UN Human Rights Treaties

United Nations
A/59/492
General Assembly Distr.: General
1 December 2004
English
Original: Spanish
04-63012 (E) 081204
*0463012*
Fifty-ninth session
Agenda item 94
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. Carlos Enrique García González (El Salvador)
I. Introduction
1. At its 2nd plenary meeting, on 17 September 2004, the General Assembly, on
the recommendation of the General Committee, decided to include in the agenda of
its fifty-ninth session the item entitled:
“Social development, including questions relating to the world social situation
and to youth, ageing, disabled persons and the family:
(a) Social development, including questions relating to the world social
situation and to youth, ageing, disabled persons and the family;
(b) United Nations Literacy Decade: education for all”
and to allocate it to the Third Committee.
2. The Third Committee considered the item at its 1st to 5th, 7th, 13th, 18th,
29th, 37th, 42nd and 44th meetings, from 4 to 6, and on 11, 14, 19 and 28 October
and 4, 11 and 16 November 2004. At its 1st to 4th meetings, the Committee held a
general discussion on item 94 jointly with items 93 and 95. An account of the
Committee’s discussion is contained in the relevant summary records
(A/C.3/59/SR.1-5, 7, 13, 18, 29, 37, 42 and 44).
3. For its consideration of the item, the Committee had before it the following
documents:
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Item 94
Social development, including questions relating to the world social situation
and to youth, ageing, disabled persons and the family
Letter dated 5 April 2004 from the Permanent Representative of El Salvador to the
United Nations addressed to the Secretary-General, transmitting a note dated
17 March 2004 from the Minister for Foreign Affairs of El Salvador concerning the
launching of the Global Commission on International Migration (A/59/73)
Item 94 (a)
Social development, including questions relating to the world social situation
and to youth, ageing, disabled persons and the family
Relevant chapter of the report of the Economic and Social Council1
Report of the Secretary-General on the preparations for and observance of the tenth
anniversary of the International Year of the Family in 2004 (A/59/176)
Note by the Secretary-General on monitoring the implementation of the Standard
Rules on the Equalization of Opportunities for Persons with Disabilities
(E/CN.5/2002/4)
Item 94 (b)
United Nations Literacy Decade: education for all
Note by the Secretary-General transmitting the report of the Director-General of the
United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization on the
implementation of the International Plan of Action for the United Nations Literacy
Decade (A/59/267)
4. At the 1st meeting, on 4 October, introductory statements were made by the
Director of the Division for Social Policy and Development of the Department of
Economic and Social Affairs of the Secretariat of the United Nations and the
representative of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural
Organization (see A/C.3/59/SR.1).
5. At the same meeting, the Committee engaged in a question-and-answer session
with the above-mentioned speakers, in which the delegations of Cuba, the Syrian
Arab Republic, the Sudan, Sri Lanka and the Netherlands took part (see
A/C.3/59/SR.1).
6. At the 2nd meeting, on 4 October, a statement was made by the Under-
Secretary-General for Economic and Social Affairs (see A/C.3/59/SR.2).
7. At the same meeting, the Committee engaged in a question-and-answer session
with the Under-Secretary-General, in which the delegations of the Dominican
Republic, the Netherlands, Cuba and Sri Lanka took part (see A/C.3/59/SR.2).
8. Also at the same meeting, a presentation was made by the Inspector from the
Joint Inspection Unit, who also responded to a question raised by the representative
of Senegal (see A/C.3/59/SR.2).
__________________
1 See A/59/3; for the final text, see Official Records of the General Assembly, Fifty-ninth Session,
Supplement No. 3 (A/59/3/Rev.1).
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II. Consideration of draft proposals
A. Draft resolution A/C.3/59/L.2
9. By its resolution 2004/13 of 21 July 2004, the Economic and Social Council
recommended to the General Assembly the adoption of a draft resolution entitled
“Celebration of the tenth anniversary of the International Year of the Family and
beyond”. The draft resolution was reproduced in document A/C.3/59/L.2.
10. At the 13th meeting, on 14 October, the Committee was advised that the draft
resolution had no programme budget implications.
