UN Human Rights Treaties

United Nations A/58/497 (Part II)
General Assembly Distr.: General
3 December 2003
Original: English
03-64123 (E) 081203
*0364123*
Fifty-eighth 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. Abdulla Eid Salman Al-Sulaiti (Qatar)
I. Introduction
1. The previous recommendation made by the Third Committee to the General
Assembly under agenda item 106 appears in the report of the Committee contained
in document A/58/497 (Part I).
II. Consideration of proposals
A. Draft resolution A/C.3/58/L.7
2. At the 10th meeting, on 14 October, the representative of Mongolia, on behalf
of Benin, Côte d’Ivoire, India, Mongolia, Myanmar and Panama, introduced a draft
resolution entitled “Cooperatives in social development” (A/C.3/58/L.7) and orally
revised operative paragraph 5 (c) by inserting the words “and implementing”
between the words “promoting” and “better legislation”.
3. At the same meeting, Nigeria, Senegal, Sierra Leone and the Sudan joined in
sponsoring the draft resolution, as orally revised.
4. At its 23rd meeting, on 23 October, the Committee was advised that the draft
resolution had no programme budget implications.
5. At the same meeting, the representative of Mongolia further orally revised the
draft resolution by replacing the words “to provide further assistance” in operative
paragraph 8 with the words “to continue to provide assistance”.
6. Barbados, Brazil, Burkina Faso, Cambodia, Cameroon, the Congo, Costa Rica,
the Dominican Republic, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Ecuador, El

A/58/497 (Part II)
Salvador, Ethiopia, the Gambia, Guatemala, Indonesia, the Islamic Republic of Iran,
Jamaica, Kenya, Kyrgyzstan, Madagascar, Morocco, the Philippines, Thailand,
Trinidad and Tobago and the United Republic of Tanzania joined in sponsoring the
draft resolution, as further orally revised.
7. Also at its 23rd meeting, the Committee adopted draft resolution A/C.3/58/L.7,
as orally revised, without a vote (see para. 20, draft resolution I).
B. Draft resolution A/C.3/58/L.8 and Rev.1
8. At the 10th meeting, on 14 October, the representative of the Philippines, on
behalf of Barbados, the Philippines, the United Republic of Tanzania and Venezuela,
introduced and orally revised a draft resolution entitled “Implementation of the
World Programme of Action concerning Disabled Persons: towards a society for all
in the twenty-first century”, which read:
“The General Assembly,
“Recalling 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 Women and the Convention on the Rights of the Child,
“Recalling also 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, 52/82 of 12 December 1997,
54/121 of 17 December 1999 and 56/115 of 19 December 2001,
“Recalling further all of its relevant resolutions on the equalization of
opportunities for and the human rights of persons with disabilities, and those
of the Economic and Social Council and its functional commissions,
“Recalling the United Nations Millennium Declaration adopted on
8 September 2000 by the heads of State and Government at the Millennium
Summit of the United Nations, and recognizing the need to promote and
protect all human rights and fundamental freedoms of people with disabilities,
“Noting with appreciation the initiatives and actions of Governments to
implement relevant sections of the Standard Rules and of relevant resolutions
that give special attention to accessible environments and information and
communications technologies, health, education and social services,
employment and sustainable livelihoods, including the relevant activities of
intergovernmental and non-governmental organizations,
“Reaffirming the outcomes of the major United Nations conferences and
summits and their respective follow-up reviews,
“Noting with appreciation the assessment by the Secretary-General of the
implementation of the outcomes of major United Nations conferences and
summits to promote the rights and well-being of persons with disabilities,
ensuring their full participation and equality, as well as the measures taken by
the United Nations system aimed at preventing disabling conditions,

