Referring to the Universal Declaration of Human Rights:
Referring to international law and more particularly to the two Covenants: on Civil and Political Rights, and on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights: Referring to the Convention on the Elimination of all Forms of Racial Discrimination;
Referring to the UNESCO Convention on Discrimination in Education;
Referring to the ILO Convention (no. 111) concerning Discrimination with respect to Employment and Occupation;
Referring to the Geneva Convention on Refugees;
Finally referring to the Vienna Declaration and Programme of Action resulting from the World Conference on Human Rights in Vienna, June 1993; IHEU supports and promotes the paragraphs on all forms of xenophobia, discrimination, racism and especially “ethnic cleansing”; Quote paragraph 8 of part II:
“Respect of human rights and fundamental freedom without distinction of any kind is a fundamental rule of international human rights law. The speedy and comprehensive elimination of all forms of racism and racial discrimination, xenophobia and related intolerance is a priority task for the international community. Governments should take effective measures to prevent and combat them. Groups, institutions, intergovernmental organisations and individuals are urged to intensify their efforts in co-operating and co-ordinating their activities against these evils”; quote paragraph 17bis of part II:
“The World Conference expresses its dismay at massive violations of human rights specially in the form of genocide, “ethnic cleansing” and systematic rape of women in war situations, creating a mass exodus of refugees and displaced persons. While strongly condemning such abhorrent practices, it reiterates the call that perpetrators of such crimes be punished and such practices immediately stopped”;
IHEU noting that the new expression of violent racism, namely “ethnic cleansing”, is expressly included in the Vienna Declaration on Human Rights (25th June, 1993); urges the UN General Assembly and all UN agencies and organs to confirm and adopt these paragraphs; IHEU in so urging, wants to express its ethical humanist principles implying the basic unity of all human beings.
IHEU Board meeting 1993
'All forms of xenophobia, discrimination, racism and especially "ethnic cleansing"', Humanists International, Board of Directors, 1993