Respect for the principles of national sovereignty and non-interference in the internal affairs of States in their electoral processes

Reiterates that all peoples have the right, freely and without external interference, to determine their political status and to pursue their economic, social and cultural development and that every State has the duty to respect that right; reaffirms that any activities that attempt, directly or indirectly, to interfere in the free development of national electoral processes, in particular in the developing countries, or that are intended to sway the results of such processes, violate the spirit and letter of the principles established in the Charter and in the Declaration on Principles of International Law concerning Friendly Relations and Cooperation among States in accordance with the Charter of UN; further reaffirms that electoral assistance to Member States should be provided by UN only at the request and with the consent of specific sovereign States; strongly appeals to all States to refrain from financing or providing, directly or indirectly, any other form of overt or covert support for political parties or groups and from taking actions to undermine the electoral processes in any country.

Adopted 96-58-12, 70th meeting

3 p.

Adopted at the 70th plenary meeting, 12 Dec. 1997.