11. At the same meeting, the Committee adopted draft resolution A/C.3/59/L.2,
without a vote (see para. 25, draft resolution I).
B. Draft resolution A/C.3/59/L.18 and Rev.1
12. At the 18th meeting, on 19 October, the representative of Portugal, on behalf
of Angola, Austria, Belgium, Brazil, Bulgaria, Cyprus, the Czech Republic,
Denmark, the Dominican Republic, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary,
Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Monaco, the
Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland,
Thailand, Turkey and the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland,
introduced a draft resolution entitled “Policies and programmes involving youth”,
which read:
“The General Assembly,
“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 58/133 of 22 December 2003, in which it,
inter alia, recommended devoting two plenary meetings at its sixtieth session,
in 2005, to review the situation of youth and achievements attained in the
implementation of the World Programme of Action ten years after its adoption,
“Recognizing 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,
“1. Decides to convene, at its sixtieth session, two plenary meetings of
the General Assembly devoted to the evaluation of the progress made in the
implementation of the World Programme of Action for Youth to the Year 2000
and Beyond, to be held during the general debate of the Third Committee
under the agenda item entitled ‘Social development, including questions
relating to the world social situation and to youth, ageing, disabled persons
and the family’;
“2. Urges Member States to consider being represented by youth
representatives when addressing the plenary on this occasion, taking into
account gender balance;
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“3. Decides that, while applying on an exceptional basis the rules
governing previous special sessions of the General Assembly and given the
availability of time, a limited number of non-governmental youth
organizations which are in consultative status with the Economic and Social
Council or which were accredited to the World Conference of Ministers
Responsible for Youth in 1998 may also make statements in the debate in
plenary, provided that their application for consultative status with the Council
has not been rejected or that their consultative status with the Council has not
been withdrawn or suspended, and that non-governmental youth organizations
should be requested to select spokespersons and provide the list thereof to the
President of the General Assembly through the United Nations Secretariat, and
requests the President of the Assembly to present, in a timely manner, the list
of selected non-governmental youth organizations to Member States for
approval and to ensure that the selection of the organizations is made on an
equal and transparent basis, taking into account the geographical
representation and diversity of non-governmental youth organizations and the
equal representation of young women and men;
“4. Also decides that interested non-governmental youth organizations
that are not in consultative status with the Economic and Social Council or
were not accredited to the World Conference of Ministers Responsible for
Youth in 1998 may participate in the event, that such non-governmental youth
organizations should submit their applications for accreditation to the Bureau
of the General Assembly and the Secretariat by _________, and that the
applications should contain the following information:
“(a) The purpose of the organization;
“(b) Information identifying the programmes and activities of the
organization in areas relevant to the subject of the event and indicating in
which country or countries the programmes and activities are carried out;
“(c) Confirmation of the activities of the organization at the national,
regional or international level;
“(d) Copies of annual or other reports of the organization, together with
financial statements and a list of financial sources and contributions, including
governmental contributions;
“(e) A list of the members of the governing body of the organization and
their countries of nationality;
“(f) A description of the membership of the organization, indicating the
total number of members, the names of organizations that are members and
their geographical distribution;
“(g) A copy of the constitution and/or by-laws of the organization;
“5. Further decides that the Bureau of the General Assembly should
submit by _______ to Member States for approval a list of the nongovernmental
youth organizations which have submitted their applications,
that the list should contain information on the competence and relevance of
each organization to the subject of the event, and that the list should be
submitted to Member States for consideration on a no-objection basis for a
final decision by the Assembly on participation;
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“6. Decides that non-governmental youth organizations whose
