UN Human Rights Treaties

United Nations E/CN.5/2002/L.4/Rev.1
Economic and Social Council
Distr.: Limited
26 February 2002
Original: English
02-26372 (E) 260202
*0226372*
Commission for Social Development
Fortieth session
11-21 February 2002
Agenda item 3 (b) (ii)
Follow-up to the World Summit for Social Development and
the twenty-fourth special session of the General Assembly: review of
relevant United Nations plans and programmes of action
pertaining to the situation of social groups: report on the
third mandate of the Special Rapporteur on Disability
Austria, Belgium,* Czech Republic, Denmark, Finland,* France, Germany,
Greece,* Ireland,* Italy, Jamaica, Luxembourg,* Netherlands,* New Zealand,*
Norway,* Portugal,* Spain, Suriname,* Sweden and United Kingdom of Great
Britain and Northern Ireland:* revised draft resolution
Further promotion of equalization of opportunities by, for and
with persons with disabilities and protection of their human rights
The Commission for Social Development recommends to the Economic and
Social Council the adoption of the following draft resolution:
Further promotion of equalization of opportunities by, for and with persons with
disabilities and protection of their human rights
The Economic and Social Council,
Reaffirming the principles and purposes of the Charter of the United Nations
and recalling the obligations contained in the relevant human rights instruments,
Recalling General Assembly resolutions 37/52 of 3 December 1982, by which
it adopted the World Programme of Action concerning Disabled Persons,1 48/96 of
20 December 1993, by which it adopted the Standard Rules on the Equalization of
Opportunities for Persons with Disabilities, and 56/115 of 19 December 2001,
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* In accordance with rule 69 of the rules of procedure of the functional commissions of the
Economic and Social Council.
1 A/37/351/Add.1 and Corr.1, annex, sect. VIII, recommendation I (IV).

E/CN.5/2002/L.4/Rev.1
Recalling also Economic and Social Council resolution 2000/10 of 27 July
2000 on equalization of opportunities for persons with disabilities and Commission
on Human Rights resolution 2000/51 of 25 April 2000 on the human rights of
persons with disabilities,2 and other relevant resolutions of the General Assembly,
the Economic and Social Council and its functional commissions,
Noting general comment No. 5 of the Committee on Economic, Social and
Cultural Rights on persons with disabilities of 25 November 1994,3
Mindful of the important role played by the Convention on the Elimination of
All Forms of Discrimination against Women4 and the Convention on the Rights of
the Child,5
Recalling General Assembly resolution 56/168 of 19 December 2001, by
which it decided to establish an Ad Hoc Committee to consider proposals for a
comprehensive and integral international convention to protect and promote the
rights and dignity of persons with disabilities,
Recalling the Commission on Human Rights resolution 2000/51, in which it
requested a study on the adequacy of instruments in respect of the protection and
monitoring of the human rights of persons with disabilities,
Welcoming the cooperation between the Commission on Human Rights and the
Special Rapporteur on Disability of the Commission for Social Development in
sharing experiences and knowledge,
Noting with grave concern that persons with disabilities in some circumstances
are among the poorest of the poor and continue to be excluded from the benefits of
development, such as education and access to gainful employment,
Mindful of the need to adopt and implement effective strategies and policies 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, in
order to achieve a society for all,
Noting with satisfaction that the Standard Rules play an increasingly important
role in the equalization of opportunities for persons with disabilities and that the
issue of human rights and dignity of persons with disabilities is being addressed and
promoted in an increasing number of forums,
Noting the important efforts of Governments to implement the Standard Rules,
Noting also the important contributions made by various national and regional
forums, expert group meetings and other activities in promoting the implementation
of the Standard Rules,
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2 See Official Records of the Economic and Social Council, 2000, Supplement No. 3 (E/2000/23),
chap. II, sect. A.
3 Ibid., 1995, Supplement No. 2 (E/1995/22), annex IV.
4 General Assembly resolution 34/180, annex.
5 General Assembly resolution 44/25, annex.

E/CN.5/2002/L.4/Rev.1
Appreciating the active role played by non-governmental organizations, in
particular organizations of persons with disabilities, in cooperation with
Governments and relevant intergovernmental bodies and organizations, to promote
awareness and support implementation and evaluation of the Standard Rules at the
national, regional and international levels,
1. Welcomes the work of the Special Rapporteur on Disability of the
Commission for Social Development, and takes note of his third periodic report,
including the elaboration of recommendations for future action and supports his
proposals of mainstreaming disability issues;6
2. Takes note with appreciation of the important efforts of Governments as
well as non-governmental organizations and