon all Governments and parties in complex humanitarian emergencies, in particular in armed conflicts and in post-conflict situations, in countries in which humanitarian personnel are operating, in conformity with the relevant provisions of international law and national laws, to cooperate fully with the United Nations and other humanitarian agencies and organizations and to ensure the safe and unhindered access of humanitarian personnel in order to allow them to perform efficiently their task of assisting the affected population, including refugees and internally displaced persons; Reaffirms the obligation of Member States to protect civilians in armed conflict in accordance with international humanitarian law, and invites them to promote a culture of protection, taking into account the particular needs of women, children, older persons and persons with disabilities; Urges the international community and the United Nations system to strengthen their humanitarian and other assistance to civilians under foreign occupation; Encourages efforts to provide education during and after humanitarian emergencies in order to contribute to a smooth transition from relief to development; Invites Member States and other partners, as appropriate, to participate actively in workshops on the protection of civilians in order to impart knowledge and improve practice based on shared experiences; Encourages Governments, the United Nations system and humanitarian organizations to share experiences and lessons they may have learned with regard to the development of criteria and procedures for the identification of armed elements and their separation from the civilian population in situations of complex emergencies, and urges Governments and relevant United Nations bodies to strengthen measures in this regard; Notes with appreciation the establishment of the non-operational inter-agency Unit on Internal Displacement in the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, and encourages Member States and relevant agencies to provide it with the necessary resources to enable it to carry out its activities; Notes that an increasing number of States, United Nations organizations and regional and non-governmental organizations are making use of the Guiding Principles on Internal Displacement, encourages the strengthening of legal frameworks on the protection of internally displaced persons and urges the international community to strengthen its support to affected States in their efforts to provide, through national plans or initiatives, protection and assistance to their internally displaced persons; Strongly urges the United Nations system and all humanitarian organizations to adopt and implement appropriate measures, including codes of conduct, for all personnel involved in humanitarian assistance activities, to review protection and distribution mechanisms, and to recommend actions that protect against sexual abuse and exploitation and the misuse of humanitarian assistance, and requests the Secretary-General to report back to the Council in this regard; Welcomes efforts to strengthen international urban search and rescue operations through, inter alia, activities of the International Search and Rescue Advisory Group; Requests the Secretary-General to continue progress on the directories referred to in General Assembly resolution 56/103 of 14 December 2001; Also requests the Secretary-General to reflect the progress made in the implementation of and follow-up to the present resolution in his next report to the Council and the General Assembly on the coordination of emergency humanitarian assistance of the United Nations. 41st plenary meeting 26 July 2002 2002/33 Programme of Action for the Least Developed Countries for the Decade 2001-2010 The Economic and Social Council, Recalling its decision 2001/320 of 24 October 2001 establishing under the regular agenda item entitled “Integrated and coordinated implementation of and follow-up to the major United Nations conferences and summits”, a regular sub-item entitled “Review and coordination of the implementation of the Programme of Action for the Least Developed Countries for the Decade 2001-2010”, Taking into account paragraph 4 of General Assembly resolution 56/227 of 24 December 2001, in which the Assembly invited organizations of the United Nations system and other multilateral organizations to mainstream the implementation of the Brussels Declaration and Programme of Action for the Least Developed Countries for the Decade 2001-2010 within their programmes of work, as well as in their intergovernmental processes, Takes note of the oral report of the High Representative for the Least Developed Countries, Landlocked Developing Countries and Small Island Developing States on the implementation of the Programme of Action for the Least Developed Countries for the Decade 2001-2010;131 Welcomes with appreciation the decision taken by the Executive Board of the United Nations Children's Fund at its 2002 annual session on mainstreaming the Programme of Action within the programme of work of the Fund; Also welcomes with appreciation the decision taken by the Executive Board of the United Nations Development Programme and of the United Nations Population Fund at its 2002 annual session to mainstream the Programme of Action within the programme of work of the United Nations Development Programme as well as in its managed funds activities, in particular the activities of the United Nations Capital Development Fund; Invites all other organizations of the United Nations system and other multilateral organizations that have not yet done so, to mainstream the implementation of the Brussels Declaration130 and Programme of Action within their programmes of work, as well as within their intergovernmental processes; Stresses the need for further initiatives focused on cooperation between the least developed countries and other countries at the regional and subregional levels; Reaffirms that global-level follow-up to the Brussels Programme of Action should be primarily concerned with assessing the economic and social performance of the least developed countries, monitoring the implementation of commitments by the least developed countries and their partners, reviewing the functioning of implementation and follow-up mechanisms at the country, subregional, regional and sectoral levels, and policy developments at the global level with implications for the least developed countries; Invites each least developed country, with the support of its development partners, to promote implementation of the actions contained in the Programme of Action by translating them into specific measures within its national development framework and poverty eradication strategy, in particular, where they exist, Poverty Reduction Strategy Papers, and with the involvement of civil society, including the private sector, on the basis of a broad-based inclusive dialogue; Requests the High Representative to submit a comprehensive progress report on the implementation of the Programme of Action to the Economic and Social Council at its substantive session of 2003, and invites all development partners, organizations of the United Nations system and other multilateral organizations to contribute to that end, and invites the High Representative to consult with Member States on the appropriate format, such as, inter alia, a matrix of achievement, for such a comprehensive report; Calls upon the High Representative to submit his progress report in a timely manner so as to enable due consideration of the implementation of the Programme of Action at the substantive sessions of the Council; Invites all development partners, and United Nations system and other multilateral organizations to extend to the Office of the High Representative their collaboration in the fulfilling of its mandate. 41st plenary meeting 26 July 2002 2002/34 International Conference on Financing for Development The Economic and Social Council, Recalling General Assembly resolution 56/210 B of 9 July 2002, in which the Assembly endorsed the Monterrey Consensus of the International Conference on Financing for Development, which was adopted on 22 March 2002, Recalling also the contents of chapter III of the Monterrey Consensus, in particular paragraph 69 regarding the commitment to strengthen and make fuller use of the General Assembly and the Economic and Social Council, as well as the relevant intergovernmental/governing bodies of other institutional stakeholders, for the purposes of conference follow-up and coordination, Taking note of the summary prepared by the President of the Council of its annual spring meeting with the Bretton Woods institutions and the World Trade Organization, which was held on 22 April 2002, Recognizing the link between financing for development and attaining internationally agreed development goals and objectives, including those contained in the United Nations Millennium Declaration, as well as sustained economic growth and sustainable development, Cognizant of the importance of staying fully engaged, nationally, regionally and internationally, to ensure proper follow-up to the implementation of agreements and commitments reached at the International Conference on Financing for Development, and to continue to build bridges between development, finance, and trade organizations and initiatives, within the framework of the holistic agenda of the Conference, Expresses its satisfaction with the holding of the International Conference on Financing for Development; Affirms its commitment to contribute to the implementation of the Monterrey Consensus of the International Conference on Financing for Development,135 both in the context of its general mandate to follow-up and support the implementation of commitments adopted at all major United Nations conferences, including the Millennium Summit, and as an important process in its own right. In that regard, priority will be attached to four broad tasks related to follow-up activities: (a) to promote coherence and an integrated approach within the United Nations; (b) to intensify interactions with the World Bank, the International Monetary Fund and the World Trade Organization, as well as other institutional stakeholders; (c) to continue involving other relevant stakeholders, including civil society organizations and the private sector; and (d) to prepare inputs for consideration by the General Assembly; Decides, in carrying out its coordinating role in the economic and social sectors within the United Nations, to promote a coherent and integrated response on the part of the different departments, units, funds, programmes and specialized agencies, each in its specific area of competence. To that end, at a resumed substantive session of 2002 or, at the latest, at its organizational session for 2003, the Secretary-General is called upon to provide information on the different follow-up activities being undertaken within the United Nations in support of implementation of the Monterrey Consensus, enabling the Council to formulate recommendations that seek the effectiveness of a coherent and integrated response; Affirms its commitment, in its role of interacting with other institutional stakeholders, to make full use of the dialogue that takes place during its annual spring meeting with the Bretton Woods institutions and the World Trade Organization to address, in addition to general matters of common interest, the issues of coherence, coordination and cooperation related to the follow-up to the International Conference on Financing for Development; and in that regard: (a) Underlines the need for a well-prepared and focused agenda for a meeting geared to advancing implementation, as well as examining further steps to be taken by each of the stakeholders to move the Monterrey process forward; (b) Recommends that the agenda reflect the holistic approach to the interconnected national, regional, international and systemic challenges of financing for development; (c) Decides to invite all institutional stakeholders to provide the Secretary-General with interim reports during the first quarter of 2003 on the work undertaken and planned in their respective areas of competence regarding implementation of the different components of the Monterrey Consensus, with the understanding that those reports will be essential inputs to the preparation of the meeting; (d) Stresses the need for continued contacts between representatives of the United Nations, the World Bank, the International Monetary Fund and the World Trade Organization, both at the intergovernmental level and at the level of management/secretariats; Expresses its readiness to continue the innovative and participatory nature that characterized the International Conference on Financing for Development, strengthening the role of the Council in its interaction with non-governmental organizations and the business sector in its annual spring meetings with the Bretton Woods institutions and the World Trade Organization. The specific modalities and formats to give concrete expression to that commitment will be decided by the Council, in accordance with its rules of procedures and the accreditation procedures and modalities of participation utilized at the Conference and its preparatory process; Affirms its readiness to report to the General Assembly, and to provide inputs to the biennial General Assembly high-level dialogue on strengthening international cooperation for development through partnership, on all efforts made by the Council in support of the Monterrey process, including the results of its annual spring meetings with the Bretton Woods institutions and the World Trade Organization; Invites all other stakeholders of the Monterrey process, in particular the Bretton Woods institutions, the World Trade Organization and regional development banks, to place the implementation of the Monterrey Consensus at the top of their respective agendas, and invites all major institutional stakeholders to cooperate fully in the provision of effective support, in accordance with paragraph 72 of the Monterrey Consensus and paragraph 5 of General Assembly resolution 56/210 B. 41st plenary meeting 26 July 2002 2002/35 The need to harmonize and improve United Nations informatics systems for optimal utilization and accessibility by all States The Economic and Social Council, Welcoming the report of the Secretary-General on international cooperation in the field of informatics, Recognizing the interest of Member States in taking full advantage of information and communication technologies for the acceleration of economic and social development, Recalling its previous resolutions on the need to harmonize and improve United Nations information systems for optimal utilization and access by all States, with due regard to all official languages, Welcoming the report presented by the Chairman of the Ad Hoc Open-ended Working Group on Informatics on the progress achieved so far in fulfilling its mandate, Reiterates once again the high priority that it attaches to easy, economical, uncomplicated and unhindered access for States Members of the United Nations, observers and non-governmental organizations accredited to the United Nations, to the computerized databases and information systems and services of the United Nations, provided that the unhindered access of non-governmental organizations shall not prejudice the access of Member States and that it shall not impose an additional financial burden for the use of databases and other systems; Requests the President of the Economic and Social Council to convene the Ad Hoc Open-ended Working Group on Informatics for one more year to enable it to carry out, from within existing resources and with its mandate as stated in Council resolution 1995/61 of 28 July 1995, its work of facilitating the successful implementation of the initiatives being taken by the Secretary-General with regard to the use of information technology and of continuing the implementation of measures required to achieve its objectives; in this regard, the Working Group is requested to continue its efforts in order to act as a bridge between the evolving needs of Member States and the actions of the Secretariat; Supports the efforts of the Working Group to keep intact the network of national focal points that was established in connection with the year-2000 problem, as a vehicle for the diffusion of best practices and lessons learned, in particular for the exchange of information on locally and regionally appropriate solutions, and in this regard appeals once again to countries and other sources to provide the extrabudgetary resources necessary to maintain the mailing list of the national focal points; Requests the Secretary-General to extend full cooperation to the Working Group and to give priority to implementing its recommendations; Also requests the Secretary-General to report to the Council at its substantive session of 2003 on the follow-up action taken on the present resolution, including the findings of the Working Group and an assessment of its work and mandate. 