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A/AC.265/2

Draft report of the Ad Hoc Committee on a Comprehensive and Integral International Convention on Protection and Promotion of the Rights and Dignity of Persons with Disability

UN Document Symbol A/AC.265/2
Convention Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities
Document Type Draft Report
Session Non-Applicable
Type Document
Description

5 p.

Subjects Persons with Disabilities, Disability

Extracted Text

United Nations A/AC.265/2
General Assembly Distr.: General
7 August 2002
Original: English
02-51306 (E) 080802
*0251306*
Ad Hoc Committee on a Comprehensive and
Integral International Convention on Protection
and Promotion of the Rights and Dignity of Persons
with Disabilities
New York, 29 July-9 August 2002
Draft Report of the Ad Hoc Committee on a Comprehensive
and Integral International Convention on Protection
and Promotion of the Rights and Dignity of Persons
with Disabilities
I. Introduction
1. In its resolution 56/168 of 19 December 2001, the
General Assembly decided to establish an Ad Hoc
Committee to consider proposals for a comprehensive
and integral international convention to promote and
protect the rights and dignity of persons with
disabilities, based on the holistic approach in the work
done in the fields of social development, human rights
and non-discrimination and taking into account the
recommendations of the Commission on Human Rights
and the Commission for Social Development. The
Assembly also decided that, prior to its fifty-seventh
session, the Ad Hoc Committee should hold at least
one session of a duration of 10 working days.
II. Organizational matters
A. Opening and duration of the first
session
2. The Ad Hoc Committee on a Comprehensive and
Integral International Convention on Protection and
Promotion of the Rights and Dignity of Persons with
Disabilities held its first session at United Nations

Headquarters from 29 July to 9 August 2002. In the
course of its session, the Ad Hoc Committee held 18
plenary meetings and one meeting for panel
discussions.
3. The Division for Social Policy and Development
of the Department of Economic and Social Affairs
acted as the substantive secretariat, while the
Disarmament and Decolonization Organs Servicing
Branch of the Department of General Assembly Affairs
and Conference Services served as technical secretariat
of the Ad Hoc Committee.
4. The 1st meeting of the Ad Hoc Committee was
opened by the Vice-President of the General Assembly,
Eladio Loizaga (Paraguay). Nitin Desai, Under-
Secretary-General for Economic and Social Affairs,
speaking on behalf of the Secretary-General, made a
statement.
B. Officers
5. At its 1st, 5th and 7th meetings, on 29 and 31
July and 1 August 2002, respectively, the Ad Hoc
Committee elected the following officers by
acclamation:

A/AC.265/2
Chairman:
Luis Gallegos (Ecuador)
Vice-Chairmen:
Enrique Manalo (Philippines)
Jeanette Ndhlovu (South Africa)
Karina Mårtensson (Sweden)
C. Agenda
6. At its 1st meeting, on 29 July 2002, the Ad Hoc
Committee adopted its provisional agenda, as
contained in document A/AC.265/L.1*, as follows:
1. Opening of the meeting.
2. Adoption of the agenda.
3. Organization of work.
4. General debate on issues concerning a new
international instrument on disability,
including proposals for a comprehensive
and integral international convention to
promote and protect the rights and dignity
of persons with disabilities.
5. Recommendations of the Ad Hoc
Committee.
6. Adoption of the report of the Ad Hoc
Committee to the General Assembly at its
fifty-seventh session.
7. Other business.
D. Documentation
7. The Ad Hoc Committee had before it the
following documents:
(a) Note by the Secretary-General
(A/AC.265/1);
(b) Provisional agenda (A/AC.265/L.1);
(c) List of participants (A/AC.265/INF/1);
(d) Comprehensive and integral international
convention to promote and protect the rights and

dignity of persons with disabilities (Working paper
submitted by Mexico) (A/AC.265/WP.1);
(e) Comprehensive and integral international
convention to promote and protect the rights and
dignity of persons with disabilities (Position paper by
the European Union) (A/AC.265/WP.2);
(f) Comprehensive and integral international
convention to promote and protect the rights and
dignity of persons with disabilities (Position paper by
China) (A/AC.265/WP.3);
(g) Compilation of international norms and
standards relating to disability (A/AC.265/CRP.1);
(h) Human rights of persons with disabilities
(A/AC.265/CRP.2);
(i) Interregional Seminar and Symposium on
International Norms and Standards relating to
Disability (A/AC.265/CRP.3);
(j) Report of the United Nations Consultative
Expert Group Meeting on International Norms and
Standards relating to Disability (A/AC.265/CRP.4);
(k) Indicative timetable of work
(A/AC.265/CRP.5);
(l) Critical issues and trends related to
disability and human rights: emerging issues and
concepts (A/AC.265/CRP.6).
III. Organization of work
8. At its 8th meeting, on 1 August 2002, the Ad Hoc
Committee decided to organize its work in accordance
with the thematic approach, including overarching
principles/rights, equality in civil and political rights,
equality in economic, social and cultural rights, panel
discussions, monitoring mechanisms and other topics.
9. During its plenary meetings (29-31 July 2002),
the Ad Hoc Committee heard general statements made
by the representatives of the following countries:
Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Canada, Chile, China,
Croatia, Denmark (on behalf of the European Union),
the Dominican Republic, India, Indonesia, Japan,
Jordan, Mexico, Norway, the Philippines, the Republic
of Korea, Sierra Leone, South Africa, Uganda, the
United States of America and Uruguay. General
statements were also made by representatives of the
following United Nations specialized agencies and
bodies: the International Labour Organization (ILO)
and the Office of the United Nations High
Commissioner for Human Rights. Representatives of
the following non-governmental organizations (NGOs)
also made statements: Disabled Peoples’ International,

