Research Guides: World Conference on Human Rights, Vienna 1993: The Conference

The Conference

The World Conference on Human Rights (OHCHR website) was convened by General Assembly resolution 45/155 (18 Dec, 1990). It took place in Vienna on 14-25 June 1993.
Representatives of 171 States, 2 National Liberation movements, 18 intergovernmental organizations, 6 ombudsmen, 11 United Nations bodies, 248 NGOs in consultative status with ECOSOC and 593 other NGOs participated in the Vienna World Conference on Human Rights.

The final document of the Conference - the Vienna Declaration and Programme of Action

reaffirmed the human rights principles that had evolved during the past 45 years;
made concrete recommendations for strengthening and harmonizing the monitoring capacity of the UN system;
called for the establishment of the post of the High Commissioner for Human Rights by the UN General Assembly, which subsequently created it on 20 December 1993 (resolution 48/141);
supported the creation of a new mechanism - Special Rapporteur on Violence against Women;
recommended proclamation by the UN General Assembly of the world's indigenous peoples and
called for the universal ratification of the Convention on the Rights of the Child by the year 1995.

General Assembly resolutions on the World Conference on Human Rights (Vienna, 1993)

Opening statements made during the 1st plenary meeting on 14 June 1993.

President of Austria, Mr. Thomas Klestil
UN Secretary-General, Mr. Boutros Boutros-Ghali
Secretary-General of the WCHR, Mr. Ibrahima Fall
Federal Chancellor of Austria, Mr. Franz Vranitzky
President of the World Conference on Human Rights,
Mr. Alois Mock

Texts of speeches made during the 1st plenary meeting

Credit: UN Photo. Image 319248

The Vienna Declaration and Programme of Action was adopted by consensus at the 22nd plenary meeting of the Conference on 25 June 1993.

Statement by the Chairman of the Drafting Committee, Ambassador Gilberto Vergne Saboia
Adoption of the Vienna Declaration and Programme of Action
Statements made upon the adoption of the Vienna Declaration and Programme of Action

Closing statements made during the 22nd plenary meetings. PDF documents are forthcoming.

Secretary-General of the WCHR, Mr. Ibrahima Fall
UN Secretary-General, Mr. Boutros Boutros-Ghali (read out by Mr. Ibrahima Fall)
President of the World Conference on Human Rights, Mr. Alois Mock

Texts of speeches made during the 22nd plenary meeting

How much effort was put into creating the post of the High Commissioner for Human Rights?

Find out in the Human Rights Timeline research guide.

Statements made during the WCHR on the establishment of the post of the high commissioner for human rights (audio recordings)

During the World Conference on Human Rights several meetings were dedicated to special topics.

Commemoration of the International Year of the World's Indigenous Peoples

11th plenary meeting (18 June1993)

Commemoration of the Children's Day

13th plenary meeting (21 June1993)
14th plenary meeting (21 June1993)

Democracy

15th plenary meeting (22 June1993)
16th plenary meeting (22 June1993)

Bosnia and Herzegovina and Angola declarations

20th plenary meeting (24 June1993) - two country-specific declarations were adopted

Bosnia and Herzegovina declaration, adopted by a roll call vote
- Pakistan, introducing the draft declaration and an Amendment to it
- Speeches made during the 20th plenary meeting
- Roll call vote, Voting results
Angola declaration, adopted by consensus
- Kenya, introducing the draft declaration
- Speeches made during the 20th plenary meeting

UN Secretary-General invited the following special guests to address the Conference:

His Royal Highness Hassan bin Talal (Crown Prince of Jordan) - spoke at the 2nd plenary meeting
Mr. Jimmy Carter (former President of the United States of America) - spoke at the 5th plenary meeting
Mrs. Aquino, Corazon (former President of the Philippines) - spoke at the 7th plenary meeting
Mr. Wole Soyinka (winner of the Nobel Prize for Literature, Nigeria) - spoke at the 9th plenary meeting
Ms. Elena Bonner (Russian Federation) - spoke at the 10th plenary meeting
Mrs. Rigoberta Menchú Tum (winner of the Nobel Peace Prize, Guatemala) - spoke at the 11th plenary meeting

Mrs. Simone Veil (State Minister of France) - did not attend
Mr. Nelson Mandela (President of the African National Congress of South Africa (ANC)) - did not attend