A/HRC/RES/16/3 Reaffirming that all cultures and civilizations in their traditions, customs, religions and beliefs share a common set of values that belong to humankind in its entirety, and that those values have made an important contribution to the development of human rights norms and standards, Stressing that traditions shall not be invoked to justify harmful practices violating universal human rights norms and standards, Recalling Human Rights Council resolution 12/21 of 2 October 2009, 1. Welcomes the holding on 4 October 2010 of a workshop for an exchange of views on how a better understanding of traditional values of humankind underpinning international human rights norms and standards can contribute to the promotion and protection of human rights and fundamental freedoms; 2. Also welcomes the report of the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights containing the summary of the discussions held at the said workshop;1 3. Affirms that dignity, freedom and responsibility are traditional values, shared by all humanity and embodied in universal rights instruments; 4. Recognizes that the better understanding and appreciation of these values contribute to promoting and protecting human rights and fundamental freedoms; 5. Notes the important role of family, community, society and educational institutions in upholding and transmitting these values, which contributes to promoting respect for human rights and increasing their acceptance at the grass roots, and calls upon all States to strengthen this role through appropriate positive measures; 6. Requests the Human Rights Council Advisory Committee to prepare a study on how a better understanding and appreciation of traditional values of dignity, freedom and responsibility can contribute to the promotion and protection of human rights, and to present that study to the Council before its twenty-first session; 7. Decides to remain seized of the matter. 45th meeting 24 March 2011 [Adopted by a recorded vote of 24 to 14, with 7 abstentions. The voting was as follows: In favour: Angola, Bahrain, Bangladesh, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, China, Cuba, Djibouti, Ecuador, Ghana, Jordan, Kyrgyzstan, Malaysia, Maldives, Mauritania, Nigeria, Pakistan, Qatar, Russian Federation, Saudi Arabia, Senegal, Thailand, Uganda, Zambia Against: Belgium, France, Hungary, Japan, Mauritius, Mexico, Norway, Poland, Republic of Korea, Slovakia, Spain, Switzerland, United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, United States of America Abstaining: Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Guatemala, Republic of Moldova, Ukraine, Uruguay] 1 2 A/HRC/16/37.