A/58/497 (Part II)
“Noting the adoption by the World Assembly on Ageing of the Political
Declaration and the Madrid International Plan of Action on Ageing, 2002,
which considered ‘older persons and disability’ as a specific issue for policy
concern,
“Noting also the preparatory work 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 of
establishing a Working Group with the aim of preparing and presenting a draft
text which would be the basis for the negotiation of the draft convention,
“Recognizing the strong commitment of Governments to the equalization
of opportunities and to the rights of persons with disabilities in the context of
development, as well as the increased interest of the international community
in the promotion and protection of the rights and dignity of persons with
disabilities under a comprehensive and integral approach,
“Acknowledging the important role of non-governmental organizations in
the promotion and protection of the human rights of persons with disabilities,
and noting in this regard their work in promoting the elaboration of an
international convention on the rights of disabled persons,
“Noting with appreciation the important contributions of regional
intergovernmental organizations and the regional commissions of the United
Nations in promoting awareness and building capacities for the full
participation and equality of persons with disabilities, as well as the outcome
of international conferences related to persons with disabilities, including the
Interregional Seminar and Demonstration Workshop on Accessible Information
and Communications Technologies and Persons with Disabilities, held in
Manila in March 2003,
“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 at all levels, including at the community level,
“Reiterating that technology, in particular information and
communications technology, provides new possibilities for improving
accessibility and employment for persons with disabilities and for facilitating
their full and effective participation and equality, and welcoming the initiatives
of the United Nations and contributions from regional groups in promoting
information and communications technology as a means of achieving the
universal goal of a society for all,
“Recognizing the importance of timely and reliable data on disabilitysensitive
topics, 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,
“Recognizing also the challenge for the new century to incorporate the
disability dimension better in mainstream technical cooperation activities,
since persons with disabilities are also agents and beneficiaries of
development,
“Concerned that improvement of awareness of and sensitivity to
disability issues and respect for the human rights of disabled persons has not

A/58/497 (Part II)
been significant enough to improve the quality of life of persons with
disabilities worldwide,
“Concerned also about the slow progress on measurement, monitoring
and evaluation of the situation of persons with disabilities as a mainstream
issue,
“Concerned further that the association between poverty and disability
needs to be addressed with reference to a development framework as well as
the critical importance of rural issues affecting the situation of persons with
disabilities,
“Expressing grave concern that situations of armed conflict and acts of
terrorism continue to have especially devastating consequences for the human
rights of persons with disabilities,
“1. Takes note with appreciation of the report of the Secretary-General
on the implementation of the World Programme of Action concerning Disabled
Persons; including the Secretary-General’s recommendations related to policy
options to promote the rights of persons with disabilities in the context of
development;
“2. Notes with appreciation the valuable work undertaken by the
Special Rapporteur on disability of the Commission for Social Development
related to a comprehensive and integral international convention to protect and
promote the rights and dignity of persons with disabilities, in which a twintrack
approach in the process to elaborate the convention was recommended,
and also notes with appreciation the contribution of the United Nations High
Commissioner for Human Rights in supporting the work of the Special
Rapporteur;
“3. Encourages Governments, intergovernmental and nongovernmental
organizations and the private sector, as appropriate, to continue
to take concrete measures to mainstream persons with disabilities into the
development process and promote the implementation of relevant United
Nations resolutions and agreed international standards concerning persons with
disabilities, in particular the Standard Rules, and for the further equalization of
opportunities for persons with disabilities by focusing on accessibility, health,
education, social services, sports and cultural development, including training
and rehabilitation, information and communications technologies, safety nets,
employment and sustainable livelihoods, in the design and implementation of
strategies, policies and programmes to promote a more inclusive society;
“4. 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 in this regard the importance of supporting national efforts through
international cooperation;
“5. Encourages Governments and intergovernmental and nongovernmental
organizations to continue to take practical actions, including
public information campaigns, by, for and with persons with disabilities, with a

A/58/497 (Part II)
view to increasing awareness of and sensitivity to disability issues, combating
and overcoming discrimination against persons with disabilities and furthering
their full and effective participation in society;
“6. Encourages Governments to continue their support to nongovernmental
organizations and other groups, including self-help groups, that
contribute to the fulfilment of the implementation of the World Programme of
Action concerning Disabled Persons, and in this regard, recognizes the
important contribution of the Washington Group on Disability Measurement of
the Statistical Commission;
“7. Also encourages Governments to involve persons with disabilities
in the formulation of strategies and plans aimed at eradicating poverty,
promoting education and enhancing employment;
“8. Urges relevant bodies and organizations of the United Nations
system, including relevant human rights treaty bodies and the regional
commissions, as well as intergovernmental and non-governmental
organizations and institutions, to continue to work closely with the programme
on disability of the Division for Social Policy and Development of the
Secretariat 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, and to incorporate the disability
perspective in their activities;
“9. Stresses the importance of urgent action to improve data and
statistics on persons with disabilities so that they can be compared
internationally for purposes of policy design, planning and evaluation from the
disability perspective;
“10. Urges Governments to cooperate with the Statistics Division of the
Secretariat 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,
including the compilation and dissemination of data on disabled persons, as
well as the development of methods for data collection and disability statistics,
as appropriate;
“11. Urges Governments, intergovernmental organizations and nongovernmental
organizations to provide special protection to girls and women
with disabilities, older people with disabilities, rural people with disabilities,
indigenous people with disabilities, persons disabled owing to terrorist acts
and armed conflict and persons with developmental and psychiatric
disabilities, with special emphasis on integrating them into society through
enabling interventions and environments essential to their independence,
including reasonable accommodation, and protecting and promoting their
human rights;
“12. 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, including the implementation of the Standard Rules;

