UN Human Rights Treaties

United Nations A/RES/56/115
General Assembly Distr.: General
18 January 2002
Fifty-sixth session
Agenda item 108
01 48132
Resolution adopted by the General Assembly
[on the report of the Third Committee (A/56/572)]
56/115. 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 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 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,4 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 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,
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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).
4 See resolution 55/2.

A/RES/56/115
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 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 at
Durban, South Africa, from 31 August to 8 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 the United Nations Voluntary
Fund on Disability in supporting the building of national capacities to promote the
Standard Rules in order to create opportunities for sustainable livelihoods by, for
and with persons with disabilities,
Noting with appreciation also 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,
Concerned that improvement of awareness of and sensitivity to disability
issues and respect for the human rights of disabled persons has 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 communications
technology, provides new possibilities for improving accessibility and employment
for persons with disabilities and for facilitating their full and effective participation
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5 See A/56/169 and Corr.1, paras. 25 and 26.

A/RES/56/115
and equality, and welcoming the initiatives of the United Nations in promoting
information and communications 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-General6 on
the implementation of the World Programme of Action concerning Disabled
Persons;3
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 on Disability of the Commission for Social Development in monitoring
the implementation of the Standard Rules on the Equalization of Opportunities for
Persons with Disabilities 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 and non-governmental
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, 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 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 in this regard the
importance of supporting national efforts through international cooperation;
6. Encourages Governments and intergovernmental and non-governmental
organizations to continue to take practical actions, including public information
campaigns, by, for and with persons with disabilities, with a 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;
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;
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6 A/56/169 and Corr.1.

A/RES/56/115
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 at 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. 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;
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 preparations proposed by the Secretary-General in his
current report6 for the fourth quinquennial review and appraisal of the World
Programme of Action in 2002, including the proposed framework for that review,
and requests the Secretary-General to submit to the General Assembly at its fiftyeighth
session, through the Commission for Social Development and the Economic
and Social Council, a report on the findings and recommendations based on the
review and appraisal, including a report on the implementation of the present
resolution.
88th plenary meeting
19 December 2001