41st plenary meeting 26 July 2002 2002/36 Report of the Committee for Development Policy The Economic and Social Council, Recalling its resolution 1998/46 of 31 July 1998, in which it decided that the Economic and Social Council should decide on an appropriate programme of work for the Committee for Development Policy, Recalling also its resolutions 2000/34 of 28 July 2000 on the report of the Committee on its second session and 2001/43 of 24 October 2001 on the report of the Committee on its third session, Recalling further General Assembly resolution 46/206 of 20 December 1991 on the report of the Committee and criteria for identifying the least developed countries, Taking note with appreciation of the presentation by the Chairman and other members of the Bureau of the Committee and of the report of the Committee on its fourth session, Having considered the memorandum submitted by the Government of Maldives, Takes note of the report of the Committee for Development Policy on its fourth session,139 the views contained therein regarding the criteria for the identification of the least developed countries and the recognition of the importance of ensuring smooth transition for graduating countries; Requests the Committee to continue its work on the re-examination of its recommendation to graduate Maldives from the list of least developed countries at its fifth session and to submit its recommendations to the Economic and Social Council at its substantive session of 2003 in the context of the triennial review of the list of least developed countries, taking into account the information referred to above and further information to be provided by relevant development partners and multilateral organizations; Urges the international organizations, bilateral donors and graduating or near graduating countries to continue the debate concerning the treatment of graduating countries with a view to ensuring that the graduation of a country from the list of the least developed countries should not result in disruption to its development plans, programmes and projects and the importance of ensuring a smooth transition from least developed country status for countries that become eligible for graduation; Takes note of the recommendation of the Committee that country vulnerability profiles be prepared for each country close to the graduation thresholds, including Maldives, and that such profiles be completed before the end of 2002, so that they will be available for the preparation of the next triennial review in 2003; Reiterates the importance of consulting with relevant Member States in the preparation and use of country vulnerability profiles as well as the continuing need for transparency, objectivity and accuracy in those processes; Requests the Committee to continue its work on the methodology to be used for the identification of the least developed countries, where appropriate in association with other international organizations working on environmental and economic vulnerability issues; Also requests the Committee, at its fifth session, to examine and make recommendations regarding the theme chosen for the high-level segment of the substantive session of 2003 of the Council; Welcomes the proposals made by the Committee regarding its future programme of work; Invites the Chairman and, as necessary, other members of the Committee to continue the practice of reporting orally to the Council on the work of the Committee. 41st plenary meeting 26 July 2002 2002/37 Strengthening the work of the Commission on Science and Technology for Development* The Economic and Social Council, Taking into account the fact that the United Nations Commission on Science and Technology for Development, within its mandate, is the coordinator of science and technology activities within the United Nations system, Decides that the Commission should meet annually; Requests the Commission to establish an open-ended working group for the purpose of analysing ways and means to improve the role and participation of the Commission in the recommendation and policy-making process of the United Nations system on science and technology issues, with the aim of working towards the strengthening of the Commission. The Working Group should submit to the next session of the Commission concrete measures for adoption; Decides to study the feasibility of establishing an international mechanism for supporting and enhancing research and development within the developing countries and in areas critical to the developing countries especially in the fields of health, education and agriculture. 41st plenary meeting 26 July 2002 2002/38 Coordinated implementation of the Habitat Agenda The Economic and Social Council, Recalling the Declaration on Cities and Other Human Settlements in the New Millennium, which was adopted by the General Assembly at its twenty-fifth special session, Recalling also all the relevant resolutions on human settlements, in particular General Assembly resolutions 3327 (XXIX) of 16 December 1974 and 32/162 of 19 December 1977, and further stressing the importance of General Assembly resolutions 56/205 and 56/206 of 21 December 2001, Recalling further the goal contained in the United Nations Millennium Declaration of achieving a significant improvement in the lives of at least 100 million slum-dwellers by the year 2020, Recognizing that urgent steps should be taken to ensure a better mobilization of financial resources at all levels, to enhance the implementation of the Habitat Agenda, the Declaration on Cities and Other Human Settlements in the New Millennium and the relevant goals of the United Nations Millennium Declaration, particularly in developing countries, Taking note of the report of the Secretary-General, Invites Governments in a position to do so, to increase their financial contributions to the United Nations Habitat and Human Settlements Foundation, and also invites international financial institutions, as appropriate, to assist developing countries in the implementation of the Habitat Agenda,143 the Declaration on Cities and Other Human Settlements in the New Millennium141 and the United Nations millennium development goal of achieving a significant improvement in the lives of at least 100 million slum-dwellers by the year 2020, while giving due consideration to marginalized groups;142 Encourages the United Nations Human Settlements Programme (UN-Habitat) to continue to implement the Habitat Agenda and the Declaration on Cities and Other Human Settlements in the New Millennium, including through promoting partnerships with local authorities, non-governmental organizations, private sector and other Habitat Agenda partners, to empower them, within the legal framework, and according to the conditions of each country, to play a more effective role in shelter provision and in sustainable human settlements development; Invites the Executive Director of UN-Habitat to pursue the establishment, within the context of the United Nations System Chief Executives Board for Coordination, of the Habitat Agenda Task Manager System as a collaborative effort to allow better monitoring and mutual reinforcement of actions taken by international agencies in support of the implementation of the Habitat Agenda; Encourages UN-Habitat to strengthen its collaboration with the United Nations agencies, funds and programmes and the United Nations Development Group in the implementation of the Habitat Agenda; Requests the Secretary-General to submit to the Council at its 2003 session a report on the implementation of the present resolution. 41st plenary meeting 26 July 2002 Decisions 2002/201 C Elections, nominations and appointments to subsidiary and related bodies of the Economic and Social Council At its 41st plenary meeting, on 26 July 2002, the Economic and Social Council took the following action with regard to vacancies in its subsidiary and related bodies: Elections and nominations postponed from previous sessions Commission for Social Development The Council elected Romania for a term beginning in 2003 at the organizational meeting of the Commission's forty-second session and expiring at the close of the Commission's forty-fifth session in 2007, pursuant to Council decision 2002/210 of 13 February 2002. Commission on the Status of Women The Council elected Armenia for a term beginning in 2003 at the organizational meeting of the Commission's forty-eighth session and expiring at the close of the Commission's fifty-first session in 2007, pursuant to Council decision 2002/234 of 24 July 2002. Commission on Science and Technology for Development The Council elected Bolivia for a four-year term beginning on 1 January 2003. The Council further postponed the election of one member from Asian States and two members from Western European and other States for a term beginning on the date of election and expiring on 31 December 2004, and three members from Western European and other States for a four-year term beginning on 1 January 2003. Committee for Programme and Coordination The Council nominated Monaco for election by the General Assembly at its fifty-seventh session for a three-year term beginning on 1 January 2003. The Council postponed the nomination of two members from Western European and other States for election by the General Assembly for a three-year term beginning on 1 January 2003. Governing Council of the United Nations Human Settlements Programme The Council elected Burundi and Ecuador for a four-year term beginning on 1 January 2003. Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights The Council elected Chokila Iyer (India) for a four-year term beginning on 1 January 2003. Executive Board of the World Food Programme The Council elected Poland for a three-year term beginning on 1 January 2003. Other elections Committee of Experts on the Transport of Dangerous Goods and on the Globally Harmonized System of Classification and Labelling of Chemicals The Council, in accordance with its resolution 1999/65 of 26 October 1999, endorsed the decision of the Secretary-General to approve the application of China, Denmark and Portugal for membership in the Subcommittee of Experts on the Globally Harmonized System of Classification and Labelling of Chemicals (GHS Subcommittee), and the application of Portugal for membership in the Subcommittee of Experts on the Transport of Dangerous Goods (TDG Subcommittee). Committee on Non-Governmental Organizations The Council elected the Sudan for a four-year term beginning on 1 January 2003 to replace the Comoros, which had resigned its seat on the Committee. Commission on Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice The Council elected the Comoros for a three-year term beginning on 1 January 2003 to replace the Sudan, which had resigned its seat on the Commission. 2002/220 Adoption of the agenda of the substantive session of 2002 At its 6th plenary meeting, on 1 July 2002, the Economic and Social Council adopted the agenda of its substantive session of 2002 and approved the organization of work of the session; At its 8th plenary meeting, on 2 July 2002, the Council, on the recommendation of the Committee on Non-Governmental Organizations, approved the requests made by non-governmental organizations to be heard by the Council at its substantive session of 2002. At the same meeting, the Council also adopted the recommendations to hear the following two additional non-governmental organizations: Human Rights Watch (on behalf of ten non-governmental organizations in consultative status requesting to be heard under item 14 (g)); and Asia Crime Prevention Foundation, with consultative status, requesting to be heard under item 14 (c). 2002/221 Documents considered by the Economic and Social Council in connection with regional cooperation At its 32nd plenary meeting, on 19 July 2002, the Economic and Social Council took note of the following documents: (a) Report of the Secretary-General on regional cooperation in the economic, social and related fields; (b) Report of the Secretary-General on regional cooperation in the economic, social and related fields: regional follow-up to world conferences and other global meetings; (c) Report of the Secretary-General on regional cooperation in the economic, social and related fields: cooperation with other regional bodies; (d) Report of the Secretary-General on regional cooperation in the economic, social and related fields: matters calling for action by the Economic and Social Council or brought to its attention; (e) Summary of the economic survey of Europe, 2001; (f) Summary of the economic and social situation in Africa, 2001; (g) Summary of the economic and social survey of Asia and the Pacific, 2002; (h) Summary of the economic survey of Latin America and the Caribbean; (i) Summary of the survey of economic and social developments in the region of the Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia, 2001-2002. 2002/222 Applications for consultative status and requests for reclassification received from non-governmental organizations At its 34th plenary meeting, on 22 July 2002, the Economic and Social Council decided: (a) To grant consultative status to the following ninety-three non-governmental organizations: General consultative status International Higher Education Academy of Sciences National Association of Non-Governmental Organizations Russian Academy of Natural Sciences Special consultative status A Woman's Voice International Africa Infrastructures Foundation American Society of Criminology American Society of Safety Engineers Antioch Christian Centre Argentine Society of Pediatrics Asian Indigenous and Tribal Peoples Network Assembly of First Nations-National Indian Brotherhood Assistance pédagogique internationale Association européenne des cheminots Association internationale de lutte contre le pauvreté et pour le développement Association mauritanienne pour le bien-être et le secours de l'enfant et de la mère Association marocaine d'aide à l'enfant et à la famille Association marocaine de planification familiale Association pour la défense des droits de la femme et de l'enfant Association pour la formation et l'insertion sociale de l'adolescent et de la femme Becket Fund for Religious Liberty Canada Family Action Coalition Canadian Race Relations Foundation Canadian HIV/AIDS Legal Network Caribbean Association for Feminist Research and Action Center for Oceans Law and Policy Centre féminin pour la promotion du développement Chinese People's Association for Peace and Disarmament CARE (Christian Action Research and Education) Comité international pour le respect et l'application de la Charte africaine des droits de l'homme et des peuples Dominican Leadership Conference Drug Watch International Ethiopian World Federation Family Health International Federation of Women Lawyers in Kenya Global Housing Foundation Hawa Society for Women Health on the Net Foundation Hong Kong Federation of Women's Centres Hope for Africa Hope for the Nations Imam Al-Sadr Foundation Indonesian National Council on Social Welfare Institute for Energy and Environmental Research International AIDS Vaccine Initiative, The International Association for Human Values International Environmental Law Research Centre International Federation of Inspection Agencies International Fund for Animal Welfare International Movement for Leisure Activities in Science and Technology International Possibilities Unlimited Interregional Union of Life Help for Mentally Handicapped Persons “Sail of Hope” Jesuit Refugee Service Jose Marti Cultural Society Kitakyushu Forum on Asian Women Kiwanis International Korea Freedom League Korea International Volunteer Organization Lebanon Family Planning Association Mariano y Rafael Castillo Cordova Foundation Medical Aid for Palestinians Medico International National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers Netherlands Centre for Indigenous Peoples Open Family Australia Physicians for Social Responsibility Pro Dignitate Foundation for Human Rights Rainforest Foundation Society of Automotive Engineers Sovereign Military Order of the Temple of Jerusalem Swedish Organisation of Disabled Persons International Aid Association United Nations Watch United World Colleges Roster Alumni Association of the Willem C. Vis International Commercial Arbitration Moot Association angolaise pour les activités sociales Association de développement de la vallée du Dra Association francophone internationale des directeurs d'établissements scolaires Association of American Railroads Centre de documentation, de recherche et d'information des peuples autochtones Christian Blind Mission International Confederation of European Forest Owners Confederation of German Forest Owners Associations European Association of Automotive Suppliers Femme développement entreprise en Afrique Forests Monitor Ltd. Guinea Development Foundation Kyrgyz Committee for Human Rights Motorcycle Riders Foundation National Council of the Saemaul-Undong Movement Nippon Foundation Rethinking Tourism Project UNESCO Centre Basque Country UNESCO Centre of Catalonia Viva Network (b) To reclassify: (i) The Centro di Ricerca e Documentazione Febbraio 74 from special to general consultative status; (ii) The International Council for Local Environmental Initiatives from the Roster to special consultative status; (iii) The International Confederation of Midwives from the specialized agencies Roster to the Roster of the Economic and Social Council; (c) To note that the Committee on Non-Governmental Organizations has decided to close consideration of the applications of the following three organizations: Felege Guihon International (by a recorded vote); German Advisory Council on global change (at the request of the organization); Syrian Orthodox Church in America. 