A/58/497 (Part II)
“13. Encourages Governments, intergovernmental organizations,
concerned non-governmental organizations and the private sector to continue
to support the United Nations Voluntary Fund on Disability with a view to
strengthening its capacity to support catalytic and innovative activities to
implement fully the World Programme of Action and the Standard Rules,
including the work of the Special Rapporteur, and to support activities to build
national capacities, with emphasis on priorities for action identified in the
present resolution;
“14. Requests the Secretary-General to continue to support 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 all human rights of, and non-discrimination
in respect of, persons with disabilities and the further implementation of the
World Programme of Action, as well as their efforts to integrate persons with
disabilities in technical cooperation activities, both as beneficiaries and as
decision makers;
“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 continue to implement plans to provide a barrier-free
environment;
“16. Welcomes the review by the Secretary-General in his current report
on the fourth quinquennial review and appraisal of the World Programme of
Action, and requests the Secretary-General to submit to the General Assembly
at its sixtieth session a report on the implementation of the present resolution.”
9. At the same meeting, Argentina, Burkina Faso, Ethiopia and Sierra Leone
joined in sponsoring the draft resolution, as orally revised.
10. At the 28th meeting, on 30 October, the representative of the Philippines
circulated additional revisions to the draft resolution. The revised text was
subsequently issued in document A/C.3/58/L.8/Rev.1, and was sponsored by
Afghanistan, Andorra, Angola, Antigua and Barbuda, Armenia, Argentina, Austria,
Bangladesh, Barbados, Belgium, Belize, Benin, Bhutan, Bolivia, Bosnia and
Herzegovina, Botswana, Bulgaria, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Cameroon, Canada, Cape
Verde, the Central African Republic, Chile, China, the Congo, Costa Rica, Côte
d’Ivoire, Croatia, Cyprus, the Czech Republic, the Democratic Republic of the
Congo, Denmark, the Dominican Republic, Ecuador, El Salvador, Eritrea, Ethiopia,
Finland, France, Germany, Ghana, Greece, Guatemala, Guyana, Hungary, Iceland,
Indonesia, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Jamaica, Japan, Kenya, Latvia, Lebanon, Lesotho,
Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malawi, Malaysia, Malta, Mexico, Micronesia (Federated
States of), Monaco, Mongolia, Morocco, Myanmar, Namibia, the Netherlands, New
Zealand, Nicaragua, Nigeria, Norway, Panama, Peru, the Philippines, Poland,
Portugal, the Republic of Korea, the Republic of Moldova, Romania, San Marino,
Senegal, Sierra Leone, Slovakia, Slovenia, South Africa, Spain, Swaziland, Sweden,
Thailand, the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, Timor-Leste, Trinidad and
Tobago, Tunisia, Uganda, Ukraine, the United Kingdom of Great Britain and
Northern Ireland, the United Republic of Tanzania, the United States of America,
Uruguay, Venezuela, Viet Nam, Zambia and Zimbabwe.

