UN Human Rights Treaties

UNITED NATIONS
E
Economic and Social
Council
Distr.
LIMITED
E/CN.4/1996/L.47
15 April 1996
Original: ENGLISH
COMMISSION ON HUMAN RIGHTS
Fifty-second session
Agenda item 15
REPORT OF THE SUB-COMMISSION ON PREVENTION OF DISCRIMINATION
AND PROTECTION OF MINORITIES ON ITS FORTY-SEVENTH SESSION
Afghanistan*, Algeria, Australia, Austria, Belgium*, Canada, Colombia,
Czech Republic*, Denmark, Finland*, Greece*, Iceland*, Ireland*,
Norway*, Peru, Philippines, Portugal*, South Africa*, Sweden* and
Venezuela: draft resolution
1996/... Human rights of persons with disabilities
The Commission on Human Rights,
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 a better quality of life, full employment,
and conditions for economic and social progress and development,
Recalling the provisions of the International Covenant on Economic,
Social and Cultural Rights, the International Covenant on Civil and Political
Rights and the Convention on the Rights of the Child,
Welcoming the unreserved reaffirmation in the Vienna Declaration and
Programme of Action of the human rights and fundamental freedoms of persons
with disabilities and the recognition in the Programme of Action of the
* In accordance with rule 69, paragraph 3, of the rules of procedure of
the functional commissions of the Economic and Social Council.
GE.96-11609 (E)
E/CN.4/1996/L.47
page 2
International Conference on Population and Development and the Programme of
Action of the World Summit for Social Development of a pressing need for,
inter alia, the realization of the goals of full participation and equality
for persons with disabilities, as well as the recognition by the Fourth World
Conference on Women, held at Beijing from 4 to 15 September 1995, of the
special needs of women with disabilities,
Recalling General Assembly resolution 48/96 of 20 December 1993, in which
the Assembly adopted the Standard Rules on the Equalization of Opportunities
for Persons with Disabilities,
Reaffirming the continuing validity and value of the World Programme of
Action concerning Disabled Persons, adopted by the General Assembly at its
forty-ninth session, which provides a firm and innovative framework for
promoting and protecting the human rights of persons with disabilities,
Re-emphasizing the responsibility of Governments for removing or
facilitating the removal, as far as possible, of barriers and obstacles to the
full integration and participation of persons with disabilities in society,
and supporting their efforts to develop national policies to reach specific
objectives,
Recognizing the contribution of non-governmental organizations,
especially organizations of persons with disabilities, in the global effort to
bring about full participation and equality for persons with disabilities and
to ensure the full enjoyment of human rights by persons with disabilities,
Noting the reports by Mr. Leandro Despouy, Special Rapporteur of the
Sub-Commission on Prevention of Discrimination and Protection of Minorities,
and the Centre for Human Rights publication Human Rights and Disabled Persons,
in which international mechanisms for the protection and promotion of the
human rights of persons with disabilities, such as an ombudsman, are proposed,
Concerned at the extent of disabilities caused by the indiscriminate use
of anti-personnel mines, particularly among civilian populations,
1. Calls upon the Secretary-General to maintain the integrity of
programmes within the United Nations system relating to persons with
disabilities, including the United Nations Voluntary Fund on Disability,
in order to promote the rights and the equalization of opportunities and
full inclusion within societies of persons with disabilities;
2. Welcomes the work done by the Committee on Economic, Social and
Cultural Rights to draw attention to the recommendations of the Special
Rapporteur on disability of the Committee for Social Development, and calls
E/CN.4/1996/L.47
page 3
upon States to cooperate fully with the Special Rapporteur, to meet his
requests for information and to provide relevant data to the Committee on
Economic, Social and Cultural Rights;
3. Urges non-governmental organizations active in the protection and
promotion of the human rights of persons with disabilities to provide relevant
information to the Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights and to
the Centre for Human Rights;
4. Encourages all the human rights treaty monitoring bodies to respond
positively to its invitation to monitor the compliance of States with their
commitments under the relevant human rights instruments in order to ensure
full enjoyment of those rights by persons with disabilities;
5. Urges all Governments to implement, with the cooperation and
assistance of organizations, the Standard Rules on the Equalization of
Opportunities for Persons with Disabilities;
6. Invites Governments and the private sector to contribute to the
United Nations Voluntary Fund on Disability, with a view to providing
additional support for the implementation of the Standard Rules, within the
context of the World Programme of Action concerning Disabled Persons;
7. Requests the Secretary-General to ensure appropriate support for
the effective functioning of the Long-Term Strategy to Implement the World
Programme of Action concerning Disabled Persons to the Year 2000 and Beyond;
8. Encourages the Secretary-General and the United Nations agencies
concerned to finalize, in consultation with Member States, the development of
a global disability indicator in the Commission on Social Development, and
also encourages the Special Rapporteur and all human rights treaty monitoring
bodies to make use of it, where appropriate, in their future work;
9. Expresses grave concern that situations of armed conflict have
especially devastating consequences for the human rights of persons with
disabilities;
10. Expresses deep concern at the indiscriminate use of anti-personnel
mines, causing a high number of disabilities among civilian populations in
all continents, in particular among women and children, and calls upon all
Governments and United Nations agencies to extend their assistance in
alleviating the suffering of those victims;
E/CN.4/1996/L.47
page 4
11. Welcomes international efforts aimed at restricting and prohibiting
the use of anti-personnel mines, and calls upon Governments to contribute to
demining activities, thereby reducing the number of disabilities caused by
those weapons;
12. Requests the Secretary-General to report biennially to the
General Assembly on the progress of efforts to ensure the full recognition
and enjoyment of the human rights of persons with disabilities;
13. Requests the Secretary-General to make available to the Commission
at its fifty-third session the latest report of the Special Rapporteur on
disability of the Commission for Social Development on his monitoring of
the Standard Rules on the Equalization of Opportunity for Persons with
Disabilities;
14. Reaffirms its commitment to ensuring that the human rights of
persons with disabilities and their concerns for full participation in
community affairs continue to be addressed in all of its work;
15. Decides to continue to consider the question at its fifty-third
session under the agenda item entitled "Report of the Sub-Commission on
Prevention of Discrimination and Protection of Minorities".
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