2002/223 Quadrennial reports, special reports and complaints At its 34th plenary meeting, on 22 July 2002, the Economic and Social Council took note that the Committee on Non-Governmental Organizations: (a) Took note of the quadrennial reports of the following twenty organizations (years covered indicated in parentheses): African Society of International and Comparative Law (1995-1998) Arab Organization for Human Rights (1997-2000) Association of Arab-American University Graduates (1995-1998) Commission for the Defense of Human Rights in Central America (1995-1998) Earthjustice Legal Defense Fund (1995-1998) Friends World Committee for Consultation (1996-1999) International Council for Research and Innovation in Building and Construction (1994-1997) International Electrotechnical Commission (1995-1998) International Federation of Building and Wood Workers (1997-2000) International Motor Vehicle Inspection Committee (1995-1998) Lutheran World Federation (1996-1999) Médecins sans frontières (International) (1997-2000) National Bar Association (1995-1998) National Wildlife Federation (1995-1998) Physicians for Human Rights (1995-1998) Resources for the Future (1995-1998) Union internationale des avocats (1995-1998) Union of Ibero-American Capitals — Intermunicipal Financial and Economic Centre for Advice and Cooperation (1997-2000) Women, Law and Development International (1995-1998) World Alliance of Young Men's Christian Associations (1995-1998) (b) Decided to adjourn the debate on the special report of the organization Freedom House; (c) Decided to close complaints submitted by States against the following four organizations: United Towns Agency for North-South Cooperation; International Federation of Human Rights Leagues; Women's Human Rights International Association; New Human Rights. 2002/224 Resumed 2002 session of the Committee on Non-Governmental Organizations At its 34th plenary meeting, on 22 July 2002, the Economic and Social Council decided to authorize the Committee on Non-Governmental Organizations to hold a resumed session for a period of two weeks and three days, from 8 to 24 January 2003, in order to complete the work of its 2002 session, on the understanding that the conference services will be provided on an “as available” basis. 2002/225 Establishment of the general voluntary trust fund in support of the United Nations NGO Informal Regional Network At its 34th plenary meeting, on 22 July 2002, the Economic and Social Council, recalling the provisions of its resolutions 1996/31 of 25 July 1996 and 1999/34 of 28 July 1999, emphasizing the importance of non-governmental organizations worldwide in achieving a just, balanced, effective and genuine involvement from all regions of the world, and in their evolving relationship with the United Nations; reaffirming the important role of the United Nations NGO Informal Regional Network in achieving NGO capacity-building to take part in United Nations work, support the coalition of NGOs and disseminate the work of the Council; stressing the vital part played by the regional networks in strengthening the partnership between the United Nations, NGOs and subregional and regional coordinators of the informal network; underlining the need to serve and facilitate communication and exchange among and between regions through cooperation and collaborative activities; recognizing the need for human and financial resources and technical assistance in order to ensure increased participation of NGOs from developing countries and countries with economies in transition in the work of the Council and its subsidiary bodies, and to work to ensure parity and an equitable and representative NGO presence and contributions to United Nations goals, including development goals as set out in the United Nations Millennium Declaration; and fully recognizing the need to ensure the long-term viability of such an undertaking at its very initiation: (a) Requests the Secretary-General to establish a general voluntary trust fund, on the basis of the terms of reference contained in the annex to the present decision, in order to achieve those aims and ensure an equal development of activities for NGOs in consultative status with the Council in all regions through the equitable division of available resources; (b) Requests the Secretary-General to submit, for the review of the Committee on Non-Governmental Organizations at its annual sessions, a report on the implementation of the present decision. Annex United Nations NGO Informal Regional Network: terms of reference Implementation of the United Nations NGO Informal Regional Network will encompass, inter alia, the following activities: - Establishing and managing an ongoing, regularly updated technology-based system designed to provide access to information and enable interactive exchange among NGOs regionally and interregionally, and between NGOs worldwide and the United Nations, through the Non-Governmental Organizations Section of the Department of Economic and Social Affairs of the Secretariat. - Providing training for network managers at the subregional levels and network users, as required. - Designing and conducting capacity-building workshops, seminars and training programmes to strengthen NGO capabilities for effective contribution, at both operational and policy levels. - Development and production of print and electronic training materials. - Producing recurrent and occasional publications, such as newsletters, reports and analytical papers, to complement the electronic information dissemination programme and to ensure universal accessibility. - Development and maintenance of comprehensive database support. - Organizing national, subregional and regional conferences/meetings, together with government, intergovernmental bodies, the United Nations and NGOs, with a view to facilitating and enabling an environment conducive to the development of an active and effective NGO sector. - Convening annual planning and coordination meetings to bring together regional coordinators, informal network partners, the NGO Section and all other entities concerned with the implementation and management of the Network. - Creating opportunities for NGOs to interact by, for example, convening meetings, organizing exchange visits or study tours in order to promote cooperation, sharing of resources and collaborative action among network participants. - Responsibility for overall backstopping, oversight and development activities is to be undertaken by the NGO Section. - Design and maintenance of a system of regular needs assessment, monitoring and evaluation to ensure that the Network is developing and functioning equitably, efficiently and effectively at both the regional and global levels. 2002/226 Report of the Committee on Non-Governmental Organizations on its 2002 regular session At its 34th plenary meeting, on 22 July 2002, the Economic and Social Council decided to defer action on the report of the Committee on Non-Governmental Organizations on its 2002 regular session until part two of the report became available in all languages. 2002/227 Report of the Secretary-General of the International Telecommunication Union on the preparations for the World Summit on the Information Society At its 36th plenary meeting, on 23 July 2002, the Economic and Social Council took note of the note by the Secretary-General transmitting the report of the Secretary-General of the International Telecommunication Union on the preparations for the World Summit on the Information Society. 2002/228 Report of the Governing Council of the United Nations Environment Programme on its seventh special session At its 36th plenary meeting, on 23 July 2002, the Economic and Social Council took note of the report of the Governing Council of the United Nations Environment Programme on its seventh special session. 2002/229 Sixteenth United Nations Regional Cartographic Conference for Asia and the Pacific At its 36th plenary meeting, on 23 July 2002, the Council decided to accept the offer of the Government of Japan to host the Sixteenth United Nations Regional Cartographic Conference for Asia and the Pacific in the year 2003. 2002/230 Public administration At its 36th plenary meeting, on 23 July 2002, the Economic and Social Council decided to defer until its resumed session the consideration of the sub-item on public administration. 2002/231 Report of the Secretary-General on the tenth meeting of the Ad Hoc Group of Experts on International Cooperation in Tax Matters At its 36th plenary meeting, on 23 July 2002, the Economic and Social Council took note of the report of the Secretary-General on the tenth meeting of the Ad Hoc Group of Experts on International Cooperation in Tax Matters. In this connection, the Council agreed to the holding of the eleventh meeting in 2003 and approved the provisional agenda as contained in paragraph 48 of the report. 2002/232 Documents considered by the Economic and Social Council in connection with assistance to third States affected by the application of sanctions At its 36th plenary meeting, on 23 July 2002, the Economic and Social Council took note of the following documents: (a) Report of the Secretary-General on the implementation of the Charter of the United Nations related to assistance to third States affected by the application of sanctions; (b) Note by the Secretary-General relating to the report. 2002/233 Consideration of the request for conversion of the International Civil Defence Organization, an intergovernmental organization with observer status with the Economic and Social Council, to a specialized agency At its 36th plenary meeting, on 23 July 2002, the Economic and Social Council agreed to defer action on this item until a later date. 2002/234 Election of the Bureau of the Commission on the Status of Women At its 37th plenary meeting, on 24 July 2002, the Economic and Social Council, in order to improve the work of the Commission on the Status of Women and to ensure continuity in the work of its successive Bureaux, decided: (a) That the terms of office of the members of the Commission will be for four regular sessions of the Commission, to begin immediately after the conclusion of work of the Commission's regular session held after 1 January, following their election by the Council, and to end at the conclusion of the regular session held after 1 January, following the election of the States that are to succeed them as members of the Commission, unless they are re-elected; (b) To extend the terms of office of those members of the Commission whose terms are to expire: (i) On 31 December 2002, until the conclusion of the forty-seventh session of the Commission; (ii) On 31 December 2003, until the conclusion of the forty-eighth session of the Commission; (iii) On 31 December 2004, until the conclusion of the forty-ninth session of the Commission; (c) That, starting with the forty-seventh session in 2003, the Commission, immediately following the closure of a regular session, will hold the first meeting of its subsequent regular session for the sole purpose of electing the new Chairperson and other members of the Bureau, in accordance with rule 15 of the rules of procedure of the functional Commissions of the Council; (d) That, in this context, the provisions of General Assembly resolution 1798 (XVII) of 11 December 1962 will apply only to the substantive part of the sessions of the Commission. 2002/235 Communications concerning the status of women: communications procedure At its 37th plenary meeting, on 24 July 2002, the Economic and Social Council, reaffirming the mandate of the Commission on the Status of Women as set out in its resolutions 76 (V) of 5 August 1947, 304 I (XI) of 14 and 17 July 1950, 1983/27 of 26 May 1983, 1992/19 of 30 July 1992 and 1993/11 of 27 July 1993, decided, in order to make the communications procedure of the Commission on the Status of Women more effective and efficient: (a) That the Commission, starting at its forty-seventh session, should appoint, at each session, the members of the Working Group on Communications on the Status of Women for the next session so that the members may meet to enable the secretariat to issue their report three working days before the adoption of the agenda by the Commission; (b) To request the Secretary-General (i) to inform Governments about each communication pertaining to them that will be considered by the Commission and give them at least twelve weeks before the consideration of such communications by the Working Group, and (ii) to ensure that the members of the Working Group receive in advance the lists of communications, including replies from Governments, if any, to be taken into account in preparing its report for examination by the Commission; (c) To request the Secretary-General to publicize further the communications procedure of the Commission. 2002/236 Report of the Commission on the Status of Women on its forty-sixth session and the provisional agenda for the forty-seventh session of the Commission At its 37th plenary meeting, on 24 July 2002, the Economic and Social Council took note of the report of the Commission on the Status of Women on its forty-sixth session and approved the provisional agenda for the forty-seventh session of the Commission set out below. Provisional agenda for the forty-seventh session of the Commission Election of officers. Adoption of the agenda and other organizational matters. Follow-up to the Fourth World Conference on Women and to the special session of the General Assembly entitled “Women 2000: gender equality, development and peace for the twenty-first century”: (a) Review of gender mainstreaming in entities of the United Nations system; (b) Emerging issues, trends and new approaches to issues affecting the situation of women or equality between women and men; (c) Implementation of strategic objectives and action in the critical areas of concern and further actions and initiatives: (i) Participation and access of women to the media and information and communication technologies and their impact on and use as an instrument for the advancement and empowerment of women; (ii) Women's human rights and the elimination of all forms of violence against women and girls, as defined in the Beijing Platform for Action and the outcome documents of the special session of the General Assembly entitled “Women 2000: gender equality, development and peace for the twenty-first century”. Communications concerning the status of women. Follow-up to Economic and Social Council resolutions and decisions. Provisional agenda for the forty-eighth session of the Commission. Adoption of the report of the Commission on its forty-seventh session. 