UVA Law Logo Mobile

UN Human Rights Treaties

Travaux Préparatoires

A/C.3/54/L.9/Rev.1

Implementation of the World Programme of Action concerning Disabled Persons :#towards a society for all in the 21st century : revised draft resolution / Bangladesh, et al.

UN Document Symbol A/C.3/54/L.9/Rev.1
Convention Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities
Document Type Draft Resolution
Session 54th
Type Document
Description

3 p.

Subjects Persons with Disabilities, Equal Opportunity, Disability Statistics, Children with Disabilities, Non-Governmental Organizations

Extracted Text

United Nations
A/C.3/54/L.9/Rev.1
General Assembly
Distr.: Limited
20 October 1999
Original: English
Fifty-fourth session
Third Committee
Agenda item 106
Social development, including questions relating to the world social
situation and to youth, ageing, disabled persons and the family
Bangladesh, Canada, Colombia, Ecuador, Ethiopia, Indonesia, Israel, Japan,
Mexico, Monaco, Mongolia, Myanmar, Philippines, Republic of Korea, Thailand
and the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia: revised draft resolution
Implementation of the World Programme of Action concerning
Disabled Persons: towards a society for all in the twenty-first century
The General Assembly,
Recalling 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 and 52/82 of 12
December 1997,
Recalling also Economic and Social Council resolutions 1997/19 of 21 July 1997
on equalization of opportunities for persons with disabilities and 1997/20 of 21 July 1997
on children with disabilities and Commission on Human Rights resolution 1998/31 of
17 April 1998 on the human rights of persons with disabilities,1
Recalling further 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 Women2 and
the Convention on the Rights of the Child,3
Reaffirming the outcomes of the major United Nations conferences and summits
and their respective follow-up reviews, in particular as they pertain to the promotion of
the rights and well-being of persons with disabilities,
Noting with appreciation the important contributions of subregional, regional and
international seminars and conferences related to persons with disabilities, such as the
1 Official Records of the Economic and Social Council, 1998, Supplement No. 3 (E/1998/23), chap. II,
sect. A.
2 Resolution 34/180, annex.
3 Resolution 44/25, annex.
1
A/C.3/54/L.9/Rev.1
Fifth World Assembly of Disabled People’s International, held in Mexico City from 1
to 7 December 1998, on the theme “Towards an inclusive twenty-first century”,
Expressing grave concern that situations of armed conflict have especially
devastating consequences for the human rights of 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 in
economic, social, cultural and political life, on the basis of equality, to achieve a society
for all,
Concerned that improvement of disability awareness and sensitivity to disability
issues have not been significant enough to improve the quality of life of persons with
disabilities worldwide,
Recognizing the importance of timely and reliable data on disability-sensitive
policies, programme planning and evaluation and the need for further development of
practical statistical methodology for data collection and compilation on populations with
disabilities,
Realizing that technology, in particular information technology, provides new
possibilities for improving accessibility and employment by persons with disabilities and
for facilitating their full participation and equality, and welcoming the initiatives of the
United Nations to promote information technology as a means of achieving the universal
goal of a society for all,
1. Takes note with appreciation of the report of the Secretary-General on the
implementation of the World Programme of Action concerning Disabled Persons;4
2. Welcomes the initiatives of Governments, the United Nations system and nongovernmental
organizations for the further equalization of opportunities by, for and with
persons with disabilities;
3. Notes with appreciation the valuable work undertaken by the Special
Rapporteur on Disability of the Commission for Social Development during his second
mandate for the period 1997-2000;
4. Encourages Governments, non-governmental organizations and the private
sector, as appropriate, to take concrete measures for the further equalization of
opportunities for persons with disabilities by focusing on accessibility, health, social
services, including training and rehabilitation, safety nets, employment and sustainable
livelihoods, in the design and implementation of strategies, policies and programmes to
promote a more inclusive society;
5. 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 the importance of supporting national efforts through
international cooperation in this regard;
6. Encourages Governments, intergovernmental organizations and nongovernmental
organizations to take practical actions, including public information
campaigns, by, with and for persons with disabilities, with a view to increasing disability
awareness and sensitivity to disability issues and to combating and overcoming
discrimination against persons with disabilities and to further their full and effective
participation in society;
4 A/54/388 and Add.1.
A/C.3/54/L.9/Rev.1
7. Encourages Governments to continue their support to non-governmental
organizations contributing to the fulfilment of the implementation of the World
Programme of Action concerning Disabled Persons;
8. Also encourages Governments to involve persons with disabilities in the
formulation of strategies and plans aimed at eradicating poverty, promoting education
and enhancing employment;
9. Urges relevant bodies and organizations of the United Nations system,
including relevant human rights treaty bodies, and the regional commissions,
intergovernmental organizations, and non-governmental organizations and institutions,
to work closely with the United Nations programme on persons with disabilities 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;
10. Urges Governments to cooperate with the United Nations Statistics Division
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, as needed;
11. 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;
12. Encourages Governments, concerned non-governmental organizations and
the private sector to continue to support the United Nations Voluntary Fund on Disability
with a view to fully implementing the World Programme of Action concerning Disabled
Persons and the Standard Rules on the Equalization of Opportunities for Persons with
Disabilities, including the work of the Special Rapporteur, and to support activities to
build national capacities, with emphasis on priorities identified in General Assembly
resolution 52/82 of 12 December 1997;
13. Requests the Secretary-General to continue supporting 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 the human rights of persons with disabilities and the further implementation
of the World Programme of Action concerning Disabled Persons, and in their efforts to
integrate persons with disabilities in technical cooperation activities, both as beneficiaries
and as decision makers;
14. Also requests the Secretary-General to include in his assessments of the
implementation of the outcome of major United Nations conferences and summits to be
considered at the forthcoming special sessions of the General Assembly, the contribution
of these meetings to the promotion of the rights and well-being of persons with
disabilities;
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 implementing plans to provide a barrier-free environment, as well as information
in accessible format and communication services;
16. Requests the Secretary-General to submit to the General Assembly at its fiftysixth
session through the Commission for Social Development at its thirty-ninth session,
a report on the implementation of the present resolution.