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A/C.3/56/L.9

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

UN Document Symbol A/C.3/56/L.9
Convention Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities
Document Type Draft Resolution
Session 56th
Type Document
Description

5 p.

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

Extracted Text

United Nations A/C.3/56/L.9
General Assembly Distr.: Limited
12 October 2001
Original: English
01-57787 (E) 121001
*0157787*
Fifty-sixth session
Third Committee
Agenda item 108
Social development, including questions relating to the
world social situation and to youth, ageing, disabled
persons and the family
Argentina, Austria, Belgium, Benin, Canada, Chile, China, Croatia, Denmark,
Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Luxembourg, Mexico,
Mongolia, Myanmar, Netherlands, New Zealand, Panama, Philippines, Poland,
Portugal, Romania, Spain, Sweden, Ukraine, United Kingdom of Great Britain
and Northern Ireland and United States of America: 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 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 on all Forms of Discrimination against
Women1 and the Convention on the Rights of the Child,2
Recalling also its 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, 49/153 of 23 December 1994, 50/144 of
21 December 1995, 52/82 of 12 December 1997 and 54/121 of 17 December 1999,
Recalling further all relevant resolutions on the equalization of opportunities
and human rights of persons with disabilities of the General Assembly, the
Economic and Social Council and its functional commissions,
__________________
1 Resolution 34/180, annex.
2 Resolution 44/25, annex.
3 A/37/351/Add.1 and Corr.1, annex, sect. VIII, recommendation I (IV).

A/C.3/56/L.9
Recalling the United Nations Millennium Declaration,4 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 actions of Governments to implement relevant
sections of the Standard Rules on the Equalization of Opportunities for Persons with
Disabilities and of relevant resolutions that give special attention to accessible
environments and information and communication technologies, health, education
and social services, employment and sustainable livelihoods, including the relevant
activities of intergovernmental as well as non-governmental organizations,
Reaffirming the outcomes of the major United Nations conferences and
summits and their respective follow-up reviews,
Noting with appreciation the Secretary-General’s assessment 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 undertaken by the United Nations
system aimed at preventing disabling conditions,5
Noting the invitation made to the General Assembly by the World Conference
against Racism, Racial Discrimination, Xenophobia and Related Intolerance, held in
Durban, South Africa, from 31 August to 7 September 2001, to consider elaborating
an integral and comprehensive international convention to protect and promote the
rights and dignity of disabled people, including, in particular, provisions that
address the discriminatory practices and treatment affecting them,
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 valuable work of United Nations Voluntary Fund
on Disability in supporting the building of national capacities to promote the
Standard Rules on the Equalization of Opportunities for Persons with Disabilities in
order to create opportunities for sustainable livelihoods by, for and with persons
with disabilities,
Also noting with appreciation the important contributions of subregional,
regional and international seminars and conferences related 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
in economic, social, cultural and political life, on the basis of equality, to achieve a
society for all,
Welcoming initiatives to hold international conferences relating to persons with
disabilities, including the Sixth World Assembly of Disabled Peoples’ International,
to be held in Japan in 2002,
__________________
4 See resolution 55/2.
5 See A/56/169, paras. 25 and 26.

A/C.3/56/L.9
Concerned that improvement of disability awareness and sensitivity to
disability issues and respect for the human rights of disabled persons have not been
significant enough to improve the quality of life of persons with disabilities
worldwide,
Expressing grave concern that situations of armed conflict continue to have
especially devastating consequences for the human rights of persons with
disabilities,
Recognizing the importance of timely and reliable data on disability sensitive
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,
Reiterating that technology, in particular information and communication
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 in promoting
information and communication 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;6
2. Welcomes the many initiatives and actions of Governments and relevant
United Nations bodies and organizations, including relevant Bretton Woods
institutions, as well as non-governmental organizations to enhance the rights of
persons with disabilities and the further equalization of opportunities by, for and
with persons with disabilities in all sectors of society;
3. Notes with appreciation the valuable work undertaken by the Special
Rapporteur for maintaining the implementation of the Standard Rules on the
Equalization of Opportunities for Persons with Disabilities of the Commission for
Social Development under his third mandate for the period 2000-2002, and also
notes with appreciation the work of the United Nations High Commissioner for
Human Rights in supporting the work of the Special Rapporteur;
4. Encourages Governments, intergovernmental as well as nongovernmental
organizations and the private sector, as appropriate, to continue to
take concrete measures to 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 by focusing on accessibility, health, education, social services, including
training and rehabilitation, safety nets, employment and sustainable livelihood, 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
__________________
6 A/56/169 and Corr.1.

A/C.3/56/L.9
implementation of existing plans and initiatives, and emphasizes, in this regard, the
importance of supporting national efforts through international cooperation;
6. Encourages Governments and intergovernmental as well as nongovernmental
organizations to continue to take practical actions, including public
information campaigns, by, for and with persons with disabilities, with a view to
increasing disability awareness and sensitivity to disability issues, combating and
overcoming discrimination against persons with disabilities and furthering their full
and effective participation in society;
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, 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 on the field level, by sharing experiences,
findings and recommendations on persons with disabilities;
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, elderly people with disabilities and persons with developmental and
psychiatric disabilities, with special emphasis on integrating them into society and
protecting and promoting their human rights;
12. Also 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 on the Equalization of
Opportunities for Persons with Disabilities;
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 fully implement the World
Programme of Action and the Standard Rules on the Equalization of Opportunities
for Persons with Disabilities, including the work of the Special Rapporteur of the
Commission for Social Development, and to support activities to build national
capacities, with emphasis on priorities for action identified in the current resolution;

A/C.3/56/L.9
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 humans rights of, and non-discrimination against, 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 preparations proposed by the Secretary-General in his current
report for the fourth quinquennial review and appraisal of the World Programme of
Action in 2002,6 including the proposed framework for that review, and requests the
Secretary-General to submit to the General Assembly, through the Commission on
Social Development and the Economic and Social Council at its fifty-eighth session,
a report on the findings and recommendations based on this review and appraisal,
including a report on implementation of the present resolution.