2002/237 Report of the Commission for Social Development on its fortieth session and provisional agenda and documentation for the forty-first session of the Commission At its 37th plenary meeting, on 24 July 2002, the Economic and Social Council: (a) Took note of the report of the Commission for Social Development on its fortieth session and endorsed the resolutions and decisions adopted by the Commission; (b) Approved the provisional agenda and documentation for the forty-first session of the Commission set out below. Provisional agenda and documentation for the forty-first session of the Commission for Social Development Election of officers. Adoption of the agenda and other organizational matters. Follow-up to the World Summit for Social Development and the twenty-fourth special session of the General Assembly: (a) Priority theme: “National and international cooperation for social development”. Under this theme, the following specific topics will be considered: (i) Sharing of experiences and practices in social development; (ii) Forging partnerships for social development; (iii) Social responsibility of the private sector; (iv) Impact of employment strategies on social development; (v) Policies and role of international financial institutions and their effect on national social development strategies; (b) Review of relevant United Nations plans and programmes of action pertaining to the situation of social groups: (i) Review of the global situation of youth; (ii) Preparations for and observance of the tenth anniversary of the International Year of the Family; (iii) World Programme of Action concerning Disabled Persons. Documentation Report of the Secretary-General on national and international cooperation for social development Report of the Secretary-General: World Youth Report 2003 Report of the Secretary-General on preparations for and observance of the tenth anniversary of the International Year of the Family Report of the Secretary-General on the World Programme of Action concerning Disabled Persons Programme questions and other matters: (a) Programme performance and implementation; (b) Proposed programme of work for the biennium 2002-2003; (c) United Nations Research Institute for Social Development. Documentation Note by the Secretary-General on the draft programme of work of the Division for Social Policy and Development for the biennium 2004-2005 Note by the Secretary-General transmitting the report of the Board of the United Nations Research Institute for Social Development Note by the Secretary-General on the nomination of members of the Board of the United Nations Research Institute for Social Development Provisional agenda for the forty-second session of the Commission. Adoption of the report of the Commission on its forty-first session. 2002/238 Report of the Commission on Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice on its eleventh session, provisional agenda and documentation for its twelfth session, and organization of work and themes for its future sessions At its 37th plenary meeting, on 24 July 2002, the Economic and Social Council: (a) Took note of the report of the Commission on Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice on its eleventh session; (b) Decided that the prominent theme for the twelfth and thirteenth sessions of the Commission should be as follows: (i) For the twelfth session, in 2003: “Trafficking in human beings, especially women and children”; (ii) For the thirteenth session, in 2004: “The rule of law and development: contributions of the operational activities in crime prevention and criminal justice”; (c) Approved the provisional agenda and documentation for the twelfth session of the Commission set out below. Provisional agenda and documentation for the twelfth session of the Commission on Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice Election of officers. (Legislative authority: rule 15 of the rules of procedure of the functional commissions of the Economic and Social Council and decision 1/101 of the Commission on Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice) Adoption of the agenda and organization of work. Documentation Provisional agenda, annotations and proposed organization of work (Legislative authority: Council resolution 1992/1 and decision 1997/232 and rules 5 and 7 of the rules of procedure of the functional commissions of the Council) Thematic discussion: “Trafficking in human beings, especially women and children”. Sub-themes: (a) Trends in trafficking in human beings; (b) Investigating and prosecuting cases on trafficking in human beings: national and international law enforcement cooperation and assistance; (c) Awareness-raising and social intervention: victim support and the role of civil society; Documentation Report of the Secretary-General on trafficking in human beings (Legislative authority: Council resolution 1999/51) Work of the Centre for International Crime Prevention. Documentation Report of the Executive Director on the work of the Centre for International Crime Prevention (containing information on progress made on, inter alia, technical cooperation, global programmes, resource mobilization and cooperation with United Nations and other entities) (Legislative authority: General Assembly resolution 55/64 and Council resolutions 1992/22 and 1999/23) Report of the Secretary-General on activities of the institutes of the United Nations Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice Programme network (Legislative authority: Council resolutions 1992/22, 1994/21 and 1999/23) International cooperation in combating transnational crime: (a) United Nations Convention against Transnational Organized Crime and the Protocols thereto; Documentation Report of the Secretary-General on the United Nations Convention against Transnational Organized Crime (Legislative authority: Assembly resolution 56/120) (b) Negotiation of an international convention against corruption; Documentation Report of the Secretary-General on the work of the Ad Hoc Committee for the Negotiation of a Convention against Corruption (Legislative authority: Assembly resolution 57/[E/CN.15/2002/L.9]) (c) Preventing and combating kidnapping; Documentation Report of the Secretary-General on measures to strengthen international cooperation in the prevention, combating and elimination of kidnapping and in providing assistance for the victims (Legislative authority: Council resolution 2002/16, paragraph 6) (d) Illicit trafficking in protected species of wild flora and fauna. Documentation Report of the Secretary-General on illicit trafficking in protected species of wild flora and fauna (Legislative authority: Council resolution 2002/18, paragraph 5) Strengthening international cooperation and technical assistance in preventing and combating terrorism. Documentation Report of the Secretary-General on strengthening international cooperation and technical assistance in preventing and combating terrorism (Legislative authority: Council resolution 2002/19, paragraph 10) Use and application of United Nations standards and norms in crime prevention and criminal justice. Documentation Report of the Secretary-General on standards and norms in crime prevention and criminal justice (Legislative authority: Council resolution 2002/15, section I, paragraph 3) Preparations for the Eleventh United Nations Congress on Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice. Documentation Report of the Secretary-General on progress made in the preparations for the Eleventh United Nations Congress on Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice (Legislative authority: Assembly resolutions 56/119 and 57/[E/CN.15/2002/L.4/ Rev.1, paragraph 14]) Draft discussion guide for the Eleventh United Nations Congress on Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice, prepared by the Secretariat (Legislative authority: Assembly resolutions 56/119 and 57/[E/CN.15/2002/L.4/Rev.1, paragraph 4]) Strategic management and programme questions. (Legislative authority: Commission resolution 7/1) Provisional agenda for the thirteenth session of the Commission. (Legislative authority: rule 9 of the rules of procedure of the functional commissions of the Council and Council decision 1997/232) Adoption of the report of the Commission on its twelfth session. 2002/239 Appointment of members of the Board of Trustees of the United Nations Interregional Crime and Justice Research Institute At its 37th plenary meeting, on 24 July 2002, the Economic and Social Council decided to endorse the appointment, by the Commission on Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice at its eleventh session, of Iskander Ghattas and Željko Horvatić to the Board of Trustees of the United Nations Interregional Crime and Justice Research Institute. 2002/240 Report of the Commission on Narcotic Drugs on its forty-fifth session and provisional agenda and documentation for the forty-sixth session of the Commission At its 37th plenary meeting, on 24 July 2002, the Economic and Social Council took note of the report of the Commission on Narcotic Drugs on its forty-fifth session and approved the provisional agenda and documentation for the forty-sixth session of the Commission set out below, on the understanding that intersessional meetings would be held at Vienna, at no additional cost, to finalize the items to be included in the provisional agenda and the documentation requirements for the forty-sixth session. Provisional agenda and documentation for the forty-sixth session of the Commission on Narcotic Drugs Election of officers. Adoption of the agenda and other organizational matters. Documentation Provisional agenda and annotations [Thematic debate (theme to be identified)] Documentation Note by the Secretariat (as necessary) Normative segment Follow-up to the twentieth special session of the General Assembly: general overview and progress achieved in meeting the goals and targets for the years 2003 and 2008 set out in the Political Declaration adopted by the Assembly at its twentieth special session. Documentation Biennial report of the Executive Director on the implementation of the outcome of the twentieth special session of the General Assembly on the world drug problem (and addenda) Drug demand reduction: (a) Action Plan for the Implementation of the Declaration on the Guiding Principles of Drug Demand Reduction; (b) World situation with regard to drug abuse. Documentation Report of the Secretariat Illicit drug traffic and supply: (a) World situation with regard to drug trafficking and action taken by subsidiary bodies of the Commission; (b) Follow-up to the twentieth special session: (i) Measures to promote judicial cooperation (extradition, mutual legal assistance, controlled delivery, combating trafficking by sea and law enforcement cooperation, including training); (ii) Countering money-laundering; (iii) Action Plan on International Cooperation on the Eradication of Illicit Crops and on Alternative Development. Documentation Reports of the Secretariat Implementation of the international drug control treaties: (a) Changes in the scope of control of substances; (b) International Narcotics Control Board; (c) Follow-up to the twentieth special session of the General Assembly: (i) Measures to prevent the illicit manufacture, import, export, trafficking, distribution and diversion of precursors used in the illicit manufacture of narcotic drugs and psychotropic substances; (ii) Action Plan against Illicit Manufacture, Trafficking and Abuse of Amphetamine-type Stimulants and Their Precursors; (d) Other matters arising from the international drug control treaties. Documentation Report of the International Narcotics Control Board for 2002 Report of the International Narcotics Control Board for 2002 on the implementation of article 12 of the United Nations Convention against Illicit Traffic in Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances of 1988 Notes by the Secretariat (as necessary) Operational segment Policy directives to the United Nations International Drug Control Programme. Documentation Report of the Executive Director on activities of the United Nations International Drug Control Programme Strengthening the United Nations International Drug Control Programme and the role of the Commission on Narcotic Drugs as its governing body. Documentation Report of the Executive Director Administrative and budgetary questions. Documentation Report of the Executive Director (Ministerial segment) (Ministerial segment to be finalized, including its theme, content and organization, as well as its placement within the provisional agenda for the forty-sixth session) Documentation Report of the Executive Director (as necessary) Provisional agenda for the forty-seventh session of the Commission. Other business. Documentation Note by the Secretariat (as necessary) Adoption of the report of the Commission on its forty-sixth session. 2002/241 Report of the International Narcotics Control Board At its 37th plenary meeting, on 24 July 2002, the Economic and Social Council took note of the report of the International Narcotics Control Board for 2001. 2002/242 Tobacco or health At its 37th plenary meeting, on 24 July 2002, the Economic and Social Council, having considered the report of the Secretary-General on the Ad Hoc Inter-Agency Task Force on Tobacco Control, requested the Secretary-General to submit to the Council, at its substantive session of 2004, a report on the work of the Task Force, to be continued in an expeditious manner. 2002/243 Question of the violation of human rights in the occupied Arab territories, including Palestine At its 39th plenary meeting, on 25 July 2002, the Economic and Social Council, taking note of Commission on Human Rights resolution 2002/8 of 15 April 2002, approved the Commission's decision to request the Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in the Palestinian territory occupied since 1967, acting as a monitoring mechanism, to follow-up the implementation of the recommendations appearing in the report of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights as well as those appearing in the report of the Human Rights Inquiry Commission established pursuant to Commission resolution S-5/1 of 19 October 2000, and to submit reports thereon to the General Assembly at its fifty-seventh session and to the Commission at its fifty-ninth session. 2002/244 Human rights situation of Lebanese detainees in Israel At its 39th plenary meeting, on 25 July 2002, the Economic and Social Council, taking note of Commission on Human Rights resolution 2002/10 of 19 April 2002, endorsed the decision of the Commission to request the Secretary-General: (a) To bring Commission resolution 2002/10 to the attention of the Government of Israel and to call upon it to comply with its provisions; (b) To report to the General Assembly at its fifty-seventh session and to the Commission at its fifty-ninth session on the results of his efforts in this regard. 2002/245 Assistance to Equatorial Guinea in the field of human rights At its 39th plenary meeting, on 25 July 2002, the Economic and Social Council, taking note of Commission on Human Rights resolution 2002/11 of 19 April 2002, endorsed the decision of the Commission to end the mandate of the Special Representative of the Commission to monitor the situation of human rights in Equatorial Guinea. The Council also endorsed the decision of the Commission to examine the question of technical assistance to Equatorial Guinea in the field of human rights at its fifty-ninth session under the agenda item entitled “Advisory services and technical cooperation in the field of human rights”. 2002/246 Situation of human rights in Burundi At its 39th plenary meeting, on 25 July 2002, the Economic and Social Council, taking note of Commission on Human Rights resolution 2002/12 of 19 April 2002, approved the decision of the Commission to extend the mandate of the Special Rapporteur by one year and to request her to submit an interim report on the human rights situation in Burundi to the General Assembly at its fifty-seventh session and a report to the Commission at its fifty-ninth session, giving her work a gender-specific dimension. 2002/247 Situation of human rights in parts of south-eastern Europe At its 39th plenary meeting, on 25 July 2002, the Economic and Social Council, taking note of Commission on Human Rights resolution 2002/13 of 19 April 2002, endorsed the decision of the Commission to extend for one year the mandate of the Special Representative of the Commission to examine the situation of human rights in Bosnia and Herzegovina and the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia. 2002/248 Situation of human rights in the Democratic Republic of the Congo At its 39th plenary meeting, on 25 July 2002, the Economic and Social Council, taking note of Commission on Human Rights resolution 2002/14 of 19 April 2002, endorsed the Commission's decisions: (a) To extend the mandate of the Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in the Democratic Republic of the Congo for a further year and to request her to submit an interim report to the General Assembly at its fifty-seventh session and to the Commission at its fifty-ninth session on the situation of human rights in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and on the possibilities for the international community to assist with local capacity-building, and also to request the Special Rapporteur to keep a gender perspective in mind when seeking and analysing information; (b) To request the Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and the Special Rapporteur on extrajudicial, summary or arbitrary executions and a member of the Working Group on Enforced and Involuntary Disappearances to carry out, as soon as security considerations permit and, where appropriate, in cooperation with the National Commission of Inquiry to investigate alleged human rights violations and breaches of international humanitarian law in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (formerly Zaire) between 1996 and 1997, a joint mission to investigate all massacres carried out in the territory of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, including those in the province of South Kivu and other atrocities referred to in the various reports by the Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, with a view to bringing to justice those responsible, and to report to the General Assembly at its fifty-seventh session and to the Commission at its fifty-ninth session. 