application for consultative status with the Economic and Social Council has
been rejected or whose consultative status with the Council has been
withdrawn or suspended should not be accredited to the event;
“7. Urges, in recognition of the importance of the equitable
geographical participation of non-governmental youth organizations in the
event, relevant United Nations bodies to assist non-governmental
organizations that do not have the resources, in particular those from countries
with economies in transition and from developing countries, including the least
developed among them, to participate in the meetings;
“8. Requests the Secretary-General to disseminate widely to the
community of non-governmental youth organizations all available information
on accreditation procedures and information on supportive measures for
participation in the event;
“9. Decides that an informal, interactive panel discussion on the theme
‘Young people: making commitments matter’ will be held in the afternoon of
the day prior to the event; the Chairman of the informal panel will orally
present a summary of the discussions of the panel to the General Assembly at
the end of the debate in plenary meeting;
“10. Agrees that, in addition to Member States, observers,
representatives of the entities of the United Nations system and nongovernmental
youth organizations in consultative status with the Economic
and Social Council, an invitation to participate in the informal, interactive
panel discussion will be extended to not more than fifteen youth organizations,
taking into account equitable geographical distribution. The President of the
General Assembly, following appropriate consultations with Member States,
will draw up a list of those youth organizations, on the basis of the
recommendations of the Secretariat and taking into account the principle of
geographical representation, and will submit the list to Member States for
consideration on a no-objection basis for a final decision by the Assembly on
participation;
“11. Decides that the arrangements outlined in paragraphs 3 to 10 above
shall in no way create a precedent for other similar events;
“12. Notes with appreciation the ongoing efforts made by the United
Nations system to solicit input from youth organizations and young people into
the current review of the World Programme of Action for Youth to the Year
2000 and Beyond, as requested by the General Assembly in paragraph 14 of its
resolution 58/133, and invites the Secretary-General to provide an overview of
the input gathered from youth organizations to the Assembly at its sixtieth
session.”
13. At the 37th meeting, on 4 November, the Committee had before it a revised
draft resolution (A/C.3/59/L.18/Rev.1), submitted by the sponsors of draft resolution
A/C.3/59/L.18, joined by Andorra, Argentina, Australia, Azerbaijan, Bahamas,
Bosnia and Herzegovina, Cape Verde, Chile, Costa Rica, Croatia, Ecuador,
El Salvador, Estonia, Fiji, Guatemala, Madagascar, Malta, Mauritius, Mexico,
Mongolia, Namibia, Nicaragua, Norway, Panama, Peru, the Philippines, Romania,
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the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Timor-Leste,
Tunisia, Ukraine and the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela.
14. At the same meeting, the representative of Portugal orally revised the draft
resolution as follows:
(a) In operative paragraph 5, the words “Requests the Secretary-General to”
were replaced by the words “Decides to” and the words “in order to enable them to
participate in” were revised to read “to participate in the informal round-table
discussion and side events to be held during”;
(b) After operative paragraph 7, a new operative paragraph 8 was inserted,
which read:
“Decides that the arrangements outlined in paragraph 5 above shall in no
way create a precedent for other similar events;”
(c) Operative paragraph 8 was renumbered accordingly.
Subsequently, Antigua and Barbuda, Bangladesh, Belarus, Belize, Bolivia,
Botswana, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Cameroon, Canada, the Congo, the Democratic
Republic of the Congo, Djibouti, Egypt, Grenada, Guyana, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau,
Haiti, Israel, Jamaica, Kenya, Malaysia, Malawi, Mali, Morocco, Nigeria, the
Republic of Moldova, South Africa, the United Republic of Tanzania, Uruguay,
Zambia and Zimbabwe joined in sponsoring the draft resolution, as orally revised.
15. Also at the same meeting, prior to the adoption of the draft resolution, a
statement was made by the representative of China (see A/C.3/59/SR.37).
16. At the 37th meeting, the Committee adopted draft resolution
A/C.3/59/L.18/Rev.1, as orally revised, without a vote (see para. 25, draft resolution
II).
17. After the adoption of the draft resolution, a statement was made by the
representative of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines (see A/C.3/59/SR.37).
