UN — Information Office — United Nations Office at Geneva — Human Rights Sub-Commission — Summary of Thirty-third Session

          
          NATIONS UNIES UNITED NATIONS
          SER VICE DE L'INFORMA TION - OFFICE DES NA TIONS UNIES A GENEVE
          INFORMA TION SER VICE - UNITED NA TIONS OFFICE A T GENEVA
          0Ui'll) U'P OF SEdSIGi -J Press R 1t 3S' ,) iifl/966
          12 Sapte ber 1980
          HUhi N EIGHTS sL : COi - - ISSION concLuD .:S T iIRTY Ti ; IRL DI0N AT GENF:.VA
          Decisions adopted Covered among others Jerusalem, Apartheid as a Collective
          Form of Slavery 9 Detention on Grounds of' Hental I11 Heaith,
          ] nforced Disappearance of Persons arid the Liberatioi of American Detainees in Iran
          The United Nations Sub- Commis sion on the Prevention of Discrimination and
          Protection of f1lnorit.iCs concluded today Friday, 12 September? at the Palais des
          Nations, Geneva, a four weck session with the adoption of its report to its
          parent body, the Commission on Human Righhs
          TI--ic- 26 -mcniber expert body considorad durir this session a 17 point agenda
          which included two new items, namely The individual s duties to the community
          and the limitations on hunran ri; , -hts and freedoms under article 29 of the
          Universal Declaration of Human iDhts” (item U), and the work of the “sessional
          Working Group on the encour' ;ement of universal acceptance of human ri 'l itS
          instrumunth ” (item 1i4)
          The Sub= CommisSiofl ;ndorsc'd the reco :ercndatioh of the Working Group
          concerninG i p r'theid as a collCct- ,ive form of slavery and- - ‘eoommcndc that the
          Commission on Hunan .Hi ::hts should envisage ca].lin . for mandatory sanctions
          against South Africa
          It reaffirmed the pr ne plc of' inadnrissibilitY of the acquisition of'
          territory by force and strongly disapproved of and regretted the refusal of
          Israel to implement the Cnit.ed Nations resolution concerning the Holy City of
          Jerusalem
          The Sub CoramiSS1Ofl, aware thst trie General Assembly has proclaimed 1 i1 as
          the International Year for Disabled Persons, decided to entrust one of its members,
          i-irs Erica 4rOne DAi S (expert from Greece) with the task of elaborating guidelines
          related to procedur s for determining whDths'r adequate rounds exist for.
          detaininj ' -. crsons bdcausc of' mental ill '-healtii
          (acre)
          Les communiqués sont destinés a l'information; us ne constituent pas des documents officiels
          For use of information media; not an official record . --
          BP00043 5 •1
          
        

          
          Press Release iR/9G6
          Page 2
          The attention of governments, in particular Iran, Italy, Spain, Jest
          halaysia, Thailand and Guatemala, was called to what appeared to the 3ub
          Commission as violations of human riahts in those countrles .
          Following its consideration of L1 e question of human ri hts of persons
          subjected to any form of detention or imprisonment, the •ub Cor mission emphasized
          the extreme gravity of enforced or involuntary disappearances of persons and
          urged the Seeretary.. General to continue to exercise his good offices in those
          cases paying particular attention to urgent cases where action is necessary to
          preserve life or integrity of mdiv duals 0
          Concerning its own role in promoting measures to combat racism and racial.
          discrimination, the Sub —Commission asked one of its members, Justice Abu Sayeed
          CHOWDHURY (expert from Dan&iadesh) to prepare an acticn oriented report on
          discriminatory treatment of minorities in the administratidn of Justice. In
          carrying out this assignment, ho is to pay particular attention to methods of
          action for coi battir Jiscri ir ticu in the o u istrction of crimii l justice.
          The Sub—COmmission recomim nded the creation of an information gathering
          service within the niteo ations L)iv1 io '1 of Human Ri ,hts reflectir th
          situation in different countries and systems
          During the last day of the session, the gub —Cornmission called for the
          release of the United States citizens held in Iran since November 1979; requested
          Nrs . halima i ARZAZI (expert from Morocco) to make an analysis of reliable
          information on violations of human r1 1 ::hts in Bolivia; and recommended to the
          Commission on {unian Rights that; it should keen the situataon of human riahts in
          Kampuchea under continuing review and to this end, to consider inviting the
          &cretary—General to designate- a special repr'esentative to assist in restoring
          full respect for human riahts and funclarfiental freedoms as speedily as possible
          in that country.
          The Sub Comn ission also devoted six private meetings to consider communica-
          tions which appear to reveal a consistent and reliably attested to: pàtterh of
          gross violations of human ridhts, These communications were brought before it
          by its Working GrouD , topetner witi the replies of governments, if any.
          Details of these and other decisions fOliøW .
          h'easures to Gombat Racism end Role of gub Commission
          Under its agenda item 4: feasures to combat racism and racial discrimina
          t.ion and the role of the Suh Commission ', two resolutions were adopted.
          Under the first resolution (e/C . 14 /gub .2/C .73q) , the Sub—Commission
          recommencied to the Commission on Human Rignts tn.t it should make the followin
          recommendations to the economic and gocial Council I
          — to consider the proposal of setting up a Human Hi hts Assistance Fund
          to r olu countries to achieve at least minimum standards of human rights laid down
          in the international instruments on human rights in a practical and purposeful
          manner on an urgent basis;
          (more)
          
        