2002/249 Situation of human rights in Iraq At its 39th plenary meeting, on 25 July 2002, the Economic and Social Council, taking note of Commission on Human Rights resolution 2002/15 of 19 April 2002, endorsed the decision of the Commission to extend the mandate of the Special Rapporteur, as contained in Commission resolution 1991/74 of 6 March 1991 and subsequent resolutions, for a further year, and to request the Special Rapporteur to submit an interim report on the situation of human rights in Iraq to the General Assembly at its fifty-seventh session and to report to the Commission at its fifty-ninth session, and also to keep a gender perspective in mind when seeking and analysing information. 2002/250 Situation of human rights in the Sudan At its 39th plenary meeting, on 25 July 2002, the Economic and Social Council, taking note of Commission on Human Rights resolution 2002/16 of 19 April 2002, endorsed the decision of the Commission to extend the mandate of the Special Rapporteur for a further year and to request him to submit an interim report to the General Assembly at its fifty-seventh session and to report to the Commission at its fifty-ninth session on the situation of human rights in the Sudan and to continue to keep a gender perspective in mind in the reporting process. 2002/251 Situation of human rights in Cuba At its 39th plenary meeting, on 25 July 2002, the Economic and Social Council, taking note of Commission on Human Rights resolution 2002/18 of 19 April 2002, endorsed the decision of the Commission to request the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights to take steps to send a personal representative to the country with a view to cooperation between the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights and the Government of Cuba in the implementation of Commission resolution 2002/18. 2002/252 Situation of human rights in Afghanistan At its 39th plenary meeting, on 25 July 2002, the Economic and Social Council, taking note of Commission on Human Rights resolution 2002/19 of 22 April 2002, endorsed the decision of the Commission to extend the mandate of the Special Rapporteur for one year and to request him to report on the situation of human rights in Afghanistan to the General Assembly at its fifty-seventh session and to the Commission at its fifty-ninth session and to provide updates, as appropriate. 2002/253 Situation of human rights in Sierra Leone At its 39th plenary meeting, on 25 July 2002, the Economic and Social Council, taking note of Commission on Human Rights resolution 2002/20 of 22 April 2002, endorsed the decision of the Commission to request: (a) The Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights to dispatch a forensic team without delay to investigate mass graves and other evidence of atrocities in Sierra Leone that will be important for the work of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission and the Special Court; (b) The High Commissioner to report to the General Assembly at its fifty-seventh session and to the Commission at its fifty-ninth session on the human rights situation in Sierra Leone, including with reference to reports from the Human Rights Section of the United Nations Mission in Sierra Leone. 2002/254 Question of the realization in all countries of the economic, social and cultural rights contained in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and in the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights, and study of special problems which the developing countries face in their efforts to achieve these human rights At its 39th plenary meeting, on 25 July 2002, the Economic and Social Council, taking note of Commission on Human Rights resolution 2002/24 of 22 April 2002, endorsed the decisions of the Commission: (a) To renew, for a period of one year, the mandate of the independent expert to examine the question of a draft optional protocol to the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights appointed pursuant to Commission resolution 2001/30 and to request him to submit a report to the Commission at its fifty-ninth session which would further address: (i) The question of the nature and scope of States parties' obligations under the Covenant; (ii) Conceptual issues on the justiciability of economic, social and cultural rights, with particular reference to the experience gained in recent years from the application of universal, regional and national human rights instruments and mechanisms; (iii) The question of the benefits and the practicability of a complaint mechanism under the Covenant and the issue of complementarity between different mechanisms; (b) To establish, at the fifty-ninth session of the Commission, an open-ended working group of the Commission with a view to considering options regarding the elaboration of an optional protocol to the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights. 2002/255 The right to food At its 39th plenary meeting, on 25 July 2002, the Economic and Social Council, taking note of Commission on Human Rights resolution 2002/25 of 22 April 2002, endorsed the decision of the Commission to request the Special Rapporteur to submit a report to the General Assembly at its fifty-seventh session and to report to the Commission at its fifty-ninth session on the implementation of Commission resolution 2002/25. 2002/256 Globalization and its impact on the full enjoyment of human rights At its 39th plenary meeting, on 25 July 2002, the Economic and Social Council, taking note of Commission on Human Rights resolution 2002/28 of 22 April 2002, endorsed the decision of the Commission to request the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, taking fully into account resolution 2002/28 and in cooperation with the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development, the World Trade Organization and other relevant international financial and economic institutions, to study and clarify the fundamental principle of non-discrimination and its application at the global level with a view to recommending measures for its integration and effective implementation in the debate on and process of globalization, and to submit a comprehensive analytical study on that subject to the Commission at its fifty-ninth session. The Council also endorsed the decision of the Commission to request the High Commissioner to integrate the theme of globalization and its impact on the enjoyment of human rights in the programmes of her Office concerning regional arrangements for the promotion and protection of human rights and, in this context, to convene intersessional workshops during the year to gather relevant data and opinions with a view to evaluating the varied impact of globalization on the enjoyment of human rights in various regions/parts of the world, and to report to the Commission at its next session. 2002/257 Effects of structural adjustment policies and foreign debt on the full enjoyment of all human rights, particularly economic, social and cultural rights At its 39th plenary meeting, on 25 July 2002, the Economic and Social Council, taking note of Commission on Human Rights resolution 2002/29 of 22 April 2002, authorized the open-ended working group established to elaborate policy guidelines on structural adjustment programmes and economic, social and cultural rights to meet for two weeks well in advance of, and at least four weeks prior to, the fifty-ninth session of the Commission with the mandate to: (a) continue working on the elaboration of basic policy guidelines on structural adjustment programmes and economic, social and cultural rights which could serve as a basis for a continued dialogue between human rights bodies and international financial institutions, and (b) report to the Commission at its fifty-ninth session. 2002/258 Human rights and extreme poverty At its 39th plenary meeting, on 25 July 2002, the Economic and Social Council, taking note of Commission on Human Rights resolution 2002/30 of 22 April 2002, endorsed the Commission's decision to renew for two years the mandate of the independent expert on the question of human rights and extreme poverty, and to request her: (a) To take into account the outcome of the World Conference against Racism, Racial Discrimination, Xenophobia and Related Intolerance held at Durban, South Africa, from 31 August to 8 September 2001, and the World Summit on Sustainable Development to be held in Johannesburg, South Africa, from 26 August to 4 September 2002; (b) To continue to evaluate the relationship between the promotion and protection of human rights and the eradication of extreme poverty, including through the identification of local, national and international good practices; (c) To continue, including during her visits, her consultations with men and women living in extreme poverty and the communities in which they live so that they may develop their capacity to express their views and organize themselves, and to involve national human rights bodies in this exercise; (d) To identify good practices by national and local authorities for taking into account in shaping their policies the needs and demands voiced by the least well-off; (e) To continue her cooperation with international organizations, including the financial institutions, with a view to identifying the best programmes for combating extreme poverty; (f) To contribute to the mid-term evaluation of the first United Nations Decade for the Eradication of Poverty, scheduled for 2002, and the associated events; (g) To report on her activities to the Commission on Human Rights at its fifty-ninth and sixtieth sessions, in 2003 and 2004, and to make those reports available to the Commission for Social Development and the Commission on the Status of Women, as appropriate, for their sessions during the same years. 2002/259 The right of everyone to the enjoyment of the highest attainable standard of physical and mental health At its 39th plenary meeting, on 25 July 2002, the Economic and Social Council, taking note of Commission on Human Rights resolution 2002/31 of 22 April 2002, endorsed the decisions of the Commission: (a) To appoint, for a period of three years, a special rapporteur whose mandate will focus on the right of everyone to the enjoyment of the highest attainable standard of physical and mental health, as reflected in article 25, paragraph 1, of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, article 12 of the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights, article 24 of the Convention on the Rights of the Child and article 12 of the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women, as well as on the right to non-discrimination as reflected in article 5 (e) (iv) of the International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination; (b) To request the Special Rapporteur: (i) To gather, request, receive and exchange information from all relevant sources, including Governments, intergovernmental organizations and non-governmental organizations, on the realization of the right of everyone to the enjoyment of the highest attainable standard of physical and mental health; (ii) To develop a regular dialogue and discuss possible areas of cooperation with all relevant actors, including Governments, relevant United Nations bodies, specialized agencies and programmes, in particular the World Health Organization and the Joint United Nations Programme on Human Immunodeficiency Virus/Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome, as well as non-governmental organizations and international financial institutions; (iii) To report on the status, throughout the world, of the realization of the right of everyone to the enjoyment of the highest attainable standard of physical and mental health, in accordance with the provisions of the instruments listed in subparagraph (a) above, and on developments relating to this right, including on laws, policies and good practices most beneficial to its enjoyment and obstacles encountered domestically and internationally to its implementation; (iv) To make recommendations on appropriate measures to promote and protect the realization of the right of everyone to the enjoyment of the highest attainable standard of physical and mental health, with a view to supporting States' efforts to enhance public health; (c) To request the Special Rapporteur to avoid in her or his work any duplication or overlapping with the work, competence and mandate of other international bodies active in health issues; (d) To invite the Special Rapporteur: (i) To apply a gender perspective in her or his work and to pay special attention to the needs of children in the realization of the right of everyone to the enjoyment of the highest attainable standard of physical and mental health; (ii) To take into account in her or his work the relevant provisions of the Durban Declaration and Programme of Action, adopted in September 2001 by the World Conference against Racism, Racial Discrimination, Xenophobia and Related Intolerance, as well as of the declarations and programmes of action adopted by the major United Nations conferences and summits and their follow-up meetings, and to bear in mind General Comment No. 14 (2000) adopted by the Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights at its twenty-second session, and general recommendation 24 adopted by the Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women at its twentieth session, as well as any other general comment that treaty bodies adopt on related provisions of relevant instruments; (e) To request the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights to provide all the necessary resources for the effective fulfilment of the Special Rapporteur's mandate from within existing resources; (f) To request the Special Rapporteur to submit an annual report to the Commission on the activities performed under her or his mandate. 2002/260 Torture and other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment At its 39th plenary meeting, on 25 July 2002, the Economic and Social Council, taking note of Commission on Human Rights resolution 2002/38 of 22 April 2002, endorsed the decision of the Commission to invite the Special Rapporteur to submit an interim report to the General Assembly at its fifty-seventh session on the overall trends and developments with regard to his mandate and a full report to the Commission at its fifty-ninth session, including as addenda all replies sent by Governments that are received in any of the official languages of the United Nations. 2002/261 Elimination of all forms of religious intolerance At its 39th plenary meeting, on 25 July 2002, the Economic and Social Council, taking note of Commission on Human Rights resolution 2002/40 of 23 April 2002, endorsed the decision of the Commission to request the Special Rapporteur on freedom of religion or belief to submit an interim report to the General Assembly at its fifty-seventh session and to report to the Commission at its fifty-ninth session. 2002/262 The right to freedom of opinion and expression At its 39th plenary meeting, on 25 July 2002, the Economic and Social Council, taking note of Commission on Human Rights resolution 2002/48 of 23 April 2002, endorsed the decision of the Commission to extend the mandate of the Special Rapporteur on the promotion and protection of the right to freedom of opinion and expression for a further three years. 