A/58/497 (Part II)
11. At the same meeting, the Committee was advised that the draft resolution had
no programme budget implications.
12. Also at the 28th meeting, the Committee adopted draft resolution
A/C.3/58/L.8/Rev.1 without a vote (see para. 20, draft resolution II).
C. Draft resolution A/C.3/58/L.11
13. At the 10th meeting, on 14 October, the representative of Senegal, on behalf of
Belgium, Benin, Cape Verde, Chile, Denmark, Finland, Hungary, Ireland, Italy,
Mali, Mexico, the Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Senegal, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden,
Switzerland, the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and
Venezuela, introduced a draft resolution entitled “Policies and programmes
involving youth” (A/C.3/58/L.11). At the same meeting, Argentina, Cameroon, the
Congo, Costa Rica, Croatia, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, the Dominican
Republic, Guatemala, Japan, Kenya, Luxembourg, Madagascar, Norway, the
Republic of Moldova, Sierra Leone, South Africa, Turkey, Ukraine and the United
Republic of Tanzania joined in sponsoring the draft resolution.
14. At its 34th meeting, on 6 November, the Committee was advised that the draft
resolution had no programme budget implications.
15. At the same meeting, the representative of Portugal orally revised the draft
resolution as follows:
(a) At the end of the first preambular paragraph, the words “and the two
Optional Protocols thereto” were added;
(b) At the end of operative paragraph 11, the words “bearing in mind the
recommendations contained in the report of the Secretary-General” were replaced by
the words “and, where such reviews and action plans exist, to submit them to the
Secretariat by September 2004”;
(c) At the beginning of operative paragraph 13, the words “Decides to
devote” were replaced by the words “Recommends devoting”;
(d) In operative paragraph 14, the words “and youth representatives” were
inserted after the words “meeting with youth organizations”;
(e) In operative paragraph 19, the words “to take into account the five
concerns” were replaced by the words “to bear in mind the five issues”;
(f) In operative paragraph 20, the words “to invite the Director-General of
the International Labour Organization, in the context of the Youth Employment
Network, to submit” were replaced by the words “to include in his report”.
16. Albania, Andorra, Angola, Antigua and Barbuda, Australia, Austria,
Azerbaijan, Bangladesh, Barbados, Belarus, Belize, Bolivia, Bosnia and
Herzegovina, Botswana, Brazil, Bulgaria, Burkina Faso, Canada, the Central
African Republic, Côte d’Ivoire, Cyprus, the Czech Republic, Ecuador, El Salvador,
Eritrea, Ethiopia, France, the Gambia, Germany, Ghana, Greece, Grenada, Guinea-
Bissau, Haiti, Iceland, Indonesia, Jamaica, Kazakhstan, Latvia, Lesotho,
Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Malawi, Malaysia, Malta, Monaco, Mongolia, Morocco,
Mozambique, Namibia, Nicaragua, the Niger, Nigeria, Peru, Romania, Rwanda,
Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, San Marino, Slovakia, Swaziland, Thailand, the

A/58/497 (Part II)
former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, Trinidad and Tobago, Tunisia, Uruguay,
Zambia and Zimbabwe joined in sponsoring the draft resolution, as orally revised.
17. Also at its 34th meeting, the Committee adopted draft resolution
A/C.3/58/L.11, as orally revised, without a vote (see para. 20, draft resolution III).
D. Draft decision proposed by the Chairman
18. At its 58th meeting, on 26 November, 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 preparations for the tenth anniversary of the
International Year of the Family in 2004 (E/CN.5/2003/6; see also A/58/67-
E/2003/49) (see para. 21).
19. The representative of the United States of America made a statement (see
A/C.3/58/SR.58).