C. Draft resolution A/C.3/59/L.15 and Rev.1
18. At the 7th meeting, on 11 October, the representative of Mongolia, on behalf
of Belarus, Cameroon, China, Croatia, the Dominican Republic, Ethiopia, Iceland,
Japan, Kazakhstan, Kenya, the Lao People’s Democratic Republic, Mongolia, the
Republic of Korea, the Russian Federation, Senegal, Suriname and the Bolivarian
Republic of Venezuela, introduced a draft resolution entitled “United Nations
Literacy Decade: education for all” (A/C.3/59/L.15), which read:
“The General Assembly,
“Recalling its resolution 56/116 of 19 December 2001, by which it
proclaimed the ten-year period beginning on 1 January 2003 the United
Nations Literacy Decade, and resolution 57/166 of 18 December 2002, in
which it welcomed the International Plan of Action for the United Nations
Literacy Decade,
“Recalling also the United Nations Millennium Declaration, in which
Member States resolved to ensure that, by 2015, children everywhere, boys
and girls alike, will be able to complete a full course of primary schooling and
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that girls and boys will have equal access to all levels of education, which
requires a renewed commitment to promote literacy for all,
“Reaffirming that a basic education is crucial to nation-building, that
literacy for all is at the heart of basic education for all and that creating literate
environments and societies is essential for achieving the goals of eradicating
poverty, reducing child mortality, curbing population growth, achieving gender
equality and ensuring sustainable development, peace and democracy,
“Convinced that literacy is crucial to the acquisition by every child,
youth and adult of the essential life skills that will enable them to address the
challenges that they can face in life, and represents an essential step in basic
education, which is an indispensable means for effective participation in the
societies and economies of the twenty-first century,
“Affirming that the realization of the right to education, especially for
girls, contributes to the promotion of gender equality and the eradication of
poverty,
“Noting with deep concern that, while considerable efforts have been
made to address the objectives of the Decade at various levels, over 100
million children are not in school and some 800 million adults are illiterate
today, that the issue of illiteracy is not sufficiently high on the agendas of both
the developed and developing countries of the world to generate the kind of
political and economic support required to address global illiteracy challenges,
and that the world is unlikely to meet those challenges if the present trends
continue,
“Deeply concerned about the persistence of the gender gap in education,
which is reflected by the fact that nearly two thirds of the world’s adult
illiterates are women,
“1. Takes note of the report of the Secretary-General, prepared in
cooperation with the Director-General of the United Nations Educational,
Scientific and Cultural Organization, on the implementation of the
International Plan of Action for the United Nations Literacy Decade;
“2. Welcomes the efforts made so far by Member States and the
international community in launching the Decade and implementing the
International Plan of Action;
“3. Appeals to all Governments to review on a regular basis the literacy
situation in their countries and to establish benchmarks and indicators to
monitor the progress made towards achieving the goals of the Decade, backed
up by more reliable literacy data and information, and to further reinforce
political will, mobilize adequate national resources, develop more inclusive
policy-making environments and devise innovative strategies for reaching the
poorest and most marginalized groups and for seeking alternative formal and
non-formal approaches to learning with a view to achieving the goals of the
Decade;
“4. Urges all Governments to take the lead in coordinating the
activities of the Decade at the national level, bringing all relevant national
actors together in a sustained dialogue and collaborative action on policy
formulation, implementation and evaluation of literacy efforts, and to report
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biennially to the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural
Organization on the progress achieved in implementing their national
programmes and plans of action for the Decade;
“5. Appeals to all Governments and professional organizations to
strengthen national and professional educational institutions in their countries
with a view to expanding their capacity and promoting the quality of
education, with particular focus on literacy;
“6. Appeals to all Governments and to economic and financial
organizations and institutions, both national and international, to lend greater
financial and material support to the efforts to increase literacy and achieve the
goals of education for all and those of the Decade, through, inter alia, the
20/20 initiative, as appropriate;
“7. Invites Member States, the specialized agencies and other
organizations of the United Nations system, as well as relevant
intergovernmental and non-governmental organizations, to intensify their
efforts to implement effectively the International Plan of Action, and to
substantially integrate those efforts in the Education for All process and within
the framework of the internationally agreed developments goals, including
those contained in the Millennium Declaration;
“8. Requests the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural
Organization to reinforce its lead coordinating role in stimulating and
catalysing the activities undertaken at the international level within the
framework of the Decade in a manner that is complementary to and
coordinated with the ongoing process of Education for All, with the
internationally agreed development goals, including those contained in the
Millennium Declaration, and with other global initiatives, and to take
immediate, concrete steps to address the needs of countries with high illiteracy
rates and/or with large populations of illiterate adults, with particular regard to
women;
“9. Requests the Secretary-General, in cooperation with the Director-
General of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural
Organization, to submit progress reports on the implementation of the
International Plan of Action to the General Assembly on a biennial basis,
beginning in 2006;
“10. Decides to include in the provisional agenda of its sixty-first
session, under the item entitled ‘Social development, including questions
relating to the world social situation and to youth, ageing, disabled persons
and the family’, a sub-item entitled ‘United Nations Literacy Decade:
education for all’.”
