Recalling the Declaration on the Protection of All Persons from Being Subjected to Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment, adopted by the General Assembly in its resolution 3452 (XXX) of 9 December 1975,

Bearing in mind article 7 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights,

Recalling also its resolution 32/62 of 8 December 1977, in which it requested the Commission on Human Rights to draw up a draft convention against torture and other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment, in the light of the principles embodied in the Declaration, and its resolution 32/63 of 8 December 1977,

Recalling further that the Sixth United Nations Congress on the Prevention of Crime and Treatment of Offenders, in its resolution 11 of 5 September 1980, expressed the belief that the draft convention should be finalized at the earliest possible time,

Considering that it was not possible to complete the work on the draft convention during the thirty-ninth session of the Commission on Human Rights,

1.Welcomes Economic and Social Council resolution 1983/38 of 27 May 1983, by which the Council authorized a meeting of an open-ended working group of the Commission on Human Rights for a period of one week prior to the fortieth session of the Commission in order to complete the work on a draft convention;

2.Requests the Commission on Human Rights to complete, at its fortieth session, as a matter of highest priority, the drafting of a convention against torture and other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment, with a view to submitting a draft, including provisions for the effective implementation of the future convention, to the General Assembly at its thirty-ninth session;

3.Decides to include in the provisional agenda of its thirty-ninth session the item entitled "Torture and other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment".

100th plenary meeting
16 December 1983