2002/263 Integrating the human rights of women throughout the United Nations system At its 39th plenary meeting, on 25 July 2002, the Economic and Social Council, taking note of Commission on Human Rights resolution 2002/50 of 23 April 23 2002, endorsed the decision of the Commission to request all special procedures and other human rights mechanisms of the Commission and the Subcommission on the Promotion and Protection of Human Rights regularly and systematically to take a gender perspective into account in the implementation of their mandates and to include in their reports information on and qualitative analysis of human rights of women and girls, and to invite human rights treaty bodies to do likewise, and to encourage the strengthening of cooperation and coordination between these procedures and mechanisms. The Council also endorsed the decision of the Commission to integrate a gender perspective into all of its agenda items. 2002/264 International Convention on the Protection of the Rights of All Migrant Workers and Members of Their Families At its 39th plenary meeting, on 25 July 2002, the Economic and Social Council, taking note of Commission on Human Rights resolution 2002/54 of 25 April 2002, endorsed the decision of the Commission to request the Secretary-General to make all the necessary provisions for the timely establishment of the Committee on the Protection of the Rights of All Migrant Workers and Members of Their Families referred to in article 72 of the International Convention on the Protection of the Rights of All Migrant Workers and Members of Their Families, and to provide all facilities and assistance necessary for the active promotion of the Convention, through the World Public Information Campaign on Human Rights and the programme of advisory services in the field of human rights. 2002/265 Human rights of persons with disabilities At its 39th plenary meeting, on 25 July 2002, the Economic and Social Council, taking note of Commission on Human Rights resolution 2002/61 of 25 April 2002, endorsed the decision of the Commission to invite the Special Rapporteur on disability of the Commission for Social Development to address the Commission on Human Rights at its fifty-ninth session on the human rights dimension of his work and also to invite him to provide regularly the Commission with reports of experience on the human rights dimension gained by him and his panel through monitoring the Standard Rules on the Equalization of Opportunities for Persons with Disabilities. The Council also endorsed the decision of the Commission to invite all special rapporteurs, in carrying out their mandates, to take into account the situation and human rights of persons with disabilities, and to request the Secretary-General to report annually to the General Assembly on the progress of efforts to ensure the full recognition and enjoyment of the human rights of persons with disabilities. 2002/266 Human rights of migrants At its 39th plenary meeting, on 25 July 2002, the Economic and Social Council, taking note of Commission on Human Rights resolution 2002/62 of 25 April 2002, endorsed the decision of the Commission to extend for a period of three years the mandate of the Special Rapporteur and to encourage her to continue to examine ways and means of overcoming existing obstacles to the full and effective protection of the human rights of persons belonging to this large vulnerable group, including obstacles to and difficulties for the return of migrants who are undocumented or in an irregular situation, in conformity with her mandate as contained in Commission resolution 1999/44 of 27 April 1999. 2002/267 Working Group on Indigenous Populations of the Subcommission on the Promotion and Protection of Human Rights and the International Decade of the World's Indigenous People At its 39th plenary meeting, on 25 July 2002, the Economic and Social Council, taking note of Commission on Human Rights resolution 2002/63 of 25 April 2002, authorized the Working Group on Indigenous Populations of the Subcommission on the Promotion and Protection of Human Rights to meet for five working days prior to the fifty-fourth session of the Subcommission. 2002/268 Working group of the Commission on Human Rights to elaborate a draft declaration in accordance with paragraph 5 of General Assembly resolution 49/214 of 23 December 1994 At its 39th plenary meeting, on 25 July 2002, the Economic and Social Council, taking note of Commission on Human Rights resolution 2002/64 of 25 April 2002, authorized the working group of the Commission established in accordance with Commission resolution 1995/32 of 3 March 1995 to meet for a period of ten working days prior to the fifty-ninth session of the Commission, the costs of the meeting to be met from within existing resources. The Council endorsed the Commission's decision to invite the Chairperson-Rapporteur of the working group and all interested parties to conduct broad informal intersessional consultations with a view to facilitating progress in drafting a declaration on the rights of indigenous people at the next session of the working group. 2002/269 Situation of human rights in Myanmar At its 39th plenary meeting, on 25 July 2002, the Economic and Social Council, taking note of Commission on Human Rights resolution 2002/67 of 25 April 2002, endorsed the Commission's decision to extend the mandate of the Special Rapporteur, as contained in Commission resolution 1992/58 of 3 March 1992, for a further year, and to request the Special Rapporteur to submit an interim report to the General Assembly at its fifty-seventh session and to report to the Commission at its fifty-ninth session, and to keep a gender perspective in mind when seeking and analysing information. 2002/270 Racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia and related intolerance At its 39th plenary meeting, on 25 July 2002, the Economic and Social Council, taking note of Commission on Human Rights resolution 2002/68 of 25 April 2002, approved the decision of the Commission: (a) To establish an intergovernmental working group, with the following mandate: (i) To make recommendations with a view to the effective implementation of the Durban Declaration and Programme of Action adopted in September 2001 by the World Conference against Racism, Racial Discrimination, Xenophobia and Related Intolerance; (ii) To prepare complementary international standards to strengthen and update international instruments against racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia and related intolerance in all their aspects; (b) To establish a working group of five independent experts on people of African descent, appointed on the basis of equitable geographical representation by the Chairman of the Commission at its fifty-eighth session, in consultation with regional groups, to meet for two sessions of five working days each prior to the fifty-ninth session of the Commission, in closed and public meetings, with a mandate: (i) To study the problems of racial discrimination faced by people of African descent living in the Diaspora and to this end gather all relevant information from Governments, non-governmental organizations and other relevant sources, including through holding public meetings with them; (ii) To propose measures to ensure full and effective access to the justice system by people of African descent; (iii) To submit recommendations on the design, implementation and enforcement of effective measures to eliminate racial profiling of people of African descent; (iv) To elaborate short-, medium- and long-term proposals for the elimination of racial discrimination against people of African descent, including proposals for a mechanism to monitor and promote all their human rights, bearing in mind the need for close collaboration with international and development institutions and the specialized agencies of the United Nations system to promote human rights of people of African descent, inter alia, through: Improving the human rights situation of people of African descent by devoting special attention to their needs, inter alia, through the preparation of specific programmes of action; b. Designing special projects, in collaboration with people of African descent, to support their initiatives at the community level and to facilitate the exchange of information and technical know-how between these populations and experts in these areas; c. Developing programmes intended for people of African descent allocating additional investments to health systems, education, housing, electricity, drinking water and environmental control measures and promoting equal opportunity in employment, as well as other affirmative or positive action initiatives, within the human rights framework; (c) To request the Working Group of Experts on People of African Descent to submit to report to the Commission at its fifty-ninth session; (d) To emphasize the importance of the appointment of the five independent eminent experts by the Secretary-General to follow-up the implementation of the provisions of the Durban Declaration and Programme of Action, with the following terms of reference: (i) To receive reports from States, non-governmental organizations and all relevant institutions within the United Nations system on the implementation of and follow-up to the Durban Declaration and Programme of Action and make recommendations to States for their national plans of action, bearing in mind the resource constraints of the developing countries; (ii) To make recommendations to the Intergovernmental Working Group on measures for effective and coordinated implementation of the Durban Declaration and Programme of Action, including regional perspectives; (iii) To make recommendations to the Secretary-General, the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights and the Commission on ways and means of mobilizing the resources necessary for anti-racism activities; (iv) To assist the Intergovernmental Working Group in its preparation of complementary standards to strengthen and update international instruments against racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia and related intolerance in all their aspects; (v) To cooperate with the Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination, the Commission and the Office of the High Commissioner in the comprehensive implementation of the Durban Declaration and Programme of Action; (e) To keep the mandate of the independent eminent experts under constant review; (f) To request the Secretary-General to establish and administer, in accordance with the Financial Regulations and Rules of the United Nations, a voluntary fund to provide additional resources for: (i) The effective implementation of the Durban Declaration and Programme of Action, in particular in developing countries; (ii) The participation of people of African descent, representatives of developing countries, especially the least developed countries, non-governmental organizations and experts in the open-end sessions of the Working Group of Experts on People of African Descent; (iii) The activities of the Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination; (iv) National, regional and international activities to counter racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia and related intolerance, including the holding of seminars; (v) The anti-racial discrimination activities of the Anti-Discrimination Unit of the Office of the High Commissioner; (g) To renew the mandate of the Special Rapporteur for three years and to appoint Mr. Doudou Diène as Special Rapporteur, in order to take advantage of his expertise in this field; (h) To include in its rationalized agenda a separate item entitled “Comprehensive implementation of and follow-up to the Durban Declaration and Programme of Action”. 2002/271 The right to development At its 39th plenary meeting, on 25 July 2002, the Economic and Social Council, taking note of Commission on Human Rights resolution 2002/69 of 25 April 2002, endorsed the Commission's decision to extend the mandate of the Working Group on the Right to Development for one year so that it may continue important deliberations and deepening dialogue on the operationalization on the right to development. 2002/272 Composition of the staff of the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights At its 39th plenary meeting, on 25 July 2002, the Economic and Social Council, taking note of Commission on Human Rights resolution 2002/80 of 25 April 2002, endorsed the Commission's decision to request the Joint Inspection Unit to undertake a comprehensive review of the management and administration of the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, in particular with regard to its impact on the recruitment policies and the composition of the staff, and to submit a report thereon to the Commission at its sixtieth session containing concrete proposals for the implementation of Commission resolution 2002/80. 2002/273 Assistance to Somalia in the field of human rights At its 39th plenary meeting, on 25 July 2002, the Economic and Social Council, taking note of Commission on Human Rights resolution 2002/88 of 26 April 2002, endorsed the Commission's decision to extend the mandate of the independent expert on the situation of human rights in Somalia for a further year and to request the independent expert to report to the Commission at its fifty-ninth session. The Council also endorsed the Commission's decision to request the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights to provide for the translation of Commission resolution 2002/88, accompanied by an appropriate background explanatory note, into the Somali language and for its wide dissemination within the country through the human rights officer for Somalia based in Nairobi. 2002/274 Enhancement of the effectiveness of the working methods of the Commission on Human Rights At its 39th plenary meeting, on 25 July 2002, the Economic and Social Council, taking note of Commission on Human Rights resolution 2002/91 of 26 April 2002, endorsed the Commission's decision to initiate at its fifty-ninth session, under the agenda item entitled “Organization of the work of the session”, a thorough review of the issue of the enhancement of the effectiveness of the working methods of the Commission, in particular those matters included in the non-exhaustive annex to Commission resolution 2002/91. The Council also endorsed the decision of the Commission to request the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights to solicit ideas and proposals on enhancing the effectiveness of the working methods of the Commission from Governments, the expanded Bureau of the fifty-eighth session of the Commission, regional groups and organizations and other participants at the Commission, including non-governmental organizations, with a view to submitting a comprehensive compilation of views to the Commission by 31 December 2002. The Council further endorsed the decision of the Commission to request the expanded Bureau of its fifty-ninth session to submit, at the initial stage of the fifty-ninth session, proposals on how to proceed to consider this question in 2003 under the same agenda item. 2002/275 Rights of the child At its 39th plenary meeting, on 25 July 2002, the Economic and Social Council, taking note of Commission on Human Rights resolution 2002/92 of 26 April 2002, endorsed the Commission's decision to request the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, United Nations mechanisms and all relevant organs of the United Nations system, in particular special representatives, special rapporteurs and working groups, regularly and systematically to include a child rights perspective in the fulfilment of their mandates. 2002/276 The Social Forum At its 40th plenary meeting, on 25 July 2002, the Economic and Social Council, taking note of Commission on Human Rights decision 2002/106 of 22 April 2002, authorized the holding for two days in Geneva of a pre-sessional forum on economic, social and cultural rights, to be known as “the Social Forum”, before the fifty-fourth session of the Subcommission on the Promotion and Protection of Human Rights with the participation of ten members of the Subcommission, taking into account regional representation, and also authorized the provision of all the necessary secretariat facilities for the preparation and servicing of the event. 2002/277 Human rights and human responsibilities At its 40th plenary meeting, on 25 July 2002, the Economic and Social Council, taking note of Commission on Human Rights decision 2002/110 of 25 April 2002, decided to request the Special Rapporteur, Mr. Miguel Alfonso Martínez, to submit to the Commission at its fifty-ninth session his final report on the study requested by the Commission in its resolution 2000/63 of 26 April 2000, and to request again the Secretary-General to grant the Special Rapporteur all the necessary assistance to make it possible for him to fulfil his mandate properly, in particular by facilitating the field missions he considers it necessary to carry out in 2002 in Africa, Asia and Europe. 