UN Human Rights Treaties

UNITED NATIONS
A
General Assembly
Distr.
LIMITED
A/C.3/48/L.2
1 October 1993
ORIGINAL: ENGLISH
Forty-eighth session
THIRD COMMITTEE
Agenda item 109
SOCIAL DEVELOPMENT, INCLUDING QUESTIONS RELATED TO THE WORLD
SOCIAL SITUATION AND TO YOUTH, AGEING, DISABLED PERSONS
AND THE FAMILY
Positive and full inclusion of persons with disabilities in
all aspects of society and the leadership role of the
United Nations therein
Note by the Secretariat
By its resolution 1993/21 of 27 July 1993, the Economic and Social Council
recommended to the General Assembly the adoption of a draft resolution entitled
"Positive and full inclusion of persons with disabilities in all aspects of
society and the leadership role of the United Nations therein". The text of the
draft resolution is reproduced below.
"Positive and full inclusion of persons with disabilities
in all aspects of society and the leadership role of
the United Nations therein
"The General Assembly,
"Mindful of the pledge made by States, under the Charter of the United
Nations, to take action jointly and separately, in cooperation with the
United Nations, in order to promote higher standards of living, full
employment, and conditions of economic and social progress and development,
"Reaffirming the commitment to human rights and fundamental freedoms,
social justice and the dignity and worth of the human person proclaimed in
the Charter,
93-53328 (E) 121093 /...
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"Recalling in particular the international standards of human rights
laid down in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, 1/
"Noting that the rights proclaimed in those instruments should be
ensured equally to all individuals without discrimination,
"Recalling the provisions safeguarding the rights of women with
disabilities in the Convention of the Elimination of All forms of
Discrimination against Women, 2/
"Having regard to the Declaration on the Rights of Disabled
Persons, 3/ the Declaration on the Rights of Mentally Retarded Persons, 4/
the Declaration on Social Progress and Development, 5/ the Principles for
the Protection of Persons with Mental Illness and for the Improvement of
Mental Health Care 6/ and other relevant instruments adopted by the General
Assembly,
"Also having regard to the relevant conventions and recommendations
adopted by the International Labour Organisation, with particular reference
to participation in employment without discrimination for persons with
disabilities,
"Mindful of the relevant recommendations and work of the United
Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization in particular the
World Declaration on Education for All, 7/ and of the work of the World
Health Organization, the United Nations Children’s Fund and other concerned
organizations,
"Recognizing that the World Programme of Action concerning Disabled
Persons adopted by the General Assembly in its resolution 37/52 of
3 December 1982, and the definition therein of equalization of
opportunities reflect the determination of the international community to
ensure that the various international instruments and recommendations will
be put to practical, concrete and effective use in improving the quality of
life of persons with disabilities and their families and communities,
__________
1/ Resolution 217 A (III), annex.
2/ Resolution 34/180, annex.
3/ Resolution 3447 (XXX).
4/ Resolution 2856 (XXVI).
5/ Resolution 2542 (XXIV).
6/ Resolution 46/119, annex.
7/ Final Report of the World Conference on Education for All: Meeting
Basic Learning Needs, Jantier, 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.
/...
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"Acknowledging that the objective of the United Nations Decade of
Disabled Persons 1983-1992 as a means to implement the World Programme of
Action is still valid and requires urgent and continued action,
"Recalling that the World Programme of Action is based on concepts
which are equally valid in developed and developing countries,
"Convinced that intensified efforts are needed to achieve the full and
equal enjoyment of human rights and full participation and inclusion in
society of persons with disabilities,
"Recognizing that persons with disabilities, their families and
representatives and organizations concerned with the needs of persons with
disabilities must be active partners with States in the planning and
implementation of all measures affecting their civil, political, economic,
social and cultural rights,
"Recalling Economic and Social Council resolution 1990/26 of
24 May 1990 and reaffirming the detailed enumeration in the World Programme
of Action of specific measures required for the attainment of full equality
by persons with disabilities,
"Reaffirming the commitment of the Commission for Social Development
to the provisions and rules set out in the ongoing process of elaborating
standard rules on the equalization of opportunities for persons with
disabilities,
"Recognizing the essential role of the United Nations and the
Commission for Social Development in providing leadership and positive
guidance to encourage world wide change by equalizing opportunities,
promoting independence and ensuring the full inclusion and participation in
society of all persons with disabilities,
"Seeking to ensure effective implementation of action to promote the
full inclusion of persons with disabilities in all aspects of society and
to affirm the leadership role of the United Nations in that process,
"1. Calls upon the Secretary-General to maintain the integrity and
the identity of programmes relating to disabled persons, including the
United Nations Voluntary Fund on Disability, in order to promote the
equalization of opportunities and full societal inclusion of persons with
disabilities;
"2. Urges the Secretary-General to strengthen, through redeployment
of resources, the programme on disabled persons in order to enable it:
"(a) To represent the needs of persons with disabilities and their
families and communities throughout the United Nations system;
"(b) To ensure effective coordination and streamlining of efforts to
respond to the needs of persons with disabilities (through policy
formulation, advocacy and liaison) among all bodies within the United
Nations system, particularly the International Labour Organisation, the
/...
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World Health Organization, the United Nations Educational, Scientific and
Cultural Organization, the United Nations Development Programme and the
United Nations Children’s Fund;
"(c) To promote equal opportunities and full participation of people
with disabilities and their families and representatives within the United
Nations system itself;
"(d) In cooperation with Member States, bodies within the United
Nations system, non-governmental organizations and other appropriate
agencies, to extend technical assistance and disseminate information in
order to enhance the capacity of Member States to develop, implement and
evaluate their efforts to equalize opportunities and provide for the full
societal inclusion of persons with disabilities;
"3. Requests the Secretary-General to report biennially to the
General Assembly on the progress of efforts to ensure the equalization of
opportunities and full inclusion of people with disabilities within the
various bodies of the United Nations system;
"4. Requests the Secretary-General to consider, in view of the
importance of ensuring that the needs of people with disabilities and their
families and communities are represented in an equitable manner,
strengthening and upgrading the status of the Disabled Persons Unit of the
Secretariat through redeployment of resources;
"5. Reaffirms that the issues of equalization of opportunities and
full societal inclusion for persons with disabilities will be an important
part of the preparatory process and final agenda of the World Summit for
Social Development to be held in Denmark in 1995;
"6. Reaffirms the commitment of the Commission for Social Development
to ensuring that the needs of persons with disabilities and their families
and communities continue to be addressed in all of its work."
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