19. At the 29th meeting, on 28 October, the Committee had before it a revised
draft resolution (A/C.3/59/L.15/Rev.1), submitted by the sponsors of draft resolution
A/C.3/59/L.15, joined by Austria, Bangladesh, Belgium, Belize, Brazil, Burkina
Faso, Cambodia, Canada, Costa Rica, Cuba, Cyprus, Denmark, Djibouti,
El Salvador, Finland, Greece, Guyana, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Lithuania, Luxembourg,
Malaysia, Morocco, Myanmar, Nepal, the Netherlands, the Niger, Panama, the
Philippines, Portugal, Qatar, Tajikistan, Thailand, Tunisia, Ukraine, the United
States of America, Uzbekistan and Viet Nam. Subsequently, Angola, Andorra,
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Armenia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, the Congo, the Democratic Republic
of the Congo, Egypt, Fiji, the Libyan Arab Jamahiriya, Madagascar, Monaco,
Namibia, Nigeria, Saudi Arabia, Sierra Leone, Switzerland, the Syrian Arab
Republic, Turkey and Zambia joined in sponsoring the revised draft resolution.
20. At the same meeting, the Committee was advised that the revised draft
resolution contained no programme budget implications.
21. At the 29th meeting, the Committee adopted draft resolution
A/C.3/59/L.15/Rev.1 without a vote (para. 25, draft resolution III).
D. Draft decisions proposed by the Chairman
Proposed supplement to the Standard Rules on the Equalization of Opportunities
for Persons with Disabilities
22. At its 42nd meeting, on 11 November, the Vice-Chairperson, Rachel Groux
(Switzerland), reported on informal consultations held on the proposed supplement
to the Standard Rules on the Equalization of Opportunities for Persons with
Disabilities (E/CN.5/2002/4, annex) and read out an oral draft decision.
23. At the same meeting, the Committee adopted the draft decision (see para. 26,
draft decision I).
Report of the Secretary-General on the preparations for and observance of the
tenth anniversary of the International Year of the Family in 2004
24. At its 44th meeting, on 16 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 and observance of the tenth
anniversary of the International Year of the Family in 2004 (A/59/176) (see para. 26,
draft decision II).
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III. Recommendations of the Third Committee
25. The Third Committee recommends to the General Assembly the adoption of
the following draft resolutions:
Draft resolution I
Celebration of the tenth anniversary of the International Year
of the Family and beyond
The General Assembly,
Recalling its resolutions 44/82 of 8 December 1989, 45/133 of 14 December
1990, 46/92 of 16 December 1991, 47/237 of 20 September 1993, 50/142 of
21 December 1995, 52/81 of 12 December 1997, 54/124 of 17 December 1999,
56/113 of 19 December 2001, 57/164 of 18 December 2002 and 58/15 of
3 December 2003 concerning the proclamation of, preparations for and observance
of the International Year of the Family in 1994 and its tenth anniversary in 2004,
Recalling also that relevant United Nations instruments on human rights as
well as relevant global plans and programmes of action call for the widest possible
protection and assistance to be accorded to the family, bearing in mind that in
different cultural, political and social systems various forms of the family exist,
Recalling further that the family is the basic unit of society and, as such,
should be strengthened, and that it is entitled to receive comprehensive protection
and support,
Noting that the family-related provisions of the outcomes of the major United
Nations conferences and summits of the 1990s and their follow-up processes
continue to provide policy guidance on ways to strengthen family-centred
components of policies and programmes as part of an integrated comprehensive
approach to development,
Recognizing that the preparations for and observance of the tenth anniversary
of the International Year of the Family provided a useful opportunity for drawing
further attention to the objectives of the Year for increasing cooperation at all levels
on family issues,
Recognizing also the commendable efforts made by Governments at the local
and national levels in carrying out specific programmes concerning families,
Emphasizing that equality between women and men and respect for all the
human rights and fundamental freedoms of all family members are essential to
family well-being and to society at large, noting the importance of reconciliation of
work and family life, and recognizing the principle that both parents have common