2002/278 Dates of the fifty-ninth session of the Commission on Human Rights At its 40th plenary meeting, on 25 July 2002, the Economic and Social Council, taking note of Commission on Human Rights decision 2002/113 of 26 April 2002, endorsed the Commission's decision that the first meeting of the Commission would henceforth be held on the third Monday in January, with the sole purpose of electing its officers, and that the fifty-ninth session of the Commission would be held from 17 March to 25 April 2003. 2002/279 Expiration of office-holders' terms of appointment under special procedures At its 40th plenary meeting, on 25 July 2002, the Economic and Social Council, taking note of Commission on Human Rights decision 2002/114 of 26 April 2002, approved the decision of the Commission: (a) That the six-year period of time referred to in subparagraph (a) (ii) (Special procedure mandates) of the statement of the Commission's Chairperson on enhancement of the effectiveness of the mechanisms of the Commission, of 29 April 1999, will not extend beyond the last day of the substantive session of the Council immediately following the relevant session of the Commission; (b) That any reports on activities undertaken by the concerned individual office-holder between the date of submission of reports to the relevant session of the Commission and the last day of the substantive session of the Council will be circulated as official documents of the subsequent session of the Commission; (c) That the Chairperson of the Commission, in consultation with the expanded Bureau, will endeavour to select and appoint office-holders as early as possible with a view to avoiding gaps between terms of office-holders. 2002/280 Intersessional activities of the Bureau At its 40th plenary meeting, on 25 July 2002, the Economic and Social Council, taking note of Commission on Human Rights decision 2002/115 of 26 April 2002, endorsed the Commission's decision to authorize its Bureau, working together with the regional coordinators, after the conclusion of the fifty-eighth session and in full consultation with all regional groups, to consider steps which could be recommended to the expanded Bureau of the fifty-ninth session as soon as it is established regarding the organization of work during the fifty-ninth session, in close coordination with the Bureau of the Council and the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, as well as other concerned bodies of the Secretariat. 2002/281 Organization of the work of the fifty-ninth session of the Commission on Human Rights At its 40th plenary meeting, on 25 July 2002, the Economic and Social Council, taking note of Commission on Human Rights decision 2002/116 of 26 April 2002, authorized fourteen fully serviced additional meetings, including summary records, in accordance with rules 29 and 31 of the rules of procedure of the functional commissions of the Council, for the Commission's fifty-ninth session. The Council approved the Commission's decision to request the Chairperson of the fifty-ninth session of the Commission to make every effort to organize the work of the session within the time normally allotted, so that the additional meetings that the Council authorized would be utilized only if they proved to be absolutely necessary. 2002/282 Electronic voting system At its 40th plenary meeting, on 25 July 2002, the Economic and Social Council, taking note of Commission on Human Rights decision 2002/118 of 26 April 2002, endorsed the decision of the Commission to call upon the Secretary-General to continue making the electronic voting system available to it at all future sessions, including special sessions. 2002/283 Situation of human rights in East Timor At its 40th plenary meeting, on 25 July 2002, the Economic and Social Council, taking note of the statement made by the Chairperson of the Commission on Human Rights at its 48th meeting, on 19 April 2002, and agreed on by consensus by the Commission, approved the Commission's request to the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights to submit an interim report to the General Assembly at its fifty-seventh session and to report to the Commission at its fifty-ninth session. 2002/284 Technical cooperation and the situation of human rights in Haiti At its 40th plenary meeting, on 25 July 2002, the Economic and Social Council, taking note of the statement made by the Chairperson of the Commission on Human Rights at its 57th meeting, on 26 April 2002, and agreed on by consensus by the Commission, approved the request that a new independent expert report to the Commission at its fifty-ninth session on developments in the situation of human rights and technical cooperation for human rights in Haiti, as well as the Commission's decision to continue its consideration of the situation of human rights in Haiti at its fifty-ninth session under the agenda item entitled “Advisory services and technical cooperation in the field of human rights”. 2002/285 Second session of the Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues At its 40th plenary meeting, on 25 July 2002, the Economic and Social Council decided, pursuant to a recommendation of the Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues that the second annual session of the Forum would be held at United Nations Headquarters in New York from 12 to 23 May 2003. 2002/286 Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues At its 40th plenary meeting, on 25 July 2002, the Economic and Social Council requested the Secretary-General to make available the information requested in paragraph (e) of its decision 2001/316 of 26 July 2001 at least six weeks before its substantive session of 2003, without prejudging any outcome, in order for the Council to conclude at that substantive session the review of all existing mechanisms, procedures and programmes within the United Nations concerning indigenous issues, including the Working Group on Indigenous Populations, with a view to rationalizing activities, avoiding duplication and overlap, and promoting effectiveness. 2002/287 Secretariat of the Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues At its 40th plenary meeting, on 25 July 2002, the Economic and Social Council requested the Secretary-General to submit proposals to the General Assembly at its fifty-seventh session concerning the provision of adequate resources to support the secretariat unit of the Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues. 2002/288 Enlargement of the Executive Committee of the Programme of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees At its 40th plenary meeting, on 25 July 2002, the Economic and Social Council, recalling General Assembly resolution 1166 (XII) of 26 November 1957, in which the Assembly requested the Council to establish an Executive Committee of the Programme of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, as well as Assembly resolutions 1958 (XVIII) of 12 December 1963, 2294 (XXII) of 11 December 1967, 36/121 D of 10 December 1981, 42/130 of 7 December 1987, 45/138 of 14 December 1990, 48/115 of 20 December 1993, 49/171 of 23 December 1994, 50/228 of 7 June 1996, 51/72 of 12 December 1996, 54/143 of 17 December 1999, 55/72 of 4 December 2000 and 56/133 of 19 December 2001, in which it provided for subsequent increases in the membership of the Executive Committee: (a) Took note of the requests to enlarge the membership of the Executive Committee of the Programme of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees contained in the note verbale dated 3 October 2001 from the Permanent Mission of Kenya to the United Nations addressed to the Secretary-General, the note verbale dated 19 October 2001 from the Permanent Mission of Cyprus to the United Nations addressed to the Secretary-General and the letter dated 12 June 2002 from the Permanent Representative of Yemen to the United Nations addressed to the Secretary-General; (b) Recommended that the General Assembly, at its fifty-seventh session, decide on the question of enlarging the membership of the Executive Committee from sixty-one to sixty-four States. 2002/289 Documents considered by the Economic and Social Council in connection with social and human rights questions At its 40th plenary meeting, on 25 July 2002, the Economic and Social Council took note of the following documents: (a) Report of the Secretary-General on follow-up to, and progress in, the implementation of the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action and the outcome of the twenty-third special session of the General Assembly; (b) Report of the Board of Trustees of the International Research and Training Institute for the Advancement of Women; (c) Note by the Secretary-General on the situation of the International Research and Training Institute for the Advancement of Women; (d) Report of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees; (e) Report of the Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights on its twenty-fifth, twenty-sixth and twenty-seventh sessions; (f) Report of the Commission on Human Rights on its fifty-eighth session; (g) Report of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights. 2002/290 Reports of the Executive Boards of the United Nations Development Programme/United Nations Population Fund, the United Nations Children's Fund and the World Food Programme and related documents At its 40th plenary meeting on 25 July 2002, the Economic and Social Council took note of the following documents: (a) Report of the Executive Board of the United Nations Development Programme/United Nations Population Fund on its second regular session of 2001; (b) Extract from the report of the Executive Board of the United Nations Children's Fund on its annual session of 2002; (c) Annual reports of the Administrator of the United Nations Development Programme and the Executive Director of the United Nations Population Fund; (d) Report of the Executive Board of the United Nations Children's Fund on its first regular session of 2002; (e) Annual report of the Executive Director of the United Nations Children's Fund; (f) Report of the Executive Board of the World Food Programme on its 2001 sessions; (g) Annual report of the Executive Board of the United Nations Development Programme/United Nations Population Fund on its annual session of 2002; (h) Report of the Executive Board of the United Nations Development Programme/United Nations Population Fund on its first regular session of 2002; (i) Note by the Secretary-General transmitting the annual report of the Executive Director of the World Food Programme, 2001. 2002/291 Documents considered by the Economic and Social Council in connection with the coordination segment At its 41st plenary meeting on 26 July 2002, the Economic and Social Council took note of the following documents: (a) Report of the Secretary-General on strengthening further the Economic and Social Council, building on its recent achievements, to help it fulfil the role ascribed to it in the Charter of the United Nations as contained in the United Nations Millennium Declaration; (b) Consolidated report of the Secretary-General on the work of the functional commissions of the Economic and Social Council. 2002/292 Document considered by the Economic and Social Council in connection with the question of special economic, humanitarian and disaster relief assistance At its 41st plenary meeting, on 26 July 2002, the Economic and Social Council took note of the report of the Secretary-General on assistance to Mozambique. 2002/293 Implementation of agreed conclusions 2001/1 of the Economic and Social Council on the role of the United Nations in promoting development, particularly with respect to access to and transfer of knowledge and technology, especially information and communication technologies, inter alia, through partnerships with relevant stakeholders, including the private sector At its 41st plenary meeting, on 26 July 2002, the Economic and Social Council took note of the report of the Secretary-General. 2002/294 Integrated and coordinated implementation of and follow-up to major United Nations conferences and summits At its 41st plenary meeting, on 26 July 2002, the Economic and Social Council decided to defer further consideration of the question of integrated and coordinated implementation of and follow-up to major United Nations conferences and summits until its resumed substantive session. 2002/295 Documents considered by the Economic and Social Council in connection with coordination, programme and other questions At its 41st plenary meeting, on 26 July 2002, the Economic and Social Council took note of the annual overview report of the United Nations system Chief Executives Board for Coordination for 2001. 2002/296 Document considered by the Economic and Social Council in connection with international cooperation in the field of informatics At its 41st plenary meeting, on 26 July 2002, the Economic and Social Council took note of the note by the Secretary-General transmitting the report of the Secretary-General of the International Telecommunication Union on the ongoing preparatory process for the World Summit on the Information Society. 2002/297 Report of the Statistical Commission on its thirty-third session At its 41st plenary meeting, on 26 July 2002, the Economic and Social Council decided to defer taking the report of the Statistical Commission on its thirty-third session. 2002/298 Date, venue, provisional agenda and documentation for the thirty-fourth session of the Statistical Commission At its 41st plenary meeting, on 26 July 2002, the Economic and Social Council decided to hold the thirty-fourth session of the Statistical Commission in New York from 4 to 7 March 2003; and approved the provisional agenda and documentation for the thirty-fourth session of the Commission as set out below. Provisional agenda and documentation for the thirty-fourth session of the Statistical Commission Election of officers. Adoption of the agenda and other organizational matters. Documentation Provisional agenda and annotations Note by the Secretariat on the organization of the work of the session Note by the Secretariat on the state of preparation of documentation for the session Demographic and social statistics: (a) Population and housing censuses; Documentation Report of the Secretary-General (b) Health statistics; Documentation Report of the World Health Organization (c) Social statistics; Documentation Report of the Secretary-General (d) Statistics of drugs and drug use; Documentation Report of the Secretary-General (e) Time-use statistics; Documentation Report of the Secretary-General (f) Washington Group on Disability Measurement. Documentation Report of the Washington Group Economic statistics: (a) National accounts; Documentation Report of the Task Force on National Accounts (b) Agriculture statistics; Documentation Report of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (c) Energy statistics; Documentation Report of the Secretary-General (d) International trade statistics; Documentation Report of the Task Force on International Trade Statistics (e) Statistics of international trade in services; Documentation Report of the Task Force on Statistics of International Trade in Services (f) Statistics of services (programme review); Documentation Report of the programme reviewer (g) Tourism statistics; Documentation Report of the World Tourism Organization (h) Finance statistics; Documentation Report of the Task Force on Finance Statistics (i) International Comparison Programme; Documentation Report of the World Bank (j) Ottawa Group on Price Indexes; Documentation Report of the Ottawa Group (k) Intersecretariat Working Group on Price Statistics. Documentation Report of the Working Group Natural resources and environment statistics: environment statistics and environmental accounting. Documentation Report of the Secretary-General Report of the London Group on Environmental Accounting Activities not classified by field: (a) Coordination and integration of statistical programmes: (i) General coordination; Documentation Report of the Secretary-General (ii) Coordination of statistical data collection; Documentation Report of the Secretary-General (b) Programme questions (United Nations Statistics Division); Documentation Note by the Secretariat on the proposed programme of work of the Division for the biennium 2004-2005 (c) Management issues in national statistical offices; (d) International economic and social classifications; Documentation Report of the Secretary-General (e) Methodological development — integrated presentation; Documentation Report of the Secretary-General (f) Harmonization of indicators; Documentation Report of the Secretary-General (g) Statistical capacity-building; Documentation Report of the Secretary-General Report of the Steering Committee of the Partnership in Statistics for Development in the Twenty-first Century (h) Problems in the implementation of the fundamental principles of official statistics; (i) Follow-up to Economic and Social Council policy decisions. Documentation Report of the Secretary-General Provisional agenda and dates for the thirty-fifth session of the Commission. Report of the Commission on its thirty-fourth session. 