Conscientious objection to military service (Resolution 2000/34)

The Commission on Human Rights,

Bearing in mind that it is recognized in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights that everyone has the right to life, liberty and security of person, as well as the right to freedom of thought, conscience and religion and the right not to be discriminated against,

Recalling its previous resolutions on the subject, most recently resolution 1998/77 of 22 April 1998, in which the Commission recognized the right of everyone to have conscientious objections to military service as a legitimate exercise of the right to freedom of thought, conscience and religion, as laid down in article 18 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and article 18 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights and General Comment No. 22 of the Human Rights Committee, adopted at its forty-eighth session in 1993,

Having considered the report of the Secretary-General (E/CN.4/2000/55),

1. Calls upon States to review their current laws and practices in relation to conscientious objection to military service in the light of its resolution 1998/77;

2. Requests the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights to prepare a compilation and analysis of best practices in relation to the recognition of the right of everyone to have conscientious objections to military service, as a legitimate exercise of the right to freedom of thought, conscience and religion, and the provision of alternative forms of service, based on the provisions of Commission resolution 1998/77, and to seek such information from Governments, the specialized agencies and relevant intergovernmental and non-governmental organizations, and to submit a report containing this information to the Commission at its fifty-eighth session under the agenda sub-item entitled “Conscientious objection to military service”.

60th meeting
20 April 2000
[Adopted without a vote. ]