responsibilities for the upbringing and development of the child,
Aware that families are affected by social and economic changes, manifested
as observable worldwide trends, and that the causes and consequences of those
trends concerning families have to be identified and analysed,
Noting with concern the devastating effects of the HIV/AIDS pandemic on
family life, as well as the devastating effects on family life of other infectious
diseases, such as malaria and tuberculosis,
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Noting also with concern the devastating effects of difficult social and
economic conditions, armed conflicts and natural disasters on family life,
Recognizing the important role of non-governmental organizations, at both the
local and the national levels, working in the interest of families,
Aware that there is a need for continued inter-agency cooperation on the family
in order to generate greater awareness of family issues among the governing bodies
of the United Nations system,
Recalling that the tenth anniversary of the International Year of the Family
will be observed and celebrated during the fifty-ninth session of the General
Assembly,
Having considered the report of the Secretary-General,1
1. Notes that the follow-up to the tenth anniversary of the International Year
of the Family is an integral part of the agenda and the multi-year programme of
work of the Commission for Social Development until 2006;
2. Urges Governments to continue to take sustained action at all levels
concerning family issues, including applied studies and research, in order to
promote the role of families in development and develop concrete measures and
approaches to address national priorities in dealing with family issues;
3. Urges the international community to address family-related concerns
within the framework of the commitments undertaken at relevant major United
Nations conferences and their follow-up processes, including those agreed to in the
Declaration of Commitment on HIV/AIDS, adopted by the General Assembly at its
twenty-sixth special session in June 2001;2
4. Encourages more inter-agency cooperation within the United Nations
system on issues relating to the family;
5. Encourages the regional commissions of the United Nations, within
existing resources, to further promote the exchange of experiences at the regional
level through the provision of technical assistance, including advisory services, to
Governments upon request;
6. Emphasizes that the Secretariat should continue its important role in the
programme of work on family issues within the United Nations system and, in this
regard, encourages the Department of Economic and Social Affairs of the
Secretariat, within existing resources, to continue to cooperate with Governments,
the United Nations system and civil society in strengthening national capacities
through the implementation of the mandated objectives of the Year, including
through:
(a) The provision of policy guidance on emerging issues and trends affecting
the family through the preparation of studies and research papers aimed, in
particular, at enhancing the role of the family in society;
__________________
1 E/CN.5/2004/30.
2 Resolution S-26/2, annex.
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(b) The provision of technical assistance to countries, upon request, to
enhance, where appropriate, their national capacities in the area of family-related
work;
7. Invites the Secretary-General, within existing resources, to disseminate a
compilation of existing development cooperation activities of the United Nations
system in the field of the family for the benefit of the Department of Economic and
Social Affairs, other relevant United Nations bodies, Member States and observers
by the time of the holding of the forty-fourth session of the Commission for Social
Development;
8. Requests the Secretary-General:
(a) To give appropriate consideration to the tenth anniversary of the
International Year of the Family in preparing for the observance of the International
Day of Families on 15 May 2004 and by taking appropriate steps for the celebration
of the tenth anniversary of the International Year of the Family;
(b) To continue to utilize the United Nations Trust Fund on Family Activities
to provide financial assistance for activities specific to the family and for projects of
direct benefit to it, with special focus on least developed and developing countries;
9. Also requests the Secretary-General to report on the implementation of
the present resolution to the General Assembly at its sixtieth session.