A/AC.265/2
Inclusion International, Madre Inc., Support Coalition
International, World Blind Union and World Federation
of the Deaf.
10. At the 14th meeting, on 6 August 2002, upon the
request of the Ad Hoc Committee, the Division for
Social Policy and Development, Department of
Economic and Social Affairs, organized a panel for
delegates and representatives of NGOs to exchange
views on the issues with representatives of United
Nations agencies and programmes. The panel was
opened by Odile Frank (Division for Social Policy and
Development, Department of Economic and Social
Affairs) and moderated by Bengt Lindqvist, Special
Rapporteur on Disability of the Commission for Social
Development. The following experts presented
briefings on agreed subjects: Akiko Ito (Division for
Social Policy and Development, Department of
Economic and Social Affairs), Jane Connors (Division
for the Advancement of Women, Department of
Economic and Social Affairs), Mary Beth Weinberger
(Population Division, Department of Economic and
Social Affairs), Mary Chamie (Statistical Division,
Department of Economic and Social Affairs), Brian
Burdekin (Adviser to the High Commissioner for
Human Rights, Office of the United Nations High
Commissioner for Human Rights), Gerald Quinn
(author of the study conducted by the Office of the
United Nations High Commissioner for Human
Rights), Gulbadan Habibi (United Nations Children’s
Fund), Steve Miller (ILO) and Javier Vasquez (Pan
American Health Organization on behalf of the World
Health Organization).
IV. Decision
11. At its 8th meeting, on 1 August 2002, the Ad Hoc
Committee adopted the following decision, presented
by the Chairman:
Decision on the modalities of the participation of
accredited non-governmental organizations in the Ad
Hoc Committee to consider proposals for a
comprehensive and integral international convention
to promote and protect the rights and dignity of
persons with disabilities
The Ad Hoc Committee decides:

1. That representatives from non-governmental
organizations accredited to the Ad Hoc Committee may
participate in the work of the Ad Hoc Committee by:
(a) Attending any public meeting of the Ad Hoc
Committee;
(b) Making statements, given the availability of
time, in accordance with current United Nations
practice;
(c) When time is limited, selecting among
themselves spokespersons, on a balanced and
transparent basis, taking into account equitable
geographic representation and diversity of nongovernmental
organizations;
(d) Receiving copies of the official documents
as well as making written or other presentations.
Written presentations shall not be issued as official
documents except in accordance with Economic and
Social Council resolution 1996/31. Furthermore, nongovernmental
organizations may make their material
available to delegations in accessible areas designated
by the Secretariat;
2. That the above modalities shall in no way
create a precedent for other ad hoc committees of the
General Assembly.
V. Recommendations
12. The Ad Hoc Committee recommends that the
General Assembly, in accordance with the practice
of rotating the chairmanship of a United Nations
subsidiary organ and taking into consideration
existing precedents of the organization, in its
resolution to be adopted at the fifty-seventh session,
request the elected officers of the Bureau to remain
in office for the whole duration of the exercise.
13. The Ad Hoc Committee also recommends that
the General Assembly consider the venue of the
next meeting of the Ad Hoc Committee and include
it in the relevant resolution to be adopted at its
fifty-seventh session.
14. The Ad Hoc Committee requested the
Secretariat to organize regional technical meetings
as well as expert group meetings, as need be. It is
the understanding of the Ad Hoc Committee that
these meetings will be funded through the United
Nations Voluntary Fund on Disability, the

A/AC.265/2
Development Account or other voluntary
contributions.
15. The Committee also decided to annex to the
present report all working papers listed in
paragraph 7.
VI. Adoption of the report of the
Ad Hoc Committee
16. At the 19th meeting, on 9 August 2002, Jeanette
Ndhlovu (South Africa), as Vice-Chairperson with
rapporteurial responsibilities, introduced the draft
report of the Ad Hoc Committee (A/AC.265/2).
17. At the same meeting, the Committee adopted the
draft report to the General Assembly at its fifty-seventh
session (A/AC.265/2), as orally amended.
A/AC.265/2
Annex
Documentation of the Ad Hoc Committee on a
Comprehensive and Integral International Convention on
Protection and Promotion of the Rights and Dignity of
Persons with Disabilities
[Working papers to be attached.]