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A/54/595

Social development, including questions relating to the world social situation and to youth, ageing, disabled persons and the family : report of the 3rd Committee : General Assembly, 54th session

UN Document Symbol A/54/595
Convention Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities
Document Type Report of the 3rd Committee
Session 54th
Type Document
Description

19 p.

Subjects Youth, Persons with Disabilities, Literacy, Cooperatives, Family, Ageing Persons, Education, Literacy Programmes, Youth Organizations, Family Rights, Disability Statistics, Equal Opportunity, Cooperative Movements

Extracted Text

United Nations
A/54/595
General Assembly Distr.: General
15 November 1999
English
Original: Arabic
Fifty-fourth session
Agenda item 106
Social development, including questions relating to the world
social situation and to youth, ageing, disabled persons and
the family
Report of the Third Committee
Rapporteur: Mr. Naif Bin Bandar Al-Sudairy (Saudi Arabia)
I. Introduction
1. At its 3rd plenary meeting, on 17 September 1999, the General Assembly, on the
recommendation of the General Committee, decided to include in the agenda of its fiftyfourth
session the item entitled “Social development, including questions relating to the
world social situation and to youth, ageing, disabled persons and the family” and to
allocate it to the Third Committee.
2. The Third Committee considered the item at its 3rd to 6th, 12th, 14th, 17th, 20th,
22nd and 26th meetings, from 6 to 8 and on 14, 15, 19, 21, 25 and 28 October 1999. An
account of the Committee’s discussion is contained in the relevant summary records
(A/C.3/54/SR.3-6, 12, 14, 17, 20, 22 and 26).
3. For its consideration of the item, the Committee had before it the following
documents:
(a) Relevant sections of the report of the Economic and Social Council for 1999
(A/54/3);1
(b) Report of the Secretary-General on the status and role of cooperatives in the
light of new economic and social trends (A/54/57);
(c) Report of the Secretary-General on the implementation of the World
Programme of Action for Youth to the Year 2000 and Beyond (A/54/59);
1 To be issued in Official Records of the General Assembly, Fifty-fourth Session, Supplement No. 3
(A/54/3/Rev.1).
99-34907 (E) 261199
A/54/595
2
(d) Interim report of the Secretary-General and the Director-General of the United
Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization entitled “Progress towards
the goal of education for all: the year 2000 Assessment” (A/54/128-E/1999/70);
(e) Report of the Secretary-General on the follow-up to the International Year
of the Family (A/54/256);
(f) Report of the Secretary-General entitled “International Year of Older Persons,
1999: activities and legacies” (A/54/268);
(g) Report of the Secretary-General on the implementation of the World
Programme of Action concerning disabled persons (A/54/388 and Add.1);
(h) Note by the Secretary-General on the World Conference of Ministers
Responsible for Youth (A/54/62);
(i) Letter dated 29 December 1998 from the Permanent Representatives of Belarus
and the Russian Federation to the United Nations addressed to the Secretary-General
(A/54/56);
(j) Letter dated 25 January 1999 from the Chargé d’affaires a.i. of the Permanent
Mission of Portugal addressed to the Secretary-General, transmitting the report of the
World Youth Forum of the United Nations System on its third session (A/54/61 and
Corr.1);
(k) Letter dated 11 February 1999 from the Permanent Representative of Senegal
to the United Nations addressed to the Secretary-General (A/54/66-E/1999/6);
(l) Letter dated 17 May 1999 from the Permanent Representative of Bangladesh
to the United Nations addressed to the Secretary-General, transmitting the Hague Agenda
for Peace and Justice for the Twenty-first Century, adopted by the Hague Appeal for Peace
Conference, held at The Hague from 12 to 15 May 1999 (A/54/98).
4. At the 3rd meeting, on 6 October, the Under-Secretary-General for Economic and
Social Affairs addressed the Committee (see A/C.3/54/SR.3).
5. At the same meeting, the Director of the Division for Social Policy and Development
of the Department of Economic and Social Affairs of the United Nations Secretariat made
an introductory statement (see A/C.3/ 54/SR.3).
II. Consideration of proposals
A. Draft resolution A/C.3/54/L.2
6. By its resolution 1999/18, the Economic and Social Council recommended to the
General Assembly the adoption of a draft resolution entitled “Policies and programmes
involving youth”. The draft resolution was reproduced in document A/C.3/54/L.2.
7. At the 5th meeting, on 8 October, the representative of Portugal orally amended
the draft resolution by inserting, after operative paragraph 15, a new operative paragraph,
reading:
“16. Reiterates the call made in the Programme of Action to Member States
to consider including youth representatives in their delegations to the General
Assembly and other relevant United Nations meetings, thus broadening the channels
A/54/595
3
of communication and enhancing the discussion of youth-related issues, and requests
the Secretary-General to convey this invitation again to Member States”,
and the remaining paragraph was renumbered accordingly.
8. At the 12th meeting, on 14 October, the representative of Senegal orally amended
operative paragraph 10 of the draft resolution by replacing the words “in 2000” at the
end of the paragraph by the words “in 2001”.
9. At the same meeting, the Committee adopted draft resolution A/C.3/54/L.2, as orally
amended, without a vote (see para. 27, draft resolution I).
10. Before the adoption of the draft resolution, statements were made by the
representatives of South Africa, Portugal and India; after the adoption of the draft
resolution, statements were made by the representatives of the United States of America,
Turkey and South Africa.