A/58/497 (Part II)
III. Recommendations of the Third Committee
20. The Third Committee recommends to the General Assembly the adoption of
the following draft resolutions:
Draft resolution I
Cooperatives in social development
The General Assembly,
Recalling its resolutions 47/90 of 16 December 1992, 49/155 of 23 December
1994, 51/58 of 12 December 1996, 54/123 of 17 December 1999 and 56/114 of 19
December 2001, concerning cooperatives in social development,
Recognizing that cooperatives, in their various forms, promote the fullest
possible participation in the economic and social development of all people,
including women, youth, older persons and people with disabilities, and are
becoming a major factor of economic and social development,
Recognizing also the important contribution and potential of all forms of
cooperatives to the follow-up to the World Summit for Social Development, held at
Copenhagen from 6 to 12 March 1995, the Fourth World Conference on Women,
held at Beijing from 4 to 15 September 1995, the second United Nations Conference
on Human Settlements (Habitat II), held at Istanbul, Turkey, from 3 to 14 June 1996,
and their five-year reviews, the World Food Summit, held at Rome from 13 to 17
November 1996, the Second World Assembly on Ageing, held at Madrid from 8 to
12 April 2002, the International Conference on Financing for Development, held at
Monterrey, Mexico, from 18 to 22 March 2002, and the World Summit on
Sustainable Development, held at Johannesburg, South Africa, from 26 August to
4 September 2002,
1. Takes note of the report of the Secretary-General;1
2. Draws the attention of Member States to the proposals contained in the
report of the Secretary-General for further action to promote a supportive
environment for the development of cooperatives;
3. Also draws the attention of Member States to the revised guidelines
aimed at creating a supportive environment for the development of cooperatives, to
be considered by them in developing or revising their national policies on
cooperatives;
4. Encourages Governments to keep under review, as appropriate, the legal
and administrative provisions governing the activities of cooperatives, with a view
to ensuring a supportive environment for them and to protecting and advancing the
potential of cooperatives to help them achieve their goals;
5. 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 second United Nations
Conference on Human Settlements (Habitat II) and their five-year reviews, the
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1 A/58/159.

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World Food Summit, the Second World Assembly on Ageing, the International
Conference on Financing for Development and the World Summit on Sustainable
Development 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 by, inter alia, developing an
effective partnership between Governments and the cooperative movement,
promoting and implementing better legislation, training, research, sharing of good
practices and human resources development;
6. Invites Governments, in collaboration with the cooperative movement, to
develop programmes to promote and strengthen the education of members, the
elected leadership and professional cooperative management, where appropriate, and
to create or improve statistical databases on the development of cooperatives and on
their contribution to national economies;
7. Also 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;
8. Requests the Secretary-General, in cooperation with the relevant United
Nations and other international organizations and national, regional and
international cooperative organizations, to render support to Member States, as
appropriate, in their efforts to create a supportive environment for the development
of cooperatives, to continue to provide assistance for human resources development,
technical advice and training, and to promote an exchange of experience and best
practices, through, inter alia, conferences, workshops and seminars at the national
and regional levels;
9. Also requests the Secretary-General to submit to the General Assembly at
its sixtieth session a report on the implementation of the present resolution, focusing
on the role of cooperatives in the eradication of poverty.

A/58/497 (Part II)
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 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
Women1 and the Convention on the Rights of the Child,2
Recalling also its relevant resolutions, in particular resolutions 37/52 of 3
December 1982, by which it adopted the World Programme of Action concerning
Disabled Persons,3 48/96 of 20 December 1993, by which it adopted the Standard
Rules on the Equalization of Opportunities for Persons with Disabilities, and 56/115
of 19 December 2001, as well as the relevant resolutions of the Economic and Social
Council and its functional commissions,
Recalling further the United Nations Millennium Declaration, adopted on 8
September 2000 by heads of State and Government at the Millennium Summit of the
United Nations,4 stressing the need to promote and protect the full enjoyment of all
human rights and fundamental freedoms by persons with disabilities, and
recognizing the importance of incorporating the disability perspective in the
implementation of the outcomes of the major United Nations conferences and
summits, with a view to achieving the internationally agreed development goals,
including those contained in the Millennium Declaration,
Noting with appreciation the initiatives and actions of Governments to
implement relevant sections of the Standard Rules and of relevant resolutions that
give special attention to the questions of accessible environments and information
and communication technologies, health, education and social services, employment
and sustainable livelihoods, including the relevant activities of intergovernmental
and non-governmental organizations,
Reaffirming the outcomes of the major United Nations conferences and
summits and their respective follow-up reviews,
Noting that the Madrid International Plan of Action on Ageing, 2002, adopted
by the Second World Assembly on Ageing,5 considers “older persons and
disabilities” as a specific issue for policy concern,
Noting also the preparatory work of the Ad Hoc Committee on a
comprehensive and integral international convention to promote and protect the
rights and dignity of persons with disabilities in establishing a Working Group with
the aim of preparing and presenting a draft text that would be the basis for the
negotiation of the draft convention,
Recognizing the strong commitment of Governments to the equalization of
opportunities and to the rights of persons with disabilities and the promotion and
__________________
1 Resolution 34/180, annex.
2 Resolution 44/25, annex.
3 A/57/351/Add.1 and Corr.1, annex, sect. VIII, recommendation I (IV).
4 See resolution 55/2.
5 Report of the Second World Assembly on Ageing, Madrid, 8-12 April 2002 (United Nations
publication, Sales No. E.02.IV.4), chap. I, resolution 1, annex II.