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Draft resolution II
Policies and programmes involving youth: tenth anniversary
of the World Programme of Action for Youth to the
Year 2000 and Beyond
The General Assembly,
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 58/133 of 22 December 2003, in which it, inter
alia, recommended devoting two plenary meetings at its sixtieth session, in 2005, to
review the situation of youth and achievements attained in the implementation of the
World Programme of Action ten years after its adoption,
Recognizing 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,
1. Decides to convene, at its sixtieth session, two plenary meetings of the
General Assembly devoted to the evaluation of the progress made in the
implementation of the World Programme of Action for Youth to the Year 2000 and
Beyond, to be held during the general debate of the Third Committee under the
agenda item entitled “Social development, including questions relating to the world
social situation and to youth, ageing, disabled persons and the family”;
2. Decides also to hold, prior to the plenary meetings, an informal,
interactive round-table discussion on the theme “Young people: making
commitments matter”, which will be open to the participation of Member States,
observers, organizations of the United Nations system and non-governmental youth
organizations;
3. Decides further that one youth representative from a Member State will
orally present a summary of the informal round-table discussion to the General
Assembly at the beginning of the plenary meeting;
4. Urges Member States to consider being represented by youth
representatives to address the plenary on this occasion, as well as in the abovementioned
informal round-table discussion, bearing in mind the principle of gender
balance;
5. Decides to facilitate access to United Nations Headquarters by the nongovernmental
organizations that were accredited to the World Conference of
Ministers Responsible for Youth in 1998 and interested non-governmental
organizations that are neither in consultative status with the Economic and Social
Council nor were accredited to the World Conference to participate in the informal
round-table discussions and side events to be held during the tenth anniversary of
the World Programme of Action for Youth;
6. Urges, in recognition of the importance of ensuring the equitable
geographical participation of non-governmental youth organizations in the tenth
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anniversary of the World Programme of Action for Youth, relevant United Nations
entities to assist non-governmental organizations that do not have the resources, in
particular non-governmental organizations from developing countries, including the
least developed countries and countries with economies in transition, to participate
in the tenth anniversary;
7. Requests the Secretary-General to disseminate widely to the community
of non-governmental youth organizations all available information on the events
associated with the tenth anniversary of the World Programme of Action for Youth;
8. Decides that the arrangements outlined in paragraph 5 above shall in no
way create a precedent for other similar events;
9. Notes with appreciation the ongoing efforts of the United Nations system
to solicit input from youth organizations and young people into the current review
of the World Programme of Action for Youth to the Year 2000 and Beyond, as
requested by the General Assembly in paragraph 14 of its resolution 58/133, and
invites the Secretary-General to provide an overview of the input gathered from
youth organizations as a supplement to his report to the Assembly at its sixtieth
session.
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Draft resolution III
United Nations Literacy Decade: education for all
The General Assembly,
Recalling its resolution 56/116 of 19 December 2001, by which it proclaimed
the ten-year period beginning on 1 January 2003 the United Nations Literacy
Decade, and resolution 57/166 of 18 December 2002, in which it welcomed the
International Plan of Action for the United Nations Literacy Decade,
Recalling also the United Nations Millennium Declaration,1 in which Member
States resolved to ensure that, by 2015, children everywhere, boys and girls alike,
will be able to complete a full course of primary schooling and that girls and boys
will have equal access to all levels of education, which requires a renewed
commitment to promote literacy for all,
Reaffirming that a basic education is crucial to nation-building, that literacy
for all is at the heart of basic education for all and that creating literate
environments and societies is essential for achieving the goals of eradicating
poverty, reducing child mortality, curbing population growth, achieving gender
equality and ensuring sustainable development, peace and democracy,
Convinced that literacy is crucial to the acquisition by every child, youth and
adult of the essential life skills that will enable them to address the challenges that
they can face in life, and represents an essential step in basic education, which is an
indispensable means for effective participation in the societies and economies of the
twenty-first century,
Affirming that the realization of the right to education, especially for girls,
contributes to the promotion of gender equality and the eradication of poverty,
Welcoming the considerable efforts that have been made to address the
objectives of the Decade at various levels,
Noting with concern that over 100 million children are not in school and some
800 million adults are illiterate today, that the issue of illiteracy may not be
sufficiently high on national agendas to generate the kind of political and economic
support required to address global illiteracy challenges, and that the world is
unlikely to meet those challenges if the present trends continue,
Deeply concerned about the persistence of the gender gap in education, which
is reflected by the fact that nearly two thirds of the world’s adult illiterates are
women,
1. Takes note of the report of the Secretary-General, prepared in
cooperation with the Director-General of the United Nations Educational, Scientific
and Cultural Organization, on the implementation of the International Plan of
Action for the United Nations Literacy Decade,2 as well as the report prepared by
the Joint Inspection Unit3 on achieving the universal primary education goal of the