2002/299 Report of the Commission on Population and Development on its thirty-fifth session and provisional agenda for the thirty-sixth session of the Commission At its 41st plenary meeting, on 26 July 2002, the Economic and Social Council: (a) Took note of the report of the Commission on Population and Development on its thirty-fifth session; (b) Approved the provisional agenda for the thirty-sixth session of the Commission as set out below. Provisional agenda for the thirty-sixth session of the Commission Election of officers. Adoption of the agenda and other organizational matters: (a) Report of the intersessional meeting of the Bureau; (b) Agenda and organization of work. Documentation Provisional agenda for the thirty-sixth session of the Commission Note by the Secretariat on the organization of work of the session Report of the Bureau of the Commission on its intersessional meeting Follow-up actions to the recommendations of the International Conference on Population and Development. Documentation Report of the Secretary-General on world population monitoring, focusing on population, education and development Report of the Secretary-General on the monitoring of population programmes focusing on population, education and development Report of the Secretary-General on the flow of financial resources for assisting in the implementation of the Programme of Action of the International Conference on Population and Development General debate on national experience in population matters: population, education and development. Programme implementation and future programme of work of the Secretariat in the field of population. Documentation Report of the Secretary-General on world demographic trends Report of the Secretary-General on programme implementation and progress of work in the field of population, 2002 Provisional agenda for the thirty-seventh session of the Commission. Documentation Note by the Secretariat containing the draft provisional agenda for the thirty-seventh session of the Commission Adoption of the report of the Commission on its thirty-sixth session. 2002/300 Date and venue of the third session of the United Nations Forum on Forests At its 41st plenary meeting, on 26 July 2002, the Economic and Social Council, bearing in mind paragraph 4 (i) of its resolution 2000/35 of 18 October 2000, decided that the third session of the United Nations Forum on Forests will be held in Geneva from 26 May to 6 June 2003. 2002/301 Report of the United Nations Forum on Forests on its second session and provisional agenda for the third session of the Forum At its 41st plenary meeting, on 26 July 2002, the Economic and Social Council: (a) Took note of the report of the United Nations Forum on Forests on its second session; (b) Approved the provisional agenda for the third session of the Forum as set out below. Provisional agenda for the third session of the United Nations Forum on Forests Election of officers. Adoption of the agenda and other organizational matters. Implementation of the proposals for action of the Intergovernmental Panel on Forests/Intergovernmental Forum on Forests and the plan of action of the United Nations Forum on Forests: (a) Progress in implementation: (i) Economic aspects of forests; (ii) Forest health and productivity; (iii) Maintaining forest cover to meet present and future needs. (b) Means of implementation: (finance, transfer of environmentally sound technologies and capacity-building for sustainable forest management) as a cross-cutting issue, considered in the context of items 3 (a) (i) (ii) (iii); Common items for each session: (a) Multi-stakeholder dialogue; (b) Enhanced cooperation and policy and programme coordination; (c) Country experience and lessons; (d) Emerging issues relevant to country implementation; (e) Intersessional work, including further discussion on the ad hoc expert groups; (f) Monitoring, assessment and reporting; (g) Promoting public participation; (h) National forest programmes; (i) Trade; (j) Enabling environment. Date and venue for the fourth session of the Forum. Provisional agenda for the fourth session of the Forum. Adoption of the report of the Forum on its third session. See Official Records of the General Assembly, Fifty-sixth Session, Supplement No. 3 (A/56/3/Rev.1), chap. III, para. See General Assembly resolution 55/2. E/2002/12 and Corr.1. See Official Records of the Economic and Social Council, 1974, Supplement No. 5 (E/5469-E/CN.11/1153), part III. Ibid., 1980, Supplement No. 6 and corrigendum (E/1980/26 and Corr.1), chap. Ibid., 1987, Supplement No. 14 (E/1987/34), chap. Ibid., 1991, Supplement No. 14 (E/1991/35), chap. Ibid., 1992, Supplement No. 11 (E/1992/31), chap. Ibid., 1995, Supplement No. 17 (E/1995/37), chap. Ibid., 1997, Supplement No. 18 (E/1997/38), chap. See General Assembly resolution 55/2. E/ESCAP/1235, sect. Report of the Global Conference on the Sustainable Development of Small Island Developing States, Bridgetown, Barbados, 25 April-6 May 1994 (United Nations publication, Sales No. E.94.I.18 and corrigenda), chap. I, resolution 1, annex II. Report of the Third United Nations Conference on the Least Developed Countries, Brussels, 14-20 May 2001 (A/CONF.191/13), chap. Ibid., chap. See The Law of the Sea: Official Texts of the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea of 10 December 1982 and of the Agreement relating to the Implementation of Part XI of the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea of 10 December 1982 with Index and Excerpts from the Final Act of the Third United Nations Conference on the Law of the Sea (United Nations publication, Sales No. General Assembly resolution 217 A (III). General Assembly resolution 2200 A (XXI), annex. General Assembly resolution 39/46, annex. General Assembly resolution 34/180, annex. See General Assembly resolution 48/104. General Assembly resolution 44/25, annex. General Assembly resolution 54/263, annex I. Ibid., annex II. Report of the Fourth World Conference on Women, Beijing, 4-15 September 1995 (United Nations publication, Sales No. E.96.IV.13), chap. I, resolution 1, annex I. Ibid., annex II. General Assembly resolution S-23/3, annex. United Nations, Treaty Series, vol. 75, Nos. 970-973. General Assembly resolution 260 A (III), annex. See A/56/801-S/2002/134, annex. General Assembly resolution 54/4, annex. Report of the Fourth World Conference on Women, Beijing, 4-15 September 1995 (United Nations publication, Sales No. E.96.IV.13), chap. I, resolution 1, annex II. General Assembly resolution S-23/3, annex. See General Assembly resolution 55/2. Report of the Second World Assembly on Ageing, Madrid, 8-12 April 2002 (United Nations publication, Sales No. E.02.IV.4), chap. I, resolution 1, annexes I and II. Report of the Fourth World Conference on Women, Beijing, 4-15 September 1995 (United Nations publication, Sales No. E.96.IV.13), chap. I, resolution 1, annexes I and II. Report of the United Nations Conference on Environment and Development, Rio de Janeiro, 3-14 June 1992 (United Nations publication, Sales No. E.93.I.8 and corrigenda), vol. I: Resolutions adopted by the Conference, resolution 1, annex II. Report of the International Conference on Financing for Development, Monterrey, Mexico, 18-22 March 2002 (United Nations publication, Sales No. E.02.II.A.7), chap. I, resolution 1, annex. See Official Records of the Economic and Social Council, 2000, Supplement No. 3 and corrigendum (E/2000/23 and Corr.1), chap. II, sect. General Assembly resolution 48/96, annex. General Assembly resolution 51/191, annex. General Assembly resolution 51/59, annex. See Official Records of the Economic and Social Council, 2002, Supplement No. 10 and corrigendum (E/2002/30 and Corr.1), chap. General Assembly resolution 40/34, annex. See tenth United Nations Congress on the Prevention of Crime and the Treatment of Offenders, Vienna, 10-17 April 2000: Report prepared by the Secretariat (United Nations publication, Sales No. E.00.IV.8), chap. V, sect. General Assembly resolution 55/59, annex. E/CN.15/2002/5 and Corr.1. E/CN.15/2002/5/Add.1. General Assembly resolution 55/59, annex. See Compendium of United Nations Standards and Norms in Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice (United Nations publication, Sales No. E.92.IV.1 and corrigendum). General Assembly resolution 44/25, annex. General Assembly resolution 54/263, annex II. General Assembly resolution 55/25, annex I. Ibid., annex II. General Assembly resolution 217 A (III). See Report of the Ninth United Nations Congress on the Prevention of Crime and the Treatment of Offenders, Cairo, 29 April-8 May 1995 (A/CONF.169/16/Rev.1) chap. A/51/385, annex. See A/S-27/12, annex. General Assembly resolution 54/263, annex II. E/AC.51/2001/5, para. E/CN.15/2002/6 and Add.2. E/CN.15/2002/6/Add.1 and 3. Resolution 1997/30, annex. See Tenth United Nations Congress on the Prevention of Crime and the Treatment of Offenders, Vienna, 10-17 April 2000: report prepared by the Secretariat (United Nations publication, Sales No. E/CN.15/2002/2 and Corr.1. General Assembly resolution 55/25, annexes I-III, and resolution 55/255, annex. United Nations, Treaty Series, vol. 993, No. 14537. See United Nations Environment Programme, Convention on Biological Diversity (Environmental Law and Institution Programme Activity Centre), June 1992. E/CN.15/2002/2 and Corr.1. General Assembly resolution 56/261, annex, sect. United Nations, Treaty Series, vol. 520, No. 7515. General Assembly resolution S-20/2, annex. General Assembly resolution S-20/3, annex. General Assembly resolution 54/132, annex. E/CN.7/2002/4 and Corr.1 and Add.1. E/CN.7/2002/2 and Corr.1. See Official Records of the General Assembly, Fifty-second Session, Supplement No. 3 (A/52/3/Rev.1), chap. IV, para. Report of the Fourth World Conference on Women, Beijing, 4-15 September 1995 (United Nations publication, Sales No. E.96.IV.13), chap. I, resolution 1, annex II. General Assembly resolutions S-23/2 and 3. Report of the World Conference to Review and Appraise the Achievements of the United Nations Decade for Women: Equality, Development and Peace, Nairobi, 15-26 July 1985 (United Nations publication, Sales No. E.85.IV.10), chap. I, sect. Report of the Fourth World Conference on Women, Beijing, 4-15 September 1995 (United Nations publication, Sales No. E.96.IV.13), chap. I, resolution 1, annex I. See General Assembly resolutions S-23/2 and S-23/3. See General Assembly resolution 48/104. General Assembly resolution 217 A (III). See Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, The Hague Conventions and Declarations of 1899 and 1907 (New York, Oxford University Press, 1915). United Nations, Treaty Series, vol. 75, No. 973. General Assembly resolution 34/180, annex. General Assembly resolution 44/25, annex. A/37/351/Add.1 and Corr.1, annex, sect. VIII, recommendation I (IV). See Official Records of the Economic and Social Council, 2000, Supplement No. 3 and corrigendum (E/2000/23 and Corr.1), chap. II, sect. Ibid., 1995, Supplement No. 2 and corrigendum (E/1995/22 and Corr.1), annex IV. E/2002/43 (Part I)-E/CN.19/2002/3 (Part I). Ibid., chap. I, sect. Ibid., sect. E/2002/47 and Add.1 and 2. See General Assembly resolution 55/2. Report of the International Conference on Financing for Development, Monterrey, Mexico, 18-22 March 2002 (United Nations publication, Sales No. E.02.II.A.7), chap. I, resolution 1, annex. See Official Records of the Economic and Social Council, 1998, Supplement No. 21 (E/1998/41), chap. III, sect. United Nations, Treaty Series, vol. 75, No. 973. See Official Records of the General Assembly, Fifty-third Session, Supplement No. 3 (A/53/3 and Corr.1 and Add.1), chap. VII, para. Ibid., Fifty-fourth Session, Supplement No. 3 (A/54/3/Rev.1), chap. VI, para. United Nations, Treaty Series, vol. 1586, No. 27688. E/CN.4/1998/53/Add.2, annex. See E/2002/L.10, decision 2002/8; to be issued in final form in Official Records of the Economic and Social Council, 2002, Supplement No. 14 (E/2002/34/Rev.1-E/ICEF/2002/8/Rev.1. See DP.2002/23, decision 2002/14, para. Report of the International Conference on Financing for Development, Monterrey, Mexico, 18-22 March 2002 (United Nations publication, Sales No. E.02.II.A.7), chap. I, resolution 1, annex. General Assembly resolution 55/2. Official Records of the Economic and Social Council, 2002, Supplement No. 13 (E/2002/33). * For the discussion, see chap. See General Assembly resolution S-25/2, annex. General Assembly resolution 55/2. Report of the United Nations Conference on Human Settlements (Habitat II), Istanbul, 3-14 June 1996 (United Nations publications, Sales No. E.97.IV.6), chap. I, resolution 1, annex II. E/2002/100 and Add.1. E/2002/15/Add.1. E/2002/15/Add.2. E/2002/15/Add.3 and Corr.1. See General Assembly resolution 55/2. For the purposes of the present terms of reference, “NGOs” refers to NGOs in consultative status with the Economic and Social Council. To be issued as E/2002/72 (Part two). Official Records of the General Assembly, Fifty-seventh Session, Supplement No. 25 (A/57/25). Official Records of the Economic and Social Council, 2002, Supplement No. 7 (E/2002/27). Ibid., Supplement No. 6 (E/2002/26). Ibid., Supplement No. 10 and corrigendum (E/2002/30 and Corr.1). Ibid., Supplement No. 8 and corrigenda (E/2002/28 and Corr.1 and 2). United Nations publication, Sales No. See Official Records of the Economic and Social Council, 2002, Supplement No. 3 (E/2002/23), chap. II, sect. See Official Records of the Economic and Social Council, 2002, Supplement No. 3 (E/2002/23), chap. II, sect. Ibid. Ibid. Ibid. Ibid. Ibid. Ibid., 1991, Supplement No. 2 (E/1991/22), chap. II, sect. Ibid., 2002, Supplement No. 3 (E/2002/23), chap. II, sect. Ibid. Ibid. Ibid. Ibid. Ibid., 2001, Supplement No. 3 (E/2001/23), chap. II, sect. Ibid., 2002, Supplement No. 3 (E/2002/23), chap. II, sect. Ibid. Ibid. Ibid. Ibid. General Assembly resolution 217 A (III). See General Assembly resolution 2200 A (XXI), annex. General Assembly resolution 44/25, annex. General Assembly resolution 34/180, annex. General Assembly resolution 2106 A (XX), annex. See A/CONF.189/12, chap. Official Records of the Economic and Social Council, 2001, Supplement No. 2 (E/2001/22), annex IV. Official Records of the General Assembly, Fifty-fourth Session, Supplement No. 38 (A/54/38/Rev.1), part one, chap. I, sect. See Official Records of the Economic and Social Council, 2002, Supplement No. 3 (E/2002/23), chap. II, sect. Ibid. Ibid. Ibid. Ibid. General Assembly resolution 45/158, annex. See Official Records of the Economic and Social Council, 2002, Supplement No. 3 (E/2002/23), chap. II, sect. General Assembly resolution 48/96, annex. See Official Records of the Economic and Social Council, 2002, Supplement No. 3 (E/2002/23), chap. II, sect. Ibid., 1999, Supplement No. 3 (E/1999/23), chap. II, sect. Ibid., 2002, Supplement No. 3 (E/2000/23), chap. II, sect. Ibid. Ibid. Ibid., 1992, Supplement No. 2 (E/1992/22), chap. II, sect. Ibid., 2002, Supplement No. 3 (E/2002/23), chap. II, sect. See A/CONF.189/12, chap. See Official Records of the Economic and Social Council, 2002, Supplement No. 3 (E/2002/23), chap. II, sect. Ibid. Ibid. Ibid. Ibid. See Official Records of the Economic and Social Council, 2002, Supplement No. 3 (E/2002/23), chap. II, sect. Ibid. Ibid., 2000, Supplement No. 3 and corrigendum (E/2002/23 and Corr.1), chap. II, sect. Ibid., 2002, Supplement No. 3 (E/2002/23), chap. II, sect. Ibid. Ibid., 1999, Supplement No. 3 (E/1999/23), chap. XX, para. Ibid., 2002, Supplement No. 3 (E/2002/23), chap. II, sect. Ibid. Ibid. Ibid., chap. IX, para. Ibid., chap. XIX, para. See E/2002/43 (Part I)-E/CN.19/2002/3 (Part I), chap. I, sect. A, draft decision III. E/2002/14 and Corr.1. Official Records of the Economic and Social Council, 2002, Supplement No. 2 (E/2002/22). Ibid., Supplement No. 3 (E/2002/23). E/2002/68 and Add.1. Official Records of the Economic and Social Council, 2001, Supplement No. 15 (E/2001/35), part three. Official Records of the Economic and Social Council, 2001, Supplement No. 14 (E/2001/34), part one. Official Records of the Economic and Social Council, 2002, Supplement No. 16 (E/2002/36). Official Records of the Economic and Social Council, 2002, Supplement No. 4 (E/2002/24). Ibid., Supplement No. 5 and corrigendum (E/2002/25 and Corr.1).