A/58/497 (Part II)
protection of the full enjoyment of all human rights by persons with disabilities,
including in the context of development,
Acknowledging the important role of non-governmental organizations in the
promotion and protection of the full enjoyment of all human rights by persons with
disabilities, and noting in this regard their work in promoting the elaboration of an
international convention on the rights of disabled persons,
Noting with appreciation the important contributions of regional
intergovernmental organizations and the regional commissions of the United Nations
in promoting awareness and building capacities for the full participation and
equality of persons with disabilities, as well as the outcome of international
conferences relating to 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
at all levels,
Recognizing the importance of accessibility both of the physical environment
and of information and communication in enabling persons with disabilities to fully
enjoy their human rights,
Reiterating that technology, in particular information and communication
technologies, provides new possibilities for improving accessibility and employment
for persons with disabilities and for facilitating their full and effective participation
and equality, and welcoming the initiatives of the United Nations and contributions
from regional groups in promoting information and communication technologies as
a means of achieving the universal goal of a society for all,
Recognizing the importance of timely and reliable data on disability-sensitive
topics, programme planning and evaluation and the need for the further development
of practical statistical methodology for the collection and compilation of data on
populations with disabilities,
Recognizing also the challenge of better incorporating the disability
perspective in development and technical cooperation activities,
Recognizing further the need to improve the quality of life of persons with
disabilities worldwide through the enhancement of awareness of and sensitivity to
disability issues and respect for the full enjoyment of all human rights by persons
with disabilities,
Recognizing that in the elaboration of national and international development
strategies, consideration needs to be given to the impact of poverty, especially in
rural areas, on the conditions of persons with disabilities,
Expressing grave concern that situations of armed conflict continue to have
especially devastating consequences for the human rights of persons with
disabilities,
1. Takes note with appreciation of the report of the Secretary-General6 on
the implementation of the World Programme of Action concerning Disabled
Persons,3 including the Secretary-General’s recommendations relating to policy
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6 A/58/61-E/2003/5.

A/58/497 (Part II)
options to promote the full enjoyment of all human rights by persons with
disabilities in the context of development;
2. Welcomes the work of the Special Rapporteur on disability of the
Commission for Social Development to promote the full enjoyment of all human
rights by, and the equalization of opportunities for, persons with disabilities;
3. Calls upon Governments to take 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 in this regard the
importance of supporting national efforts through international cooperation;
4. Encourages Governments, intergovernmental and non-governmental
organizations and the private sector, as appropriate, to continue to take concrete
measures to mainstream the disability perspective into the development process and
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;
5. Encourages Governments to continue their support to non-governmental
organizations and other groups, including organizations of persons with disabilities,
that contribute to the fulfilment of the implementation of the World Programme of
Action concerning Disabled Persons;
6. Also encourages Governments to involve persons with disabilities in the
formulation of strategies and plans, in particular those pertaining to them;
7. Urges relevant organizations and bodies of the United Nations system,
including relevant human rights treaty bodies and the regional commissions, as well
as intergovernmental and non-governmental organizations and institutions, to
incorporate the disability perspective in their activities, as appropriate, and to
continue to work closely with the Division for Social Policy and Development for
the promotion of the full enjoyment of all human rights and fundamental freedoms
by persons with disabilities, including activities at the field level, by sharing
experiences, findings, and recommendations on persons with disabilities;
8. Stresses the importance of improving data and statistics on persons with
disabilities, in compliance with national legislation on the protection of personal
data, so that they can be compared internationally and domestically for purposes of
policy design, planning and evaluation from the disability perspective, urges
Governments, in this regard, to cooperate with the United Nations Statistics
Division in the continuing 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;
9. Urges Governments, intergovernmental organizations and nongovernmental
organizations to provide special protection to persons with mental or
physical disabilities, who may experience multiple or aggravating forms of
discrimination, with special emphasis on integrating them into society and
protecting and promoting their full enjoyment of all human rights;