          
          Press Release hiR/966
          ir
          Rights of Persons Belonhinp to thnic, fleli ioua and Linguistic Kinorities
          Under its aj enda it e : ‘ PiChts of persons balo ir to ethnic,
          religious and 1 in uist1c rninbrit ee .ha L ub Conrn sion adopt d by 12 votes
          to none against. and six abstentions draft ‘esolution EICP / ub 2/L 7 9 by
          which it:
          expressed its profoun1 donc rn for the safety of the recently arrested
          members of the elected 1i tional i' tha st.rative Codncil cf the haha is of Iran,
          nd that of all nidr bc s of this co;;imunity, both as indiviouals id collectivel ;
          requested the Secretary Gen.rei te. trensnit this ccjncdrxi to ti ;
          Uov rnr ierit of th Islamic i eoublic o Iran, and to inv1td het Govsrnmciit to
          express 1t co itrueht to the u r.ante s provii in tha dbove cntion .ad
          International Covenant on Civil and Political Riai ta, r tifie.i by that; 2 ato ,
          by grantiri . full protectaon of fundanental rights dad f'rL ions tp the :Uaha 1
          religious community in Iran, and by protoctin ..: the life and liberty at tb::
          inembersof tl t: i community
          Under the samc a ;cndn item, the dub ccmmission adopted a resolution
          cotisistin of an ial a t1)r 1 of urcft resDiutlons h/C 4/ ub 2/L 7Lu cid
          E/Cd 1 4/Sub 2JL 763. Under the resoldtibn as ai: anded, the 3ubLOom iiission
          expressed its hone that the t dy ôf h problai of dise imination
          a in t enous ropulatlcrs til] hL. CO let rt -s i 'tter of ur ency, in t1fl L
          for consideration by thd ub Commissiqn at its thirt -fourth . session;
          aCO1c e.i o this nd to requ st thL Cccretery Gene 'al to provid€ all
          possible assistanc to the hpecial R.norteur so. as. to facilitate his work
          (moe)
          
        

          
          Press Release HR/966
          page 16
          Other issues
          The Sub—Commission considered at its thirty—third session numerous
          alle at1on3 wh' ch me rcveal ticii atior s o violrt:o7ib but which the
          Sub—Cbmmission wishes to vcrify b r independent fact—finding before 1er 1eging them
          to th' attention of the Commission To that effect it adopted resolution
          E/ClT/Sub 2/L 749 under which it rocuesteci the Commission on Human Rights, at
          its thirty—seventh session 7 to authorize the Chairman elected. by the
          Sub—Cbmmission at its thirty—third. session, in consultation with the Vice—Chairman
          and Rapport ewe then elect c c i and with the Secretary—General, and with the consent
          of th governmental authorities concerned., to make arrangements for one or more
          of the members of the Sub—Commission elected •by the Commission on Human Rights at
          its thirty—seventh session to visit any countries with a view to examining
          firs± -hai ci, and reporting t the C --Co n.seio . its thirty—fourth session, upon
          the human rights problems in such countries which were the subject of discussions
          at th Sub Commission's thirty—third session, together with any other human
          right problems of comparable maguitude which may come to the attention of such
          membe± or members during their exaruination 0
          The Sub—Commission decided under resolution :/cN 0 4/sub 2/Lo73 to mandate
          Nr Ahmed. IOaalifa (expert from Jgypi) to continue to update, subjOct to annual
          review, the list of banks, ±ransna-tional corporations and. other organizations
          assisting the racist regimes in southern Africa' and. to submit ‘the updated
          report through the Sub—Oommission to the Commission on Human Rights. The Special
          liapporteur is to use all available material from other United Nations organs,
          Membei States, specialized agencies and other intergovernmental organizations,
          non—g vernmental organizations and. such other sources as publication,s media 7 in
          ord.er to demonstrate clearly the volume and. nature of the assistance g±ven to
          the racist regimes in southern African
          The Sub—Commission also decided to consider in the future as a separate item
          of its agenda the tonic entitled. ‘adverse consequences for the enjo nneni of human
          right of political, military, economic and other forms of assistance given to the
          colonial and. rccist regimes ‘in souther:. Africa
          The Secretary—General is rec ested to give the Special Rapporteur all the
          assistance that he may require in the exercise of his mandate, including the
          neces ary resources to pay for pertinent services solicited. from various agencies.
          “During its review of develorments in the field. of its work, the
          SuiD—C mmission also took the foll wine decisions:
          It nominated. five boro to o nst tr.te sossional Working Group on the
          encou agement of the universal acceptance of human rights instruments, These
          five members are: L ,i.l , Singhvi (c::peri from India) who will serve as Chairman/
          Rapporteur of the Working Group; John Carey (expert from the United Stat s of
          Ameri a) Ilaul ferraro (expert from Peru); Ibrahim Jimeta (expert from Nigeria);
          and ILç , Sofinshy (ewpert from the Soviet Union),
          The Sub—Commission also appointed Mario Amad.eao (expert from Argentina) to
          serve as Chairman/Rapior-teur of the open—ended wori:ing group on minorities which is
          to examine the revised. draft declaration (f/C 4/Sub ,2/L 0 734) on the rights of
          persons belonging to ethnic, religious and linguistic minorities , as elaborated.
          by a 1Iorking Group of the Commission on Human Rights 0 The Sub—Commission is to
          submit its views on this revised. draft declaration to the 1981 session of thc
          Commission on Human Rights.
          (more)