B. Draft resolution A/C.3/54/L.9/Rev.1
11. At the 22nd meeting, on 25 October, the representative of the Philippines, on behalf
of Bangladesh, Belgium, Canada, China, Colombia, Costa Rica, Denmark, the Dominican
Republic, Ecuador, Ethiopia, Fiji, Finland, Germany, Greece, India, Indonesia, Italy,
Israel, Jamaica, Japan, Malta, Mexico, Monaco, Mongolia, Myanmar, Norway, the
Philippines, Portugal, the Republic of Korea, Sweden, Thailand and the former Yugoslav
Republic of Macedonia, introduced a draft resolution entitled, “Implementation of the
World Programme of Action concerning Disabled Persons: towards a society for all in
the twenty-first century” (A/C.3/54/L.9/Rev.1). Subsequently, Algeria, Austria, Benin,
Burkina Faso, Chile, the Congo, Côte d’Ivoire, Croatia, Cyprus, Eritrea, France, Ghana,
Guinea, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Jordan, Liberia, the Libyan Arab Jamahiriya,
Madagascar, Malaysia, Mexico, Morocco, the Netherlands, Pakistan, Papua New Guinea,
Poland, the Republic of Moldova, Romania, San Marino, Sierra Leone, Spain, the Sudan,
Suriname, Turkey, the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, Ukraine
and Viet Nam joined in sponsoring the draft resolution.
12. In introducing the draft resolution, the representative of the Philippines orally
revised it as follows:
(a) Operative paragraph 2, which had read:
“2. Welcomes the initiatives of Governments, the United Nations system
and non-governmental organizations for the further equalization of opportunities
by, for and with persons with disabilities”,
was revised to read:
“2. Welcomes the initiatives of Governments to enhance the rights of persons
with disabilities and for the further equalization of opportunities by, for and with
persons with disabilities, and also welcomes the contribution of the United Nations
system and non-governmental organizations, as appropriate, in this regard”;
(b) Operative paragraph 4 was revised by inserting, after the words “to take
concrete measures”, the words “to promote the implementation of relevant United Nations
resolutions and agreed international standards concerning persons with disabilities, in
particular the Standard Rules on the Equalization of Opportunities for Persons with
Disabilities”.
A/54/595
4
13. At its 26th meeting, on 28 October, the Committee adopted draft resolution
A/C.3/54/L.9/Rev.1, as orally revised, without a vote (see para. 27, draft resolution II).
C. Draft resolution A/C.3/54/L.10
14. At the 14th meeting, on 15 October, the representative of Mongolia, on behalf of
Antigua and Barbuda, Australia, Bangladesh, Barbados, Belarus, Bolivia, Brazil, Burkina
Faso, Chile, Costa Rica, Ecuador, Guyana, India, Israel, Madagascar, Malaysia, Malta,
Monaco, Mongolia, Morocco, Myanmar, Namibia, Pakistan, the Republic of Korea, the
Russian Federation, Senegal, the Sudan, Thailand, the former Yugoslav Republic of
Macedonia, Trinidad and Tobago and Turkey introduced a draft resolution entitled, “A
United Nations literacy decade: education for all” (A/C.3/54/L.10). Subsequently, Algeria,
Belgium, Benin, Bhutan, Cameroon, Cape Verde, Colombia, the Congo, Côte d’Ivoire,
Croatia, Cyprus, Denmark, the Dominican Republic, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Ethiopia,
Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Guatemala, Guinea, Iceland, Indonesia, Ireland,
Jamaica, Japan, Kyrgyzstan, the Netherlands, Nigeria, Norway, Panama, Portugal, San
Marino, Sierra Leone, Spain, Tajikistan, Uganda, the United Republic of Tanzania, Viet
Nam and Zimbabwe joined in sponsoring the draft resolution.
15. At the 20th meeting, on 21 October, the representative of Mongolia orally revised
the draft resolution as follows:
(a) Operative paragraph 9, which had read:
“9. Requests the Secretary-General, in cooperation with the Director-General
of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization and
Member States, other appropriate organizations and bodies, to submit, through the
Economic and Social Council, a proposal for a United Nations literacy decade, with
a plan of action for such a decade, on the basis of the outcome of the world education
forum, to be held in April 2000, to the General Assembly at its fifty-fifth session,
with a view to proclaiming a United Nations literacy decade for the period 2001-
2010”,
was revised to read:
“9. Requests the Secretary-General, in cooperation with the Director-General
of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization and
Member States and with other relevant organizations and bodies, to submit to the
General Assembly at its fifty-sixth session, through the Economic and Social
Council, a proposal for a United Nations literacy decade with a draft plan of action
and possible time-frame for such a decade, on the basis of the outcomes of the World
Education Forum and the special session of the General Assembly for the five-year
review of the World Summit for Social Development”;
(b) In operative paragraph 11, the words “fifty-fifth session” were replaced by
the words “fifty-sixth session”.
16. At the same meeting, the Committee adopted draft resolution A/C.3/54/L.10, as
orally revised, without a vote (see para. 27, draft resolution III).
D. Draft resolution A/C.3/54/L.11
A/54/595
5
17. At the 17th meeting, on 19 October, the representative of Mongolia, on behalf of
Bangladesh, Barbados, Bolivia, Burkina Faso, Costa Rica, Ecuador, Greece, Guinea,
India, Italy, Kyrgyzstan, Madagascar, Mongolia, Morocco, Myanmar, Namibia, Thailand,
and Trinidad and Tobago, introduced a draft resolution entitled, “Cooperatives in social
development” (A/C.3/54/L.11). Subsequently, Cameroon, Colombia, the Dominican
Republic, Ethiopia, Finland, Guatemala, Indonesia, Liberia, Nigeria, Pakistan, the
Philippines, Sierra Leone, Spain, the Sudan and Tajikistan joined in sponsoring the draft
resolution.