A/58/497 (Part II)
10. Urges Governments to address the situation of persons with disabilities
with respect to all actions taken to implement existing human rights treaties to
which they are parties;
11. Invites States to continue to actively participate in the negotiations within
the Ad Hoc Committee on a comprehensive and integral international convention to
promote and protect the rights and dignity of persons with disabilities;
12. Encourages Governments, intergovernmental organizations, concerned
non-governmental organizations and the private sector to continue to support the
United Nations Voluntary Fund on Disability, with a view to strengthening its
capacity to support catalytic and innovative activities to implement fully the World
Programme of Action and the Standard Rules, including the work of the Special
Rapporteur, and to support activities to build national capacities, with emphasis on
priorities for action identified in the present resolution;
13. Requests the Secretary-General to continue to support the initiatives of
relevant organizations and bodies of the United Nations system, as well as those of
regional, intergovernmental and non-governmental organizations and institutions,
for the promotion of the full enjoyment of all human rights by, and nondiscrimination
in respect of, persons with disabilities and the further implementation
of the World Programme of Action, as well as their efforts to integrate persons with
disabilities in technical cooperation activities, both as beneficiaries and as decision
makers;
14. 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 continue to implement plans to provide a barrier-free environment;
15. Welcomes the review by the Secretary-General in his current report on the
fourth quinquennial review and appraisal of the World Programme of Action,6 and
requests the Secretary-General to submit to the General Assembly at its sixtieth
session a report on the implementation of the present resolution.

A/58/497 (Part II)
Draft resolution III
Policies and programmes involving youth
The General Assembly,
Guided by the Charter of the United Nations as well as other relevant
international instruments, including the Convention on the Rights of the Child,1 and
the two Optional Protocols thereto,2
Reaffirming the obligation of States to promote and protect human rights and
fundamental freedoms and their full enjoyment by young people,
Recalling the United Nations Millennium Declaration,3 and recognizing that
the Declaration includes important goals and targets pertaining to youth,
Recalling and reaffirming the commitments made at the major United Nations
conferences and summits held since 1990 and their follow-up processes, in
particular those commitments that are related to youth, including youth employment,
Recognizing that the participation of young people is an asset and a
prerequisite for sustainable economic growth and social development, and
expressing deep concern about the magnitude of youth unemployment and
underemployment throughout the world and its profound implications for the future
of our societies, particularly those in developing countries,
Acknowledging that poverty, among other factors, represents a serious
challenge to the full and effective participation and contribution of young people to
society,
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,
Recalling also its resolution 54/120 of 17 December 1999, in which it took
note with appreciation of the Lisbon Declaration on Youth Policies and Programmes
adopted at the World Conference of Ministers Responsible for Youth in 1998,4 and
its resolutions 56/117 of 19 December 2001 and 57/165 of 18 December 2002,
1. Takes note of the reports of the Secretary-General on the World Youth
Report 20035 and promoting youth employment;6
2. Reaffirms that the ten priority areas identified in the World Programme of
Action for Youth to the Year 2000 and Beyond, namely, education, employment,
hunger and poverty, health issues, environment, drug abuse, juvenile delinquency,
leisure, girls and young women, and youth participation, remain areas of crucial
importance;
3. Takes note of the five issues of concern to young people identified in the
World Youth Report 2003, namely, the mixed impact of globalization on young
women and men, the use of and access to information and communication
__________________
1 Resolution 44/25, annex.
2 Resolution 54/263, annexes I and II.
3 See resolution 55/2.
4 See WCMRY/1998/28, chap. I, resolution 1.
5 E/CN.5/2003/4; see also A/58/79.
6 A/58/229.