United Nations Millennium Declaration;1
__________________
1 See resolution 55/2.
2 See A/59/267.
3 See A/59/76 and Add.1 and Add.1/Corr.1.
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2. Welcomes the efforts made so far by Member States and the international
community in launching the Decade and implementing the International Plan of
Action;
3. Appeals to all Governments to develop reliable literacy data and
information and to further reinforce political will, mobilize adequate national
resources, develop more inclusive policy-making environments and devise
innovative strategies for reaching the poorest and most marginalized groups and for
seeking alternative formal and non-formal approaches to learning with a view to
achieving the goals of the Decade;
4. Urges all Governments to take the lead in coordinating the activities of
the Decade at the national level, bringing all relevant national actors together in a
sustained dialogue and collaborative action on policy formulation, implementation
and evaluation of literacy efforts;
5. Appeals to all Governments and professional organizations to strengthen
national and professional educational institutions in their countries with a view to
expanding their capacity and promoting the quality of education, with particular
focus on literacy;
6. Appeals to all Governments and to economic and financial organizations
and institutions, both national and international, to lend greater financial and
material support to the efforts to increase literacy and achieve the goals of education
for all and those of the Decade, through, inter alia, the 20/20 initiative,4 as
appropriate;
7. Invites Member States, the specialized agencies and other organizations
of the United Nations system, as well as relevant intergovernmental and nongovernmental
organizations, to intensify their efforts to implement effectively the
International Plan of Action, and to substantially integrate those efforts in the
Education for All process and other initiatives and activities of the United Nations
Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization and within the framework of the
internationally agreed developments goals, including those contained in the
Millennium Declaration;
8. Requests the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural
Organization to reinforce its lead coordinating role in stimulating and catalysing the
activities undertaken at the international level within the framework of the Decade
in a manner that is complementary to and coordinated with the ongoing process of
Education for All, with the internationally agreed development goals, including
those contained in the Millennium Declaration, and with other global initiatives;
9. Requests all relevant entities of the United Nations system, particularly
the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization, in cooperation
with national Governments, to take immediate, concrete steps to address the needs
of countries with high illiteracy rates and/or with large populations of illiterate
adults, with particular regard to women;
__________________
4 See Report of the World Summit for Social Development, Copenhagen, 6-12 March 1995 (United
Nations publication, Sales No. E.96.IV.8), chap. I, resolution 1, annex II, para. 88 (c).
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10. Requests the Secretary-General, in cooperation with the Director-General
of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization, to seek the
views of Member States on the progress achieved in implementing their national
programmes and plans of action for the Decade and to submit progress reports on
the implementation of the International Plan of Action to the General Assembly on a
biennial basis, beginning in 2006;
11. Decides to include in the provisional agenda of its sixty-first session,
under the item entitled “Social development, including questions relating to the
world social situation and to youth, ageing, disabled persons and the family”, a subitem
entitled “United Nations Literacy Decade: education for all”.
* * *
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26. The Third Committee also recommends to the General Assembly the adoption
of the following draft decisions:
Draft decision I
Proposed supplement to the Standard Rules on the Equalization
of Opportunities for Persons with Disabilities
The General Assembly, taking note of Economic and Social Council resolution
2004/15 of 21 July 2004, decides to postpone consideration of the issue until its
sixty-first session at the latest and requests the Special Rapporteur on disability of
the Commission for Social Development to take into account the general ideas
contained in the proposed supplement to the Standard Rules on the Equalization of
Opportunities for Persons with Disabilities1 in the accomplishment of her mandate.
Draft decision II
Report of the Secretary-General on the preparations for and
observance of 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 and observance of the tenth anniversary of the International Year of
the Family in 2004.2
1 E/CN.5/2002/4, annex.
2 A/59/176.