18. In introducing the draft resolution, the representative of Mongolia orally revised
it as follows:
(a) In operative paragraph 4 (b), the words “Encouraging and facilitating the
development of cooperatives” were replaced by the words “Encouraging and facilitating
the establishment and development of cooperatives”;
(b) In operative paragraph 5, the word “local” was inserted before the words
“national and international cooperative organizations”.
19. At the 26th meeting, on 28 October, the representative of Mongolia further orally
revised the draft resolution as follows:
(a) In operative paragraph 2, the words “Adopts the Guidelines” were replaced
by the words “Welcomes the elaboration of the draft guidelines”;
(b) Operative paragraph 3, which had read:
“3. Requests the Secretary-General to encourage wider dissemination and
utilization of these guidelines by Governments, national, regional and international
cooperative organizations through, inter alia, the possible introduction of new or
the revision of the existing laws and administrative provisions governing the
activities of cooperatives, with a view to ensuring a supportive and enabling
environment for cooperatives so that they can make an appropriate contribution to
the attainment of the goals of social development, including overcoming poverty,
securing productive employment and encouraging social integration”,
was revised to read:
“3. Requests the Secretary-General to seek views from Governments on the
draft guidelines and provide, if necessary, a revised version for adoption”;
(c) In operative paragraph 6, the words “in their efforts to disseminate and utilize
the guidelines aimed at creating a supportive environment for the development of
cooperatives” were revised to read “in their efforts to create a supportive environment
for the development of cooperatives”.
20. At the same meeting, the Committee adopted draft resolution A/C.3/54/L.11, as
orally revised, without a vote (see para. 27, draft resolution IV).
E. Draft resolution A/C.3/54/L.12
21. At the 14th meeting, on 15 October, the representative of Benin, on behalf of
Bangladesh, Benin, Burkina Faso, Côte d’Ivoire, the Democratic Republic of the Congo,
Ecuador, Ghana, Liberia, Malaysia, Nigeria, Panama, the Philippines, Senegal, Thailand,
and Trinidad and Tobago introduced a draft resolution entitled, “Follow-up to the
International Year of the Family” (A/C.3/54/L.12). Subsequently, Antigua and Barbuda,
A/54/595
6
Barbados, Botswana, Cameroon, the Congo, Croatia, the Dominican Republic, Equatorial
Guinea, Eritrea, France, the Gambia, Ghana, Greece, Ireland, Italy, Madagascar, Malta,
Mongolia, Portugal, the Russian Federation, Saint Lucia, Saint Kitts and Nevis, San
Marino, Sierra Leone, South Africa, Spain, Zambia and Zimbabwe joined in sponsoring
the draft resolution and Bangladesh, Burkina Faso and Nigeria withdrew their
sponsorship.
22. In introducing the draft resolution, the representative of Benin orally revised the
text as follows:
(a) In operative paragraph 3, the words “concerning families” were replaced by
the words “including the conduct of studies and applied research on families”, and the
words “to address national priorities to deal with family issues” were replaced by the
words “to address family issues as a matter of national priority”;
(b) Operative paragraph 6, which had read:
“6. Invites the Commission for Social Development to undertake a
comprehensive review of the global situation of families in 2004”,
was revised to read:
“6. Invites the Commission for Social Development, when adopting its next
multi-year programme of work, to consider undertaking a review of the global
situation of the family in 2004”;
(c) Operative paragraph 7, which had read:
“7. Requests the Secretary-General to prepare a fourth biennial progress
report and to include therein draft guidelines to explore the appropriate ways and
means to observe the tenth anniversary of the International Year of the Family in
2004 and to submit the report to the General Assembly at its fifty-sixth session
through the Commission for Social Development and the Economic and Social
Council”,
was revised to read:
“7. Requests the Secretary-General to report to the General Assembly at its
fifty-sixth session, through the Commission for Social Development and the
Economic and Social Council, on the appropriate ways and means to observe the
tenth anniversary of the International Year of the Family in 2004”.
23. At the 26th meeting, on 28 October, the representative of Benin further orally
revised the draft resolution as follows:
(a) The fifth preambular paragraph, which had read:
“Noting with concern that notwithstanding the achievements of the
International Year of the Family since 1994, numerous problem areas exist that
require concerted attention, such as the need to develop common ground and
common understanding and to improve research, data collection and capacitybuilding
and the training of personnel, in order to formulate, implement and
evaluate family-related policies and programmes”,
was deleted;
(b) In operative paragraph 1, the words “and endorses the recommendations
outlined in it” were replaced by the words “and the recommendations contained therein”;
(c) Operative paragraph 3, which had read:
A/54/595
7
“3. Urges Governments to continue to take sustained action at all levels
concerning families and, in particular, to promote the role of families in
development, and invites Governments to develop concrete measures and approaches
to address national priorities to deal with family issues”,
was revised to read:
“3. Urges Governments to continue to take sustained action at all levels
concerning family issues, including studies and applied research, to promote the
role of families in development, and to develop concrete measures and approaches
to address national priorities to deal with family issues”;
(d) In operative paragraph 5, the words “regional and international cooperation”
were replaced by the words “international cooperation”, and the words “to facilitate
technical assistance, with a focus on least developed and developing countries, and to
encourage the organization of subregional and interregional meetings and relevant
research” were added to the end of the paragraph;
(e) Operative paragraph 6 was further revised to read:
“6. Invites the Commission for Social Development, when adopting its next
multi-year programme of work, to consider undertaking a review of the global
situation of the family in 2004, bearing in mind that, in different cultural, political
and social systems, various forms of the family exist”.
