General Assembly

Distr. GENERAL  

16 December 1981

ORIGINAL:
ENGLISH

                                                A/RES/36/151
                                                16 December 1981
 
          United Nations voluntary fund for victims of torture
 
               The General Assembly,
 
               Recalling its resolution 33/174 of 20 December 1978, by which
          it established a United Nations Trust Fund for Chile as a voluntary
          fund to receive contributions and distribute humanitarian, legal and
          financial aid to persons whose human rights had been violated by
          detention or imprisonment in Chile,
 
               Recalling also its resolution 35/190 of 15 December 1980, by
          which it requested the Commission on Human Rights to study the
          possibility of extending the mandate of the United Nations Trust
          Fund for Chile,
 
               Taking note of Economic and Social Council resolution 1981/39
          of 8 May 1981 and Commission on Human Rights resolution 35 (XXXVII)
          of 11 March 1981,
 
               Noting that all Governments have an obligation to respect and
          promote human rights in accordance with the responsibilities they
          have undertaken under various international instruments,
 
               Noting with deep concern that acts of torture take place in
          various countries,
 
               Considering the plight of victims of torture wherever it takes
          place,
 
               Recognizing the need to provide assistance to the victims of
          torture in a purely humanitarian spirit,
 
               1.     Decides:
 
               (a)    To extend the mandate of the United Nations Trust Fund
          for Chile, established by its resolution 33/174, in order to make it
          capable of receiving voluntary contributions for distribution,
          through established channels of humanitarian assistance, as
          humanitarian, legal and financial aid to individuals whose human
          rights have been severely violated as a result of torture and to
          relatives of such victims, priority being given to aid to victims of
          violations by States in which the human rights situation has been
          the subject of resolutions or decisions adopted by either the
          General Assembly, the Economic and Social Council or the Commission
          on Human Rights;
 
               (b)    That such a United Nations voluntary fund for victims of
          torture shall be administered in accordance with the financial
          regulations of the United Nations by the Secretary-General, with the
          advice of a board of trustees composed of a chairman and four
          members with wide experience in the field of human rights, acting in
          their personal capacity, to be appointed by the Secretary-General
          with due regard to equitable geographical distribution and in
          consultation with their Governments;
 
               (c)    To redesignate the United Nations Trust Fund for Chile
          as the United Nations Voluntary Fund for Victims of Torture;
 
               (d)    To adopt the arrangements for the management of the Fund
          set forth in the annex to the report of the Secretary-General;
 
               (e)    To authorize the Board of Trustees of the Fund to
          promote and solicit contributions and pledges;
 
               (f)    To request the Secretary-General to give the Board of
          Trustees all the assistance it may require;
 
               2.     Appeals to all Governments to respond favourably to
          requests for contributions to the Fund.