A/58/497 (Part II)
technologies, the dramatic increase of human immunodeficiency virus infections
among young people and the impact of the epidemic on their lives, the active
involvement of young people in armed conflict, both as victims and as perpetrators,
and the increased importance of addressing intergenerational issues in an ageing
society;
4. Recognizes the importance of the full and effective participation of young
people and youth organizations at the local, national, regional and international
levels in promoting and implementing the World Programme of Action and in
evaluating the progress achieved and the obstacles encountered in its
implementation, as well as the need to support the activities of mechanisms that
have been set up by young people and youth organizations, bearing in mind that
girls, boys, young women and young men have the same rights but different needs
and strengths and are active agents in decision-making processes, and for positive
change and development in society;
5. Also recognizes the great importance of empowering young people by
building their capacity to achieve greater independence, overcoming constraints to
their participation and providing them with opportunities to make decisions that
affect their lives and well-being;
6. Calls upon all Member States, United Nations bodies, specialized
agencies, regional commissions and intergovernmental and non-governmental
organizations concerned, in particular youth organizations, to make every possible
effort to implement the World Programme of Action, aiming at cross-sectoral youth
policies, by integrating a youth perspective into all planning and decision-making
processes relevant to youth;
7. Takes note with appreciation of the work done by the regional
commissions to implement the World Programme of Action, 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
non-governmental youth organizations, and to provide advisory services to support
national youth policies and programmes in each region, and encourages them to
continue to do so;
8. Recommends that the United Nations system, on the basis of the positive
experience of youth participation in the work of the United Nations, inter alia, at the
World Summit on Sustainable Development and the special session of the General
Assembly on children, continue to provide opportunities for dialogue between
Governments and representatives of youth organizations in consultative status with
the Economic and Social Council through forums, open-ended dialogues, meetings
and debates;
9. Decides that the organization of a future world youth forum should be
based on a decision of the General Assembly;
10. Notes the decision of eight countries to volunteer as lead countries in the
preparation of national reviews and action plans on youth employment;
11. Encourages Member States to prepare national reviews and action plans
on youth employment, either integrated into their national action plans for
employment or issued as separate documents, to make full use of existing data and
statistics and to involve young people and youth organizations in this process, taking

A/58/497 (Part II)
into account, inter alia, the commitments made by Member States in this regard, in
particular those included in the World Programme of Action, and, where such
reviews and actions plans exist, to submit them to the Secretariat by September
2004;
12. Invites, within the context of the Youth Employment Network, the
International Labour Organization, in collaboration with the Secretariat and the
World Bank and other relevant specialized agencies, to assist and support, upon
request, the efforts of Governments in the elaboration of national reviews and action
plans, and to undertake a global analysis and evaluation of progress made in this
regard;
13. Recommends devoting at its sixtieth session, in 2005, two plenary
meetings to review the situation of youth and achievements attained in the
implementation of the World Programme of Action ten years after its adoption;
14. Requests the Secretary-General, with regard to paragraph 4 above, to
consider organizing a consultative meeting with youth organizations and youth
representatives, taking into account equitable geographical distribution, on the
evaluation of the progress made and obstacles encountered in the implementation of
the World Programme of Action in preparation for the two plenary meetings of the
General Assembly to be held in 2005, and to include the outcome of the meeting in
his report to the Assembly at its sixtieth session;
15. Invites all Governments and intergovernmental and non-governmental
organizations to contribute to the United Nations Youth Fund, and requests the
Secretary-General to take appropriate actions to encourage contributions;
16. Notes with appreciation the provision by some Member States of
expertise and financial resources to support the activities of the Youth Employment
Network, and invites all Member States and intergovernmental and nongovernmental
organizations to contribute to the Network in support of action taken
at the country level within the framework of the Network;
17. Reiterates the call made in the World 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;
18. Requests the Secretary-General to provide the General Assembly at its
sixtieth session, through the Commission for Social Development at its forty-third
session, with a comprehensive report including an evaluation of the implementation
since 1995 of the priority areas identified in the World Programme of Action,
including actions taken by Member States, United Nations bodies, specialized
agencies, regional commissions and youth organizations in their multidisciplinary
work for and with youth;
19. Also requests the Secretary-General, in preparing the report requested in
paragraph 18 above, to bear in mind the five issues identified in paragraph 3 above
and discuss them in an annex to the report;
20. Further requests the Secretary-General to include in his report to the
General Assembly at its sixtieth session a global analysis and evaluation of national
action plans on youth employment.

A/58/497 (Part II)
21. The Third Committee also recommends to the General Assembly the adoption
of the following draft decision:
Report on the preparations for the tenth anniversary of the
International Year of the Family in 2004
The General Assembly takes note of the report of the Secretary-General on the
preparations for the tenth anniversary of the International Year of the Family in
2004.1
__________________
1 E/CN.5/2003/6 (see also A/58/67-E/2003/49).