24. Also at the same meeting, the Committee adopted draft resolution A/C.3/54/L.12,
as orally revised, without a vote (see para. 27, draft resolution V).
25. Before the adoption of the draft resolution, statements were made by the
representatives of Spain and the United States of America.
F. Draft decision proposed by the Chairman
26. At its 26th meeting, on 28 October, on the proposal of the Chairman, the Committee
decided to recommend to the General Assembly that it take note of the report of the
Secretary-General on the implementation of the World Programme of Action for Youth
to the Year 2000 and Beyond (A/54/59) (see para. 28).
III. Recommendations of the Third Committee
27. The Third Committee recommends to the General Assembly the adoption of the
following draft resolutions:
Draft resolution I
Policies and programmes involving youth
The General Assembly,
Recalling its resolution 50/81 of 14 December 1995, by which it adopted the World
Programme of Action for Youth to the Year 2000 and Beyond, annexed thereto, as an
integral part of that resolution,
A/54/595
2 A/40/256, annex.
3 A/54/59.
4 See document WCMRY/1998/28, chap. I, resolution 1.
8
Recalling also its resolutions 32/135 of 16 December 1977 and 36/17 of 19
November 1981, by which it adopted guidelines for the improvement of the channels of
communication between the United Nations and youth and youth organizations, and 40/14
of 18 November 1985, entitled “International Youth Year: Participation, Development,
Peace”, by which the guidelines for further planning and suitable follow-up in the field
of youth, as contained in the report of the Advisory Committee for the International Youth
Year on its fourth session, held at Vienna from 25 March to 3 April 1985,2 were endorsed,
Noting especially that, in paragraph 123 of the Programme of Action, current
regional and international conferences of ministers responsible for youth affairs in Africa,
Asia, Europe, Latin America and the Caribbean and Western Asia were invited to
intensify cooperation with one another and to consider meeting regularly at the
international level under the aegis of the United Nations to provide an effective forum
for a global dialogue on youth-related issues,
Noting that, in paragraph 124 of the Programme of Action, youth-related bodies
and organizations of the United Nations system were invited to cooperate with the abovementioned
conferences,
Recalling that, in paragraph 125 of the Programme of Action, the World Youth
Forum of the United Nations System was invited to contribute to the implementation of
the Programme of Action through the identification and promotion of joint initiatives
to further its objectives so that they better reflected the interests of youth,
Recalling also Economic and Social Council resolution 1997/55 of 23 July 1997
and General Assembly resolution 52/83 of 12 December 1997, in which the Council and
the Assembly welcomed the invitation of the Government of Portugal to host the World
Conference of Ministers Responsible for Youth, held at Lisbon from 8 to 12 August 1998,
Welcoming the World Conference of Ministers Responsible for Youth, hosted by
the Government of Portugal in cooperation with the United Nations, as well as the support
of the Government of Portugal for the holding of the third session of the World Youth
Forum of the United Nations System at Braga, Portugal, from 2 to 7 August 1998,
1. Takes note with appreciation of the report of the Secretary-General on the
implementation of the World Programme of Action for Youth to the Year 2000 and
Beyond,3 and the Lisbon Declaration on Youth Policies and Programmes,4 adopted by
the World Conference of Ministers Responsible for Youth;
2. Takes note of the holding of the third session of the World Youth Forum of
the United Nations System at Braga, Portugal, from 2 to 7 August 1998, and expresses
its appreciation to the Government of Portugal for its support;
3. Calls upon all States, all United Nations bodies, the specialized agencies, the
regional commissions and the intergovernmental and non-governmental organizations
concerned, in particular youth organizations, to make every possible effort towards the
implementation of the Programme of Action and to consider, within its framework, the
appropriate ways and means to follow up the Lisbon Declaration, in accordance with their
experience, situation and priorities;
4. Invites all relevant United Nations programmes, funds, specialized agencies
and other bodies within the United Nations system, as well as other intergovernmental
