General assembly thirty-seventh regular session panama, republic of panama

URGING the Unit for Human Rights Defenders of the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights to continue its work;

1. 
   To reiterate its support for the work carried out, at both the national and regional levels, by human rights defenders; and to recognize their valuable contribution to the promotion, observance, and protection of human rights and fundamental freedoms in the Hemisphere.
   

2. 
   To recognize that, in view of their specific role and needs, women human rights defenders should be accorded special attention to ensure that they are fully protected and effective in carrying out their important activities.
   

3. 
   To condemn actions that directly or indirectly prevent or hamper the work of human rights defenders in the Americas.
   

4. 
   To encourage human rights defenders to continue their selfless work and their contributions to the enhancement of national human rights systems for the strengthening of democracy, in accordance with the principles contained in the United Nations Declaration on the Rights and Responsibility of Individuals, Groups and Organs of Society to Promote and Protect Universally Recognized Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms.
   

5. 
   To encourage member states to continue or begin, as the case may be, activities to educate and disseminate information to government officials, society at large, and the media, both public and private, so as to make them aware of the importance and validity of the work of human rights defenders and their organizations.
   

6. 
   To urge member states to continue stepping up their efforts to adopt necessary measures to safeguard the lives, freedom, and personal safety of human rights defenders and their relatives, including effective emergency protection measures in the case of imminent threat or danger, and to ensure that thorough and impartial investigations and proceedings are carried out, and appropriate punishments are applied, in all cases of violations against human rights defenders.
   

7. 
   To request the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights to:
   

1. 
   Continue to give due consideration to this matter;
   

2. 
   Continue intensifying its dialogue and cooperation with the United Nations Special Representative of the Secretary-General on Human Rights Defenders; and
   

3. 
   Include in its annual report a section on the work of the Unit for Human Rights Defenders of the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights.
   

8. 
   To encourage member states to ensure that national regulations–including registration where applicable under national law–concerning human rights defenders and their organizations, allow their work to be carried out in a free, transparent, and open political environment and in a manner consistent with applicable international human rights and humanitarian law.
   

9. 
   To invite member states to promote the dissemination and enforcement of the instruments of the inter-American system and the decisions of its bodies on this matter, as well as the United Nations Declaration on the Rights and Responsibility of Individuals, Groups and Organs of Society to Promote and Protect Universally Recognized Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms.
   

10. 
    To invite member states to consider the preparation and implementation of national plans to apply the principles contained in the United Nations Declaration mentioned in the preceding paragraph, for which purpose they may also request the advisory services of the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights.
    

11. 
    To invite member states to inform the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights of measures adopted to follow up on the recommendations contained in the “Report on the Situation of Human Rights Defenders in the Americas,” prepared in 2006 by the Unit for Human Rights Defenders of the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights.
    

12. 
    To request the Permanent Council to report to the General Assembly at its thirty-eighth regular session on the implementation of this resolution, which will be carried out within the resources allocated in the program-budget of the Organization and other resources.
    

THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY,

1. 
   To reiterate its appeal to member states to consider making voluntary contributions to the Justice Studies Center of the Americas (JSCA) to cover its basic costs.
   

2. 
   To invite the permanent observers of the Organization to make voluntary contributions to the JSCA.
   

3. 
   To request that the Permanent Council, through the Committee on Juridical and Political Affairs, include on its agenda a dialogue with the JSCA to consider finding ways to expand cooperation between the member states and the Center, taking into account the conclusions and recommendations of the Meetings of Ministers of Justice or of Ministers or Attorneys General of the Americas (REMJAs) in this regard.
   

4. 
   To instruct the Permanent Council to report to the General Assembly at its thirty-eighth regular session on the implementation of this resolution.
   

THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY,

AG/RES. 2283 (XXXVII-O/07)

THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY,

1. 
   To urge member states to comply, under all circumstances, with all applicable international obligations to respect the human rights of persons under any form of detention or imprisonment, including the rights established in the American Declaration of the Rights and Duties of Man and those established in all other human rights instruments to which they are party.
   

2. 
   To instruct the Permanent Council to continue studying the question of the rights and the care of persons under any form of detention or imprisonment, in cooperation with the competent organs and entities of the inter-American system and taking into account the Conclusions and Recommendations of the Sixth Meeting of Ministers of Justice or of Ministers or Attorneys General of the Americas, contained in the Final Report of that meeting (REMJA-VI/doc.24/06 rev. 1), including the report of the First Meeting of Officials Responsible for the Penitentiary and Prison Policies of the OAS Member States (GAPECA/doc.04/03).
   

3. 
   To request the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (IACHR) to continue reporting on the situation of persons under any form of detention or imprisonment in the Hemisphere and, using as a basis its work on the subject, to proceed with the compilation of the regional and global standards for detention and imprisonment policies in the member states, making reference to any problems and good practices observed.
   

4. 
   To congratulate and acknowledge those member states that have invited the Special Rapporteur on the Rights of Persons Deprived of Freedom in the Americas of the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (IACHR) to visit their countries, including their detention centers; and to encourage all member states to facilitate such visits.
   

5. 
   To call upon member states to consider allocating more funds to the IACHR to enable it to support the effective fulfillment of the mandate assigned to its Special Rapporteurship on the Rights of Persons Deprived of Freedom in the Americas.
   

6. 
   To reiterate to the Permanent Council that, on the basis of the results of the discussions and studies conducted, including the inputs of the IACHR, and of the work of the Special Rapporteur on the Rights of Persons Deprived of Freedom in the Americas of the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights and the results of the Second Meeting of Officials Responsible for Penitentiary and Prison Policies, to be held pursuant to the REMJA-VI decision, indicating the need for it to be held as soon as possible, it should consider the possibility of drafting an inter-American declaration on the rights, duties, and care of persons under any form of detention or imprisonment, with a view to strengthening existing international standards on these topics, and the feasibility of preparing a hemispheric manual on penitentiary rights, taking as a basis the United Nations Standard Minimum Rules for the Treatment of Prisoners.^8/
   
7. 
   To request the Permanent Council to report to the General Assembly at its thirty-eighth regular session on the implementation of this resolution, which will be carried out within the resources allocated in the program-budget of the Organization and other resources.
   

THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY,

1. 
   To recognize the important historical work of the Inter-American Indian Institute (III) and the value of its historical and documentary heritage.
   

2. 
   To request the Permanent Council to call, within the framework of the Committee on Juridical and Political Affairs (CAJP), for the establishment of a working group consisting of the III member countries and of other member states wishing to participate to:
   

1. 
   Study the situation of the Inter-American Indian Institute in order to present recommendations on its future, taking into account the proposals of its Director General, as well as inputs transmitted in writing by representatives of the indigenous peoples, experts, other entities interested in the matter, and civil society organizations pursuant to the Guidelines for Participation by Civil Society Organizations in OAS Activities;
   

2. 
   Consider the protection and overall development of the important historical and documentary resources of the Institute; and
   

3. 
   Report its findings to the CAJP in the second half of 2007, to enable the Permanent Council to adopt the corresponding decisions.
   

3. 
   To request the Permanent Council to report to the General Assembly at its thirty-eighth regular session on the results of this resolution, which will be implemented within the resources allocated in the program-budget of the Organization and other resources.
   

THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY,