UN Human Rights Treaties

United Nation: GENERAL ASSEMBLY THIRTY-FIFTH SESSION Official Record* THIRD COMMITTEE 42nd meeting held on Monday, 3 November 1930 at 6.15 p.m. New York SUMMARY RECORD OF THE 42nd MEETING Chairman: Mr. GARVALOV (Bulgaria) CONTENTS AGENDA ITEM 69: INTERNATIONAL YOUTH YEAR: PARTICIPATION, DEVELOPMENT' PEACE (continued) AGENDA ITEM 8l: POLICIES AND PROGRAMMES RELATING TO YOUTH (continued) AGENDA ITEM 71: PROBLEMS OF THE ELDERLY AND THE AGED (continued) AGENDA ITEM 73: QUESTION OF A CONVENTION ON THE RIGHTS OF THE CHILD (continued) AGENDA ITEM 79: INTERNATIONAL YEAR OF DISABLED PERSONS (continued) AGENDA ITEM 70: PRESERVATION AND FURTHER DEVELOPMENT OF CULTURAL VALUES, INCLUDING THE PROTECTION, RESTITUTION AND RETURN OF CULTURAL AND ARTISTIC PROPERTY (continued) AGENDA ITEM 68: ELIMINATION OF ALL FORMS OF RELIGIOUS INTOLERANCE (continued) AGENDA ITEM 72: HUMAN RIGHTS AND SCIENTIFIC AND TECHNOLOGICAL DEVELOPMENTS (continued) AGENDA ITEM 76: INTERNATIONAL COVENANTS OS HUMAN RIGHTS (continued) (a) REPORT OF THE HUMAN BIGHTS COMMITTEE (b) FUTURE MEETINGS OF THE HUMAN RIGHTS COMMITTEE (c) STATUS OF THE INTERNATIONAL COVENANT ON ECONOMIC, SOCIAL AND CULTURAL RIGHTS, THE INTERNATIONAL COVENANT ON CIVIL AND POLITICAL RIGHTS AND THE OPTIONAL PROTOCOL TO THE INTERNATIONAL COVENANT ON CIVIL AND POLITICAL RIGHTS (continued) A/C.3/35/SR.42 English page 2 The meeting was called to order at 6.20 p.m. AGENDA ITEM 69 INTERNATIONAL YOUTH YEAH: PARTICIPATION, DEVELOPMENT PEACE (continued) (A/35/361 and Add.l; A/34/855 A/C.3/35/3 A/C 3/35/L.26) AGENDA ITEZM 81 : POLICIES AND PROGRAMMES RELATING TO YOUTH (continued) (A/35/503 A/C.3/35/3) AGENDA ITEM 71: PROBLEMS OF THE ELDERLY AND THE AGED (continued) (A/35/130 and Add.l and Corr.l; A/C.3/35/0) AGENDA ITEM 73: QUESTION OF A CONVENTION 0*! TEE RIGHTS OF THE CHILD (continued) (A/C.3/35/L.14) AGENDA ITEM 79: INTERNATIONAL YEAR OF DISABLED PERSONS (continued) (A/C.3/35/5 A/35/271’ and Add.1 A/35/291-. A/35/444 and Add.1) AGENDA ITEM 70: PRESERVATION AND FURTHER DEVELOPMENT OF CULTURAL VALUES. INCLUDING THE PROTECTION, RESTITUTION AND RETURN OF CULTURAL AND APTISTIC PROPERTY (continued) (A/35/349. A/35/419 A/C. 3/35/L.22) AGENDA ITEM 68: ELIMINATION OF ALL FORMS, OF RELIGIOUS INTOLERANCE (continued) AGENDA ITEM 72: HUMAN RIGHTS AND SCIENTIFIC AND TECHNOLOGICAL DEVELOP!ENTS (continued) (A/35/202- A/C.3/35/L.27) AGENDA ITEM 76: INTEPNATIONAL COVENANTS ON HUMAN RIGHTS (continued) (A/35/55 A/35/96, A/35/132 A/35/137. A/35/173 A/35/385 A/35/288 A/ 35/434. A/35A57 A/35A62) (a) REPORT OF THE HUMAN RIGHTS COMMITTEE (continued) (A/35/40; A/C.3/35/4) (b) FUTURE MEETINGS OF THE HUMAN RIGHTS COMMITTEE (continued) (A/35/417) (c) STATUS OF THE INTERNATIONAL COVENANT ON ECONOMIC, SOCIAL AND CULTURAL RIGHTS, THE INTERNATIONAL COVENANT ON CIVIL AND POLITICAL RIGHTS AND THE OPTIONAL PROTOCOL TO THE INTERNATIONAL COVENANT ON CIVIL AND POLITICAL RIGHTS (continued) (A/35/3/Add.24, A/35/195) 1. Mr. DRUKMOND (UNITED Kingdom), turning to agenda item 71, said that old arc-should not be regarded as a sorrow but as a challenge to people of all apes. Not only should the elderly be looked after in their families and communities, but people should realize that it was precisely because they had successfully fought disease and made life more tolerable for many more people that there was an absolute and relative increase in the aping populations of the world. But old ape was an experience which varied widely with different economic systems, levels of development and cultural traditions. Therefore, international initiatives should generate national and regional activities rather than global schemes. Moreover, past, and present contributions made by so many elderly persons who constituted such a large proportion of the members of society should not be under-estimated. A/C.3/35/SR.42 English Page 3 (Mr. Drummond, United Kingdom) 2. His delegation looked forward with satisfaction to the World Assembly on the Elderly to be held in 1982: in that connexion he hoped that the host country Would not have to draw on funds from the United Nations regular budget. He also welcomed the draft programme for the World Assembly and was particularly interested in humanitarian issues such as health, housing, education and social welfare, which were raised in part 2 of that programme. Perhaps the United Nations Secretary-General should appoint a full-time Secretary-General specifically to co-ordinate the preparation and organization of the world Assembly. Non-Governmental organizations in the United Kingdom, in the national tradition, were establishing an advisory committee which would act as a catalyst of national efforts in support of the World Assembly. 3. The United Kingdom strongly supported the proclamation of the International Year of Disabled Persons. Although he endorsed the Advisory Committee's report he thought that the $800,000 cost of a world conference of disabled persons would be better scent in funding and organizing more practical ways of helping the disabled, particularly in developing countries. International co-operation and the exchange of ideas on disablement and rehabilitation, not only among Governments but among specialized non-governmental organizations, could be of great value. Such organizations, particularly those for disabled persons or made up of disabled persons, had a vital part to play and the United Kingdom Government was therefore providing funds for the establishment of committees representative of non-governmental organizations for the International Year in England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland. A committee representing Government departments was co-ordinating the inputs of the various ministries. 4. During the past decade, there had been an improvement in the level of services and cash benefit for disabled persons: they now had access to counselling on personal and social problems arising from disability and assistance in overcoming the practical effects of disability, for Example, by equipping buildings with invalid chair ramps or telephones. The social services also had the task of making arrangements for helping mentally ill or handicapped people thrown prevention and home care services, the provision of training and social centres and aid to patients and their families. The United Kingdom Government would try during the International Year to increase public awareness not only of the problems of the disabled, but also of their abilities and achievements. The practical experience of the United Kingdom in those fields might be of great value in the preparations for the International Year. However, the different cultures, customs and levels of development of Member States should be taken into account. United Nations programmes under agenda items 71 and 79 should be designed to ensure that disabled people were able to live as independent, full and normal lives as possible within their communities. It was for such practical efforts that the United Nations would be remembered rather than for many other efforts or which it spent more time. 5. Mr. MAPP (Barbados) emphasized that the problems of the elderly had become more acute following the destruction of the traditional extended family system as a result of rapid development and the superposition of certain social valuer. which were regarded as "modern". Traditionally, Barbadian families had looked A/C.3/35/SP.42 English Page 4 (Mr. Mapp, Darbados) after their grandparents, who in turn often helped to bring up the children. Nowadays, however, elderly people had increasingly become the responsibility of the State and lived in geriatric hospitals or senior citizens' homes. The Barbados Government had recently instituted community-based programmes Whereby elderly people could be cared for in their own homes. Specially trained volunteer home-helpers assisted then at home by cooking, cleaning and so on. Those programmes would reduce the number of admissions to geriatric hospitals and elderly people could return to their communities, where they would feel more wanted and more secure. There were also plans for the development of day-care and recreational facilities. Elderly people had a role to play in the business of running the country and they would be invited to Join various boards where they could give of their experience and wisdom. 6. The Government of Barbados supported the United Nations World Assembly on the Elderly and the establishment of a panel, of experts to consider the question of aging in the context of development. In that connexion, small island developing countries, such as Barbados, must get the necessary financial assistance for the care of their aging populations. 7. As everywhere in the world end particularly in the Latin American region, the youth in Barbados were feeing the consequences of inflation and unemployment and were showing signs of restlessness and alienation. Unemployment was created not only by an absence of Jobs but also by an absence of skills among young people appropriate to the Jobs open to them. The Government, with the assistance of the World Bank and certain countries, had set un a skills training programme divided into a short-term and long-tern phase. In the short-term Phase, hundreds of young people had already found employment. The long-term phase of the programme would deal with occupational training and would involve a review of the apprenticeship system. 8. Rapid urbanisation had led to the break-up of established communities and the spread of e feeling of rootlessness among the young. The new residential developments lacked any spirit of cohesion and were breeding grounds for social friction and even crime. The ministry resronsible for community services had embarked on a programme for the re-establishment of community centres with the aim of promoting social cohesion, and had provided them with recreational, sports and cultural facilities in the hope that they would become national reservoirs of leadership and of useful citizens. It must not be forgotten that the youth of today would be the leaders and citizens of tomorrow. 9. Barbados had become a co-sponsor of draft resolution A/C.3/35/L.26, thus demonstrating its interest in the International Youth Year. 10. Mr. ALMOSLECIIHNER (Austria) supported the Polish Government's initiative in submitting the draft convention on the rights of the child and was a sponsor of the relevant draft resolution. Despite the efforts made since 1959, when the Declaration of the nights of the Child had been proclaimed, the living conditions of children were deteriorating to an alarming extent in various parts of the world, as was shown by the studies carried out in that connexion. A/C.3/35/SR.42 English Page 5 (Mr. Almoslechner, Austria) According to those studies, three quarters of the 1.5 billion children lived in the countries of the third world; of those, only one third had an opportunity to attend school and, of that, one third, only one tenth would be able to acquire vocational training. The situation of children was further aggravated by the fact that worsen were still disadvantaged, which only added to the misery of their children. 11- Referring to the International Covenants on Human Rights, it was with great appreciation that his Government had taken note of the Charter of Conduct signed on 11 September 1980 at Riobamba by the States of the Andean Group, which had been acceded to by Costa Rica, Panama and Spain. The Code represented an encouraging step forward in the protection of political, economic and social rights in the region; it also defined the objectives and principles governing the search for greater social Justice, regional disarmament and the establishment of a New International Economic Order. 12. In view of the growth of elderly population in the developed as well as in the developing countries, it was becoming urgent to deal with several related basic problems: health, the environment, social status, income and security. It was important to stop neglecting the resource represented by the work experience of older people, which compensated for their declining physical abilities. Development and economic progress should no longer result in advantages for certain groups of the population, but should help to improve the living conditions and welfare of all. 13. deferring to agenda item 79 and General Assembly resolution 31/123 proclaiming l98l as the International Year of Disabled Persons, he drew attention to. the increase in the number of disabled persons in the world, the majority of whom lived in the developing countries. Useful proposals hod already been made in the framework of the Plan of Action for the International Year of Disabled Persons, and mention should be made of the statement delivered from a Braille text by the representative of Brazil. 14. Ms. FAWTHORPE (Mew Zealand) said that her delegation had followed with keen interest the course of the discussions the General Assembly had held since 1943 on the Problems of the elderly and the aged. The rapid, steady growth of the elderly population, which was apparent in all ports of the world and was largely due to the progress achieved in medicine and nutrition, colled for co-ordinated action and programmes for the exchange of information with a view to improving the situation of the elderly and facilitating their integration in society. 15. In view of the diversity of social and cultural systems, the most effective programmes were clearly those worked out and put into practice at the national and regional levels, since they took into account the special problems of each country and of each region. However, since there was much to learn from the experience acquired by others, New Zealand supported the decision to convene a World Assembly on the Elderly in 1982 and in general supported the draft programme for the Assembly submitted by the Secretary-General (A/35/130 and Add.1). Her delegation was confident that non-governmental organizations could A/C.3/35/SR.42 English Page 6 (Ms. Fawthorpe, New Zealand) ploy on important role in promoting the objectives of the Assembly and was particularly pleased about the role they had Played in the formulation of the draft programme. 16. As was clear from the report of the Secretary-General, it would become increasingly necessary to take into account the reeds of the elderly and the aged in social and economic development planning in both the developed and developing countries. In that context, it was important to encourage the elderly themselves, through their activities, to participate fully in society. 17. Preparations for the International Year of Disabled Persons were well advanced in New Zealand, where a 12-member national committee, chaired by a woman, who was herself disabled, had been established. In preparing its programme of action, the national committee would be guided, inter alia, by the reports submitted by the six sub-committees formed to examine the difficulties encountered by disabled persons in various areas: recreation and sports, education, employnent, income security, prevention and rehabilitation. Since it was important to foster positive attitudes towards the disabled, an information programme, composed of a series of televised broadcasts, had been prepared with a view to increasing public awareness of the problems of the disabled and collecting funds to assist them. 18. While in general Hew Zealand supported the draft programme of action prepared by the Advisory Committee for the International Year of Disabled Persons, particularly in the information activities, it saw little merit in the proposal to organize a world conference in that connexion. In her delegation's opinion, it would be more useful to devote the available resources to the execution of national or regional projects. 19. New Zealand noted with interest the proposals contained in the report of the Human Rights Committee concerning ways of encouraging on awareness of the International Covenants on Human Rights and of promoting human rights throughout the world. Although the publishing of the Human Rights Committee's official records would be of great interest, it would also be useful, as a corollary, to prepare a more general booklet to inform the public at large about the work of the Human Rights Committee. 20. While it was essential for States Periodically to report on the implementation of the International Covenants, it was also important for the Economic and Social Council or the Human Rights Committee, as appropriate, to consider each report submitted with the greatest care and to report as objectively and comprehensively as possible to the General Assembly. That applied in particular to reports on the implementation of the Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights, which, the Economic and Social Council at its first regular session in 1980 had decided to consider on a regular basis. 21. New Zealand had ratified both those international instruments in December 1978 and expected to be able to submit its report on the implementation of the Covenant on Civil and Political Rights early in 1981. A/C.3/35/SR.42 English Page 7 22. Mrs. NAKAMURA (Japan) said that there was often a tendency to consider the problems of the elderly and the aged from a purely humanitarian point of view. Her delegation had noted with satisfaction that the draft programme prepared for the World Assembly on the Elderly (A/35/130) also took into account the aspects related to development. 23. Japanese society traditionally showed great respect towards older people, whose experience and contribution to society deserved to be properly appreciated. Various measures for the benefit of the elderly, such as the annual week for the welfare of the aged, had also been taken at the national level. In Japan, the perecentage of those over 65, which was currently 9.1 per cent, was growing rapidly and was expected to exceed 10 per cent between 1985 and 1995 and to reach 15.5 per cent by 2005. The growth of the elderly population, which was accompanied by a proportional reduction in the rest of the population, including the working population, presented serious problems which must be given due consideration in social and economic development planning. They were related in particular to the cost of providing social services and to the pension system, which was being put in Jeopardy by the steadily growing number of retirees entitled to a tension and the proportional decline in the population contributing to pension funds. 24. It was also of the utmost importance not to leave the elderly on the fringes of society but to give them an opportunity to participate fully in community life. For example, they must be riven opportunities for employment to strengthen their sense of personal satisfaction that they were continuing to play a constructive role in national life, and to enable them to support themselves and their families. 25. Lastly, it was essential that the World Assembly or. the Elderly should result in practical measures to improve the situation of the elderly and the aged in all parts of the world. 26. Mr. DAULTANA (Pakistan) said that his Government attached the utmost importance to policies and programmes for youth and was Making every endeavour to enable the young, who were the decision-makers of the future, to play a positive role as of now in the social and economic development of the country. To that end it had established a separate ministry to deal with the problems of youth and student affairs and had created a national youth organization in order to promote contacts between the youth of Pakistan and that of other countries. 27. As a sponsor of General Assembly resolution 33/7 of 1978, his delegation supported the Secretary-General's recommendation that 1985 should be designated International Youth Year. That Would bring into focus the problems and needs of youth and would facilitate the formulation of policies for dealing with the problems of young people Which would result in the realization of the full potential of youth in all spheres of international activity. 28. In that context special attention should be given on both the national and the international level to the problems of youth in the developing countries, whose resources were as yet inadequate. 29. In addition, his delegation fully supported the adoption of a convention on the rights of the child. A/C.3/35/SR.42 English Page 8 (Mr. DauItana, Pakistan) 30. While the Problems of the elderly and the aped were less acate in Pakistan than in other countries, the family system was undergoing change as a result of industrialization and urbanization: accordingly, the Government had formulated a programme of action aimed at resolving the special problems of the elderly. It was also trying to mobilize public opinion and to encourage non-governmental organizations to promote programmes aimed at improving existing facilities for the elderly and the aged and it would support all efforts of the international community in that regard. 31. Mr. ATKINS(United States of America) said that although the international community should seek to improve the quality of life for all members of society, in its efforts to redistribute resources and wealth more equitably, it should focus particular attention on the needs of certain groups that were often overlooked in the general context of social and economic development. The elderly, the disabled and the young were examples of such groups. 