A/54/595
5 Ibid., resolution 2.
6 See E/CN.5/1999/14, annex.
7 See A/54/66-E/1999/6.
9
organizations and regional financial institutions, to give greater support to national youth
policies and programmes within their country programmes as a way to follow up the
World Conference of Ministers Responsible for Youth;
5. Reiterates the call made by the World Conference of Ministers Responsible
for Youth to strengthen the Youth Unit of the United Nations Secretariat, through the
provision of all regular staffing and resources necessary for the fulfilment of its mandate,
including the provision of effective assistance in the implementation of the Programme
of Action;
6. Encourages the regional commissions to follow up the World Conference of
Ministers Responsible for Youth in their respective regions, in coordination with regional
meetings of ministers responsible for youth and regional youth non-governmental
organizations, and to provide advisory services to support national youth policies and
programmes in each region;
7. Endorses the recommendation made by the World Conference of Ministers
Responsible for Youth that 12 August be declared International Youth Day,5 and
recommends that public information activities be organized at all levels to support the
Day as a way to promote better awareness, especially among youth, of the Programme
of Action;
8. Invites the Secretary-General to participate actively in the effective follow-up
to the World Conference of Ministers Responsible for Youth, bearing in mind General
Assembly resolution 52/83 and Economic and Social Council resolution 1997/55 and
within the framework of the Programme of Action;
9. Recommends that the second World Conference of Ministers Responsible for
Youth be organized under the aegis of the United Nations, and takes note with
appreciation of the offer made by the Government of Turkey to organize the second World
Conference of Ministers Responsible for Youth together with the fifth session of the World
Youth Forum of the United Nations System and the World Youth Festival;6
10. Welcomes the offer of the Government of Senegal to host the fourth session
of the World Youth Forum of the United Nations System in 2001;7
11. Calls upon Member States, all United Nations bodies and non-governmental
organizations to continue to implement fully the guidelines for further planning and
follow-up in the field of youth, adopted by the General Assembly in its resolution 40/14,
and the guidelines for the improvement of the channels of communication between the
United Nations and youth and youth organizations, adopted by the Assembly in its
resolutions 32/135 and 36/17, and in particular to facilitate, in accordance with these
resolutions, the activities of youth mechanisms that have been set up by youth and youth
organizations;
12. Recognizes the important role that could be played by the United Nations
Youth Fund for the implementation of agreed programmes and mandates on youth,
including the provision of support for youth activities promoting South-South cooperation;
13. Invites all Governments and intergovernmental and non-governmental
organizations to contribute to the Fund, and requests the Secretary-General to take
appropriate actions to encourage contributions;
A/54/595
8 Official Records of the Economic and Social Council, 1998, Supplement No. 3 (E/1998/23), chap. II,
sect. A.
9 Resolution 34/180, annex.
10 Resolution 44/25, annex.
10
14. Recognizes the important role of non-governmental youth organizations in
the implementation of the Programme of Action at the national and international levels
and in the development and evaluation of national policies, in particular concerning youth,
and encourages Governments to ensure that the perspective of young people is reflected
in national policies and programmes;
15. Calls upon all States, all United Nations bodies, the specialized agencies, the
regional commissions and intergovernmental and non-governmental organizations to
exchange knowledge and expertise on youth-related issues, upon setting up the ways and
means to do so;
16. Reiterates the call made in the Programme of Action to Member States to
consider including youth representatives in their delegations to the General Assembly
and other relevant United Nations meetings, thus broadening the channels of
communication and enhancing the discussion of youth-related issues, and requests the
Secretary-General to convey this invitation again to Member States;
17. Requests the Secretary-General to report to the General Assembly at its fiftysixth
session on the implementation of the present resolution, in particular on progress
made in the implementation of the World Programme of Action for Youth.
Draft resolution II
Implementation of the World Programme of Action concerning
Disabled Persons: towards a society for all in the twenty-first century
The General Assembly,
Recalling its resolutions 37/52 of 3 December 1982, by which it adopted the World
Programme of Action concerning Disabled Persons, 48/96 of 20 December 1993, by which
it adopted the Standard Rules on the Equalization of Opportunities for Persons with
Disabilities, 49/153 of 23 December 1994, 50/144 of 21 December 1995 and 52/82 of 12
December 1997,
Recalling also Economic and Social Council resolutions 1997/19 of 21 July 1997
on equalization of opportunities for persons with disabilities and 1997/20 of 21 July 1997
on children with disabilities and Commission on Human Rights resolution 1998/31 of
17 April 1998 on the human rights of persons with disabilities,8
Recalling further the purposes and principles of the Charter of the United Nations
and reaffirming the obligations contained in relevant human rights instruments, including
the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women9 and
the Convention on the Rights of the Child,10
Reaffirming the outcomes of the major United Nations conferences and summits
and their respective follow-up reviews, in particular as they pertain to the promotion of
the rights and well-being of persons with disabilities,
Noting with appreciation the important contributions of subregional, regional and
international seminars and conferences related to persons with disabilities, such as the
A/54/595
11 A/54/388 and Add.1.
11
Fifth World Assembly of Disabled People’s International, held at Mexico City from 1 to
7 December 1998 on the theme “Towards an inclusive twenty-first century”,
Expressing grave concern that situations of armed conflict have especially
devastating consequences for the human rights of persons with disabilities,
Mindful of the need to adopt and implement effective policies and strategies to
promote the rights and the full and effective participation of persons with disabilities in
economic, social, cultural and political life, on the basis of equality, to achieve a society
for all,
Concerned that improvement of disability awareness and sensitivity to disability
issues has not been significant enough to improve the quality of life of persons with
disabilities worldwide,
Recognizing the importance of timely and reliable data on disability-sensitive
policies, programme planning and evaluation and the need for further development of
practical statistical methodology for the collection and compilation of data on populations
with disabilities,
Realizing that technology, in particular information technology, provides new
possibilities for improving accessibility and employment for persons with disabilities and
facilitating their full participation and equality, and welcoming the initiatives of the
United Nations in promoting information technology as a means of achieving the universal
goal of a society for all,
1. Takes note with appreciation of the report of the Secretary-General on the
implementation of the World Programme of Action concerning Disabled Persons;11
2. Welcomes the initiatives of Governments to enhance the rights of persons with
disabilities and for the further equalization of opportunities by, for and with persons with
disabilities, and also welcomes the contribution of the United Nations system and nongovernmental
organizations, as appropriate, in this regard;
3. Notes with appreciation the valuable work undertaken by the Special
Rapporteur on Disability of the Commission for Social Development under his second
mandate, for the period 1997-2000;
4. Encourages Governments, non-governmental organizations and the private
sector, as appropriate, to take concrete measures to promote the implementation of
relevant United Nations resolutions and agreed international standards concerning persons
with disabilities, in particular the Standard Rules on the Equalization of Opportunities
for Persons with Disabilities, and for the further equalization of opportunities for persons
with disabilities by focusing on accessibility, health, social services, including training
and rehabilitation, safety nets, employment and sustainable livelihoods, in the design and
implementation of strategies, policies and programmes to promote a more inclusive
society;
5. Calls upon Governments to undertake all necessary measures to advance
beyond the adoption of national plans for people with disabilities through, inter alia, the
creation or reinforcement of arrangements for the promotion and awareness of disability
issues and the allocation of sufficient resources for the full implementation of existing
plans and initiatives, and emphasizes the importance of supporting national efforts
through international cooperation in this regard;
A/54/595
12
6. Encourages Governments, intergovernmental organizations and nongovernmental
organizations to take practical actions, including public information
campaigns, by, with and for persons with disabilities, with a view to increasing disability
awareness and sensitivity to disability issues and to combating and overcoming
discrimination against persons with disabilities and to further their full and effective
participation in society;
7. Encourages Governments to continue their support to non-governmental
organizations contributing to the fulfilment of the implementation of the World
Programme of Action concerning Disabled Persons;
8. Also encourages Governments to involve persons with disabilities in the
formulation of strategies and plans aimed at eradicating poverty, promoting education
and enhancing employment;
9. Urges relevant bodies and organizations of the United Nations system,
including relevant human rights treaty bodies and the regional commissions, as well as
intergovernmental organizations and non-governmental organizations and institutions,
to work closely with the United Nations programme on persons with disabilities in the
promotion of the rights of persons with disabilities, including activities at the field level,
by sharing experiences, findings and recommendations on persons with disabilities;
10. Urges Governments to cooperate with the United Nations Statistics Division
in the continued development of global statistics and indicators on disability, and
encourages them to avail themselves of the technical assistance of the Division to build
national capacities for national data-collection systems, as needed;
11. Urges Governments, in collaboration with the United Nations system, to give
special attention to the rights, needs and well-being of children with disabilities and their
families in the development of policies and programmes;
12. Encourages Governments, concerned non-governmental organizations and
the private sector to continue to support the United Nations Voluntary Fund on Disability
with a view to implementing fully the World Programme of Action concerning Disabled
Persons and the Standard Rules on the Equalization of Opportunities for Persons with
Disabilities, including the work of the Special Rapporteur, and to support activities to
build national capacities, with emphasis on priorities identified in General Assembly
resolution 52/82;
13. Requests the Secretary-General to continue supporting initiatives of relevant
bodies and organizations of the United Nations system, as well as those of regional,
intergovernmental and non-governmental organizations and institutions, for the
promotion of the human rights of persons with disabilities and the further implementation
of the World Programme of Action concerning Disabled Persons, and in their efforts to
integrate persons with disabilities in technical cooperation activities, both as beneficiaries
and as decision makers;
14. Also requests the Secretary-General to include, in his assessments of the
implementation of the outcome of major United Nations conferences and summits to be
considered at the forthcoming special sessions of the General Assembly, the contribution
of these meetings to the promotion of the rights and well-being of persons with
disabilities;
15. Expresses its appreciation to the Secretary-General for his efforts in improving
the accessibility of the United Nations for persons with disabilities, and urges him to
A/54/595
13
continue implementing plans to provide a barrier-free environment, as well as information
in an accessible format and communication services;
16. Requests the Secretary-General to submit to the General Assembly at its fiftysixth
session, through the Commission for Social Development at its thirty-ninth session,
a report on the implementation of the present resolution.
A/54/595
12 Resolution 217 A (III).
13 See resolution 2200 A (XXI), annex.
14 Resolution 44/25, annex.
15 A/52/183, annex.
16 Learning: the Treasure Within: Report to UNESCO of the International Commission on Education
for the Twenty-first Century (Paris, UNESCO, 1996).
14
Draft resolution III
A United Nations literacy decade: education for all
The General Assembly,
Recalling that in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights,12 the International
Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights13 and the Convention on the Rights
of the Child14 the right of every individual to education is recognized as inalienable,
Recalling also its resolutions 42/104 of 7 December 1987, by which it proclaimed
1990 as International Literacy Year, 44/127 of 15 December 1989, 46/93 of 16 December
1991, 50/143 of 21 December 1995, in which it called for continuing international efforts
to promote literacy, and 52/84 of 12 December 1997, by which it requested the Secretary-
General, in cooperation with the Director-General of the United Nations Educational,
Scientific and Cultural Organization and in consultation with Member States, to consider
effective ways and means of achieving the goal of education for all, including the
desirability and feasibility of launching a United Nations decade to eradicate illiteracy,
Deeply concerned about the persistence of the gender gap in education, which is
reflected by the fact that nearly two thirds of the world’s adult illiterates are women,
Convinced that literacy, especially functional literacy, and quality education
represent a lifelong necessity for all and serve as an investment in human and social
capital and a major tool for the empowerment of people,
Recalling its resolution 53/153 of 9 December 1998, entitled “United Nations
Decade for Human Rights Education, 1995-2004, and public information activities in
the field of human rights”,
Confident that the International Literacy Year and the World Conference on
Education for All, held at Jomtien, Thailand, in 1990, resulted in increased awareness
and support for literacy efforts and became a turning point in the struggle for a literate
world,
Underlining the importance of sustaining and further promoting the progress
achieved since the International Literacy Year and the Jomtien Conference,
Welcoming the Amman Affirmation,15 the final communiqué of the mid-decade
meeting of the International Consultative Forum on Education for All, the report of the
International Commission on Education for the Twenty-first Century16 and the 1997
Hamburg Declaration on Adult Learning,
Recognizing that, despite the significant progress in basic education, especially the
increase in primary school enrolment coupled with a growing emphasis on the quality
of education, major problems, both emerging and continuing, still persist, which require
even more forceful and concerted action at the national and international levels so as to
