UN Human Rights Treaties

UNITED NATIONS

A

General Assembly

Distr. LIMITED
A/C.3/47/L.15 26 October 1992
ORIGINAL: ENGLISH

Forty-seventh session THIRD COMMITTEE Agenda item 93 (a)
SOCIAL DEVELOPMENT: QUESTIONS RELATING TO THE WORLD SOCIAL SITUATION AND TO YOUTH, AGEING, DISABLED PERSONS AND THE FAMILY
Austria. Belgium. Cameroon, Canada. China. Denmark. Dominican Republic. Egypt. Finland. France, Indonesia. Ireland. Italy. Libyan Arab Jamahiriya, Malta. Morocco. Philippines. Romania. Spain. Sweden. Thailand. United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and Zimbabwe: draft resolution
Towards full integration of persons with disabilities in society: a continuing world programme of action
The General Assembly.
Recalling all its relevant resolutions, including resolution 37/52 of 3 December 1982, resolution 37/53 of 3 December 1982 and resolution 46/96 of 16 December 1991, and Economic and Social Council decision 1992/276 of 30 July 1992, as well as Commission on Human Rights resolution 1992/48 of 3 March 1992,
Noting the progress achieved during the Decade of Disabled Persons, including increased awareness and expanded knowledge of disability issues, the increased role played by persons with disabilities, organizations and the development of disability legislation.
Aware of the major obstacles in implementing the World Programme of Action concerning Disabled Persons, foremost among these being manifested in an inadequate allocation of resources.
Mindful of the need for persons with disabilities to be afforded the means to take their place as full-fledged citizens in all fields of society,
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Deeply concerned by the increasing numbers of persons with disabilities as a consequence of poverty and disease, wars and civil strife and demographic and environmental factors, including natural disasters and catastrophic accidents.
Acknowledging with appreciation the work of the Centre for Social Development and Humanitarian Affairs, as the focal point for disability issues within the United Nations system during the Decade,
Recognizing that the ongoing process of elaborating Standard Rules on the Equalization of Opportunities for People with Disabilities represents one of the important initiatives of the Decade,
Noting the proposed action towards a long-term strategy to implement the World Programme of Action to the year 2000 and beyond resulting from the meeting of experts held in Vancouver, Canada, in June 1992,
Welcoming the initiative of the Government of Canada in convening the International Conference of Ministers Responsible for Disability Issues, held in Montreal on 8 and 9 October 1992,
Having carefully considered the various reports and statements at its special plenary sessions, held on 12 and 13 October 1992, on the observance of the conclusion of the United Nations Decade of Disabled Persons,
Welcoming Economic and Social Council decision 1992/276 recommending the continuation of the United Nations Voluntary Fund for the Decade of Disabled Persons under its new name, the United Nations Voluntary Fund on Disability, and under its new terms of reference, 1/
Having taken note with appreciation of the report of the Secretary-General on the second round of monitoring of the implementation of the World Programme of Action concerning Disabled Persons and the United Nations Decade of Disabled Persons, 2/
1. Reaffirms the continuing validity and value of the World Programe of Action concerning Disabled Persons, which provides a firm and innovative framework for disability-related issues;
2. Reiterates the responsibility of Governments in removing or facilitating the removal of barriers and obstacles to the full integration of persons with disabilities in society, and supports their efforts in developing national policies to reach specific objectives;
1/ A/47/214-E/1992/50. 2/ A/47/415 and Corr.l.

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3. Urges Governments to show their commitment to improving the
situation of persons with disabilities, inter alia, by:
(a) Establishing an appropriate governmental mechanism to be responsible for policy relating to persons with disabilities and overall coordination;
(b) Addressing disability issues within integrated social development policies linked to other socio-economic issues, with the ultimate objective of facilitating the full integration of persons with disabilities into society;
(c) Where appropriate, creating new or strengthening existing high-level national coordinating committees or other similar bodies in accordance with the Beijing Guidelines for the Establishment and Development of National Coordinating Committees on Disability or Similar Bodies; 3/
(d) Supporting the development of organizations of people with disabilities and using the body of knowledge accumulated by people with disabilities or their representatives in decision-making processes;
(e) Integrating, where possible, disability components in technical assistance and technical cooperation programmes;

4. Welcomes the proclamation by the Economic and Social Council of the Asia and Pacific Decade of Disabled Persons, 1993-2002;
5. Also welcomes the proposal for and a continued discussion towards the establishment of a Ministers' Working Group as a result of the Ministerial Conference in Montreal;
6. Further welcomes the initiative of the United States of America to host, in cooperation with the United Nations, an international conference on disability in the fall of 1993;
7. Urges the optimum use of existing United Nations mechanisms and bodies, including regional commissions, specialized agencies, other intergovernmental bodies and non-governmental organizations, especially organizations of people with disabilities, in the planning, coordination, implementation and monitoring of the United Nations disability programme, in line with the restructuring and streamlining efforts of the United Nations system and in order to make the most cost-effective use of resources;
8. Requests the Secretary-General to turn the focus of the United Nations programme on disability from awareness-raising to action, to give higher priority and visibility to disability issues within the work programme of the United Nations system, to provide it, through the use of existing resources, with an adequate allocation of funding to strengthen the leadership
3/ A/C.3/46/4, annex I.

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role of the United Nations as a catalyst for change, as a standard-setting Organization, as a forum for the exchange of views and as a promoter of technical cooperation activities, by:
(a) Integrating disability issues in policies, programmes and projects of the specialized agencies of the United Nations on a broader scale and with a higher priority;
(b) Concentrating action and assistance in countries and regions that are most needy and paying special attention to especially vulnerable groups;
(c) Considering the creation of a panel of eminent persons, including persons with disabilities, to advise the Secretary-General on disability matters;
(d) Initiating model pilot projects, in partnership with all interested parties, to assist Member States in formulating comprehensive and coherent disability policies and feasible action plans; taking into account diverse socio-cultural factors and varying levels of economic development;
(e) Finalizing the translation into the official languages of the United Nations of the World Programme of Action, in particular the terms "impairment",- "disability", "handicap" and "disabled persons";
(f) Reviewing of the Human Development Index of the United Nations Development Programme to include an evaluation of the way a society treats its disabled citizens as a factor of the quality of life in that society;
(g) Continuing United Nations inter-agency meetings established as a result of the Decade of Disabled Persons and focusing such meetings on the implementation of the World Programme of Action;
(h) Asking the United Nations Statistical Division to continue its important work of collecting statistical data about disability matters and to publish updated disability statistics;
9. Urges the Commission on Social Development to expedite the elaboration of the Standard Rules on the Equalization of Opportunities for People with Disabilities;
10. Encourages major forthcoming events, including the 1993 World Conference on Human Rights, the 1994 Conference on Population and Development, the 1994 International Year of the Family, the 1995 World Conference on Women and the 1995 World Summit on Social Development, to consider disability issues relevant to their subject-matter;
11. Encourages the Secretary-General to explore diversified funding arrangements to support and strengthen the Voluntary Fund on Disability, involving not only Member States, but also the private sector, with due regard to the need for greater transparency in the management of the Fund;

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12. Appeals to Member States to highlight the observance of the International Day of Disabled Persons on 3 December every year with a view to furthering the integration into society of persons with disabilities;
13. Requests the Secretary-General to report to the General Assembly at its forty-eighth session on the implementation of the present resolution under the item entitled "Social development".