32. The number of elderly persons was increasing rapidly all over the world as a result of modern scientific techniques and improved medical care. Governments and the international community must focus their attention on them. 33. The United States Government was planning to hold a White House Conference on the Elderly, in 1981, and was therefore keenly interested in the work carried out by the Centre for Social Development and Humanitarian Affairs in preparation for the World Assembly on the Elderly, towards which it had contributed 5250,000. Her delegation would like to add another topic to those proposed in the draft programme for the world Assembly - health, housing social welfare, income security, education and family - namely, "employment and retirement" since that was a subject of concern to both Governments and citizens. 34. Her Government strongly supported the policy goals of the International Year of Disabled Persons as set forth in General Assembly resolution 34/154. It had established a Federal Interagency Committee for the Year, which involved some 30 government agencies and was supported by an eight-person secretariat led by a disabled person. In addition, it had appealed to all non-governmental organizations across the United States to contribute to the International Year of Disabled Persons and was developing a vast media campaign in that connexion. 35. While post of the recommendations of the Advisory Committee for the International Year of Disabled Persons - of which her country was a member -were deserving of implementation, there were several which her Government viewed as excessive One of those was the proposal to organize a world Conference on Disabled Persons in 198l or early 1982. At no time curing the debates in the General Assembly and the Economic and Social Council on the subject had there been any question of both observing an international year and holding a world conference on disabled persons. Her Government could not agree to the recommendation of the Advisory Committee, Particularly since pursuant to resolution 34/154l an international symposium of experts on technical assistance in the- field of disability was scheduled for 1981. A/C.3/35/SR.42 Page 9 (Mr. Atkins, United states) 36. It was unfortunate that there were no disabled persons in the Secretariat which was responsible for implementing the goals of the International Year for Disabled Persons, Moreover, access to the United Rations headquarters buildings in both Vienna and New York was extraordinarily difficult for disabled persons. That should be rectified as soon as possible. 37. Turning to the question of the preservation and further development of cultural values, including the protection, restitution and return of cultural and artistic property, she said that her delegation supported the principle of restitution and had said so whenever the issue had been raised, however, it was opposed to any obligation for restitution that went beyond the 1070 UNESCO Convention on the Means of Prohibiting and Preventing the Illicit Import, Export and Transfer of Ownership of Cultural Property, in regard to which it had started the ratification process. 38. The United States had been in the forefront in furthering international action to preserve and protect mankind's natural and cultural heritage, having taken the initiative on the World Heritage Convention. In addition, its Judicial system provided redress for those who alleged that their property had been stolen. It would continue to co-operate with individual nations in that regard. 39. Concerning the issues of youth, her delegation felt that all Member States should participate actively in the observance of the International Youth Year through an exchange of information on approaches to the problems of youth that were responsive to their needs. It shared the view that direct participation of youth in the Year was important and believed that greater emphasis should be placed upon activities supportive of adolescence in transition to adulthood and less upon the correction of deviant behavior. Increased opportunity should also be provided for youth to participate in the United Rations Volunteers programme and her delegation strongly supported the role of UNV at the national level, especially in pilot projects in the development field, as called for in General Assembly resolution 31/131. 40. The United nations should Focus on the problem 01 unemployed youth in both developed and developing countries during the next several years and formulate recommendations for action at the national level. Her delegation was pleased to learn that the Advisory Committee for the International Youth Year had beer. appointed and that it would meet as early as feasible in 1981. It looked forward to participating actively as a member of the Committee. 41 Mr.__TARASIQUK (Ukrainian Soviet Socialist Republic) said that the remarks made by most of the representatives who had spoken on the situation of Youth at the present session and at previous sessions of the General Assembly testified to the growing interest of the international community in the needs of youth, who represented a growing proportion of the world population. Ukrainian youth participated actively in building communism and made a valuable contribution to economic: cultural and scientific life in his country. The working population of the Ukraine included six million young men and women who recounted for one out of every two workers in industry, one in three in agriculture and approximately 40 per cent in the construction industry almost 50 per cent of the intellectuals in the Ukraine were under 30. A/C.3/35/SR.42 English Page 10 (Mr. Tarasiouk. Ukrainian SER] 42. Young Ukrainians could participate in the snorts and the cultural and scientific activities of the various youth organizations of the Ukraine. By freeing mankind from all forms of oppression, socialist- created the conditions necessary for the physical and spiritual development of youth. In that connexion, he pointed out that the Ukraine had always sought to improve the living conditions of students and schoolchildren; thus in its current five-year plan it had allocated almost 120 million roubles to improving student housing. Free education was one of the major achievements of socialism, and testified to the interest which the Soviet State took in the younger federations. When they had completed their primary, secondary or advanced studies, youn people were entirely free to choose their occupation. 43. Under article 35 of the 1979 Constitution of the Ukrainian SSR, the minimum age for participation in the election of members of the Supreme Soviet had been reduced from 21 to 18 years, which shoved the trust put in young people. The latter Were in fact represented by 107 members under 30 years old, who Were directly involved in the management of the State. 44. Young Ukrainians participated in the progressive international youth movement which was fighting actively for Peace, security and co-operation, and against a return to the cold War. They had been represented at the Moscow Olympic Games, that important event in international sports, which had made it possible to establish friendly relations between the representatives of young people all over the world and had demonstrated the Will to foster mutual understanding and friendship between peoples. 45. In some countries, unrestricted growth, inflation, unemployment, the constant rise in prices and in the cost of education, and wage discrimination were affecting young people, particularly young workers. The educational discrimination against the workers' children in those countries deprived them of the possibility of becoming qualified specialists and made then the victims of capitalist exploitation. For example, 40 per cent of young people (80 per cent of youngs Blacks) were unemployed in the United States. That lack of prospects led to a. deterioration of the moral standards of young people, and the growth of Juvenile crime had become a veritable scourge. 16. His delegation had already spoken in favour of holding the International Youth Year in 1985. It welcomed the establishment of the Advisory Committee for the Year, and expressed the hope that, when drawing up the programme of preparatory activities, its members would take into account the need to ensure that young people played an active part in solving the most urgent problems of the modern world. 1*7. The Ukrainian SSR unreservedly supported the idea of strengthening co-operation among young people and their collaboration with the United Nations but, like other delegations, it deplored the paternalist tone of some of the proposals on the subject, especially those in General Assembly resolution 34/163 and in the draft additional guidelines for the improvement of the channels of communication between A/C.3/33/SP.42 Page 11 (Mr*** ) the United Nations and youth and youth organizations annexed to it. The activities of the United Nations in that sphere should he aimed at forging links with youth organizations in consultative status with the Economic and Social Council and co-operation programmes should relate to questions which were of real concern to young people, such as the strengthening and maintenance of peace, international detente, General and complete disarragment, the transformation of international economic reletions on an equitable, democratic basis, and the struggle against colonialism, neo-colonialism, apartheid and all forms of racial discrimination. The United Nations should make proposals concerning the real problems of young people, such as their right to work, education and leisure, their active participation in the life of society and their increased contribution to the protection of the environment. 48. The Ukrainian SSR supported the proposals made by some delegations concerning the Informal Meeting of international youth non-governmental organizations to be held in Geneva. He expressed the hope that the discussions at that meeting and the preparations for the International Youth Year would move the Governments of countries which failed to take account of the interests of young people to adopt specific measures to improve their situation. 49 Mr. SCOBLE (Australia) said that his delegation was alive to the fact that the International Year of Disabled Persons provided an opportunity to enhance the dignity of the disabled and increase the choices available to them. Australia, like many other countries, had lone concerned itself with satisfying the needs of disabled ex-service personnel, who had been receiving social security benefits since 1917. On the other hand, only over the mast few decades had the Australian authorities thought of Providing similar advantages for other disabled persons. The primary focus of Australia's social security arrangements for disabled people was on direct parents to meet a variety of needs. In the year 1979-1980, those direct benefits had cost over $900 million. In audition. over one thousand separate projects, sponsored by non-governmental organizations, were supported financially by the Government. 50. Australia's preparations for the International Year of Disabled Persons were beinr co-ordinated by the National Advisory Council for the Handicapped, based in the Australian Department of Social Security. Committees had also been formed at a number of levels. The Australian Government was ensuring that the activities of the Year formed part of an integrated, lonr-term approach, concentrator above all on bringing disabled people into community life and engendering reneved interest in the prevention of disability. In addition to the emphasis riven to projects which assisted in the detection of disabilities in young children, thus enabling their families to reduce the impact of disability in later life, the Australian Government was also concerned to ensure that special consideration wan extended to those whose handicap was compounded by already being in other disadvantaged groups, such as migrants, impecunious aged persons and the poor. 51. The Australian delegation expected that the Secretariat would do its utmost to ensure the success of the International Year of Disabled Persons, and was A/C.3/35/SR.42 English PAge 12 (Mr. Scoble, Australia) similarly looking forward to the world Assembly on the Elderly, to be held in 1962. It also intended to participate actively in International Youth Year to be held in 19S5. and was pleased to hear that agreement had been reached on the composition of the Advisory Committee. It hoped that that Committee would be able to produce a comprehensive programme of preparatory activities in 1981. In the course of its preliminary discussions, the Committee might perhaps take note of Australia's opinion that such activities, and those of the Year itself, could more effectively and less wastefully be carried out at the national and local, rather than the international, level. 52. His delegation also considered that the success of International Youth Year could be ensured only by improving the channels of communication between youth and youth organizations on the one hand and Governments and non-governmental organizations on the other. Like many other Governments, the Australian Government had already begun to establish suitable channels of communication. The Office of Youth Affairs, which would co-ordinate the activities organized in Australia during the Year, was charged with four basic tasks: to co-ordinate the work done by different government departments on youth matters; to ensure the liaison between the Government and the non-governmental organizations on those matters; to build a research and information capacity; and to advise the Government on youth affairs. His delegation had also been gratified by the success of the International Year of the Child and hoped that the work on the draft convention on the rights of the child would soon be completed. 53. Although progress in the drafting of the Declaration on the Elimination of All Forms of Intolerance and of Discrimination Based on Religion or Belief had so far been slow, his delegation was pleased with the broadly-based support it had attracted and with the interest shown in it by many developing countries. In the light of the development of the situation over the past 12 months, a special effort must be cade to complete the drafting at the thirty-seventh session of the Commission on Human Sights. ¦ 5**. The Australian delegation attached particular importance to the protection of those detained on the grounds of mental ill-health, which the Sub-Commission on Prevention of Discrimination and Protection of Minorities was studying in the context of the Declaration on the Use of Scientific and Technological. Progress in the Interests of Peace and for the Benefit of Mankind. In that connexion, consideration should be given to the harmful effects of scientific and technological development, including the infringement of the rights of the individual or of the group, on respect for privacy and the protection of the human person and its physical and intellectual integrity. 55. Mrs. SANTANDER-DOWNING (Secretary of the Committee) read out a list of the countries which had Joined the sponsors of the following draft resolutions: A/C.3/35/L.14 - Dominican Republic and Venezuela; A/C.3/35/L.16 - Dominican Republic: A/C.3/35/L.17 - Mali; A/C.3/35/L.20 - Dominican Republic; A/C.3/35/L.21 -Dominican Republic: A/C.3/35/L.22 - Austria, Congo, Dominican Republic, India, Sri Lanka and United Republic of Tanzania; A/C.3/35/L.24- India, Hew Zealand and Nigeria; A/C.3/35/L.26 - Barbados, Congo, Dominican Republic, Guyana, Haiti, Nigeria and the Sudan; A/C.3/35/L.27 - Afghanistan and the German Democratic Republic. The meeting rose at 7.50 p.m.