achieve the goal of education for all,
A/54/595
17 A/54/128-E/1999/70.
18 Final Report of the World Conference on Education for All: Meeting Basic Learning Needs,
Jomtien, Thailand, 5-9 March 1990, Inter-Agency Commission (UNDP, UNESCO, UNICEF, World
Bank) for the World Conference on Education for All, New York, 1990, appendix 1.
15
Urging Member States, in close partnership with international organizations, as
well as non-governmental organizations, to promote the right to education for all and
to create conditions for all for learning throughout life,
1. Takes note of the interim report of the Secretary-General and the Director-
General of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization, entitled
“Progress towards the goal of education for all: the year 2000 Assessment”;17
2. Reaffirms that basic education for all is essential for achieving the goals of
eradicating poverty, reducing child mortality, curbing population growth, achieving
gender equality and ensuring sustainable development, peace and democracy;
3. Acknowledges the efforts and the preparatory work at national and regional
levels for the year 2000 assessment of progress towards achieving the goals of education
for all in identifying both continuing and emerging challenges, and stresses the need to
meet those challenges and to accelerate the efforts to meet the basic needs of people of
all age groups, particularly girls and women;
4. Appeals to all Governments to step up their efforts to eradicate illiteracy and
to direct education towards the full development of the human personality and to the
strengthening of respect for all human rights and fundamental freedoms;
5. Also appeals to all Governments to redouble their efforts to achieve their own
goals of education for all by setting firm targets and timetables, where possible, including
gender-specific education targets and programmes to combat the illiteracy of women and
girls, and, by working in active partnership with communities, associations, the media
and development agencies, to reach those targets;
6. Appeals anew to Governments and to economic and financial organizations
and institutions, both national and international, to lend greater financial and material
support to the efforts to increase literacy and achieve education for all goals, through,
inter alia, the 20/20 initiative, as appropriate;
7. Invites Member States, the specialized agencies and other organizations of
the United Nations system as well as relevant intergovernmental and non-governmental
organizations to further intensify their efforts to effectively implement the World
Declaration on Education for All,18 the Amman Affirmation, the 1997 Hamburg
Declaration on Adult Learning and Agenda for the Future of Adult Learning, and the
relevant commitments and recommendations to promote literacy contained in recent major
United Nations conferences and their five-year reviews with a view to better coordinating
their activities and increasing their contribution to development;
8. Welcomes the convening of the World Education Forum, to be held in April
2000 in Senegal, with a view to assessing the implementation of the Education for All
goals and adopting an agenda for education in the twenty-first century;
9. Requests the Secretary-General, in cooperation with the Director-General of
the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization and Member States
and with other relevant organizations and bodies, to submit to the General Assembly at
its fifty-sixth session, through the Economic and Social Council, a proposal for a United
Nations literacy decade, with a draft plan of action and possible time-frame for such a
decade, on the basis of the outcomes of the World Education Forum and the special session
A/54/595
19 A/54/57.
20 See Report of the World Summit for Social Development, Copenhagen, 6-12 March 1995 (United
Nations publication, Sales No. E.96.IV.8).
21 See Report of the World Conference on Women, Beijing, 4-15 September 1995 (United Nations
publication, Sales No. E.96.IV.13).
22 See Report of the United Nations Conference on Human Settlements (Habitat II), Istanbul, 3-14
June 1996 (United Nations publication, Sales No. E.97.IV.6).
23 See Report of the World Food Summit, 13-17 November 1996 (Rome, Food and Agriculture
Organization of the United Nations, 1997).
24 A/54/57, annex.
16
of the General Assembly for the five-year review of the World Summit for Social
Development;
10. Also requests the Secretary-General to bring the present resolution to the
attention of all Member States as well as the relevant intergovernmental and nongovernmental
organizations;
11. Decides to include in the provisional agenda of its fifty-sixth session the
question of a United Nations literacy decade.
Draft resolution IV
Cooperatives in social development
The General Assembly,
Recalling its resolutions 47/90 of 16 December 1992, 49/155 of 23 December 1994
and 51/58 of 12 December 1996, in which it requested the Secretary-General to ascertain,
in cooperation with the Committee for the Promotion and Advancement of Cooperatives,
the desirability and feasibility of elaborating United Nations guidelines aimed at creating
a supportive environment for the development of cooperatives,
Welcoming the report of the Secretary-General on the status and role of cooperatives
in the light of new economic and social trends19 and the draft guidelines aimed at creating
a supportive environment for the development of cooperatives, annexed to the report,
Recognizing that cooperatives, in their various forms, are becoming a major factor
of economic and social development by promoting the fullest possible participation in
the development process of women and all population groups, including youth, older
persons and people with disabilities, and are increasingly providing an effective and
affordable mechanism for meeting people’s needs for basic social services,
Recognizing also the important contribution and potential of all forms of
cooperatives to the follow-up to the World Summit for Social Development,20 the Fourth
World Conference on Women,21 the United Nations Conference on Human Settlements
(Habitat II)22 and the World Food Summit,23 including their five-year reviews,
1. Takes note with appreciation of the report of the Secretary-General on the
status and role of cooperatives in the light of new economic and social trends;19
2. Welcomes the elaboration of the draft guidelines aimed at creating a supportive
environment for the development of cooperatives;24
3. Requests the Secretary-General to seek views from Governments on the draft
guidelines and provide, if necessary, a revised version for adoption;
A/54/595
17
4. Urges Governments, relevant international organizations and specialized
agencies, in collaboration with national and international cooperative organizations, to
give due consideration to the role and contribution of cooperatives in the implementation
of and follow-up to the outcomes of the World Summit for Social Development, the Fourth
World Conference on Women, the United Nations Conference on Human Settlements
(Habitat II) and the World Food Summit, including their five-year reviews, by, inter alia:
(a) Utilizing and developing fully the potential and contribution of cooperatives
for the attainment of social development goals, in particular the eradication of poverty,
the generation of full and productive employment and the enhancement of social
integration;
(b) Encouraging and facilitating the establishment and development of
cooperatives, including taking measures aimed at enabling people living in poverty or
belonging to vulnerable groups to engage on a voluntary basis in the creation and
development of cooperatives;
(c) Taking appropriate measures aimed at creating a supportive and enabling
environment for the development of cooperatives through, inter alia, developing an
effective partnership between Governments and the cooperative movement;
5. Invites Governments, relevant international organizations, specialized agencies
and local, national and international cooperative organizations to continue to observe
the International Day of Cooperatives annually, on the first Saturday of July, as
proclaimed by the General Assembly in its resolution 47/90 of 16 December 1992;
6. Requests the Secretary-General, in cooperation with the relevant United
Nations organizations and international organizations, to render support to Member
States, as appropriate, in their efforts to create a supportive environment for the
development of cooperatives, including through the organization of workshops and
seminars at national, subregional and regional levels;
7. Also requests the Secretary-General to prepare, in consultation with Member
States and relevant United Nations and international organizations, a report on the
implementation of the present resolution, and to submit it, through the Economic and
Social Council, to the General Assembly at its fifty-sixth session.
Draft resolution V
Follow-up to the International Year of the Family
The General Assembly,
Recalling its resolutions 44/82 of 8 December 1989, 46/92 of 16 December 1991,
47/237 of 20 September 1993, 50/142 of 21 December 1995 and 52/81 of 12 December
1997 concerning the proclamation, preparations for and observance of the International
Year of the Family,
Recognizing that the basic objective of the follow-up to the International Year of
the Family should be to strengthen and support families in performing their societal and
developmental functions and to build upon their strengths, in particular at the national
and local levels,
Noting that the family-related provisions of the outcomes of the world conferences
of the 1990s continue to provide policy guidance on ways to strengthen family-centred
A/54/595
25 A/54/256.
18
components of policies and programmes as part of an integrated comprehensive approach
to development,
Emphasizing that equality between women and men and respect for the rights of
all family members is essential to family well-being and to society at large,
Noting with concern that the contributions to the United Nations Trust Fund on
Family Activities have steadily decreased, reducing its resource base, and that, unless
this trend is reversed and the Fund strengthened, many priority concerns relating to family
issues will not be met,
Having considered the report of the Secretary-General on the follow-up to the
International Year of the Family,25
1. Takes note of the report of the Secretary-General25 and the recommendations
contained therein;
2. Invites Governments to continue their actions to build family-friendly societies,
inter alia, by promoting the rights of individual family members, in particular gender
equality and the rights of the child;
3. Urges Governments to continue to take sustained action at all levels concerning
family issues, including studies and applied research, to promote the role of families in
development, and to develop concrete measures and approaches to address national
priorities to deal with family issues;
4. Recommends that all relevant actors, including Governments, research and
academic institutions and civil society, contribute to developing strategies and
programmes aimed at strengthening the economic and sustainable livelihood of families;
5. Requests the Secretary-General to continue to play an active role in facilitating
international cooperation within the framework of the follow-up to the International Year
of the Family, to facilitate the exchange of experiences and information among
Governments on effective policies and strategies, to facilitate technical assistance, with
a focus on least developed and developing countries, and to encourage the organization
of subregional and interregional meetings and relevant research;
6. Invites the Commission for Social Development, when adopting its next multiyear
programme of work, to consider undertaking a review of the global situation of the
family in 2004, bearing in mind that, in different cultural, political and social systems,
various forms of the family exist;
7. Requests the Secretary-General to report to the General Assembly at its fiftysixth
session, through the Commission for Social Development and the Economic and
Social Council, on the appropriate ways and means to observe the tenth anniversary of
the International Year of the Family in 2004.
* * *
28. The Third Committee also recommends to the General Assembly the adoption of
the following draft decision:
Report of the Secretary-General on the implementation of the World
Programme of Action for Youth to the Year 2000 and Beyond
A/54/595
26 A/54/59.
19
The General Assembly takes note of the report of the Secretary-General on the
implementation of the World Programme of Action for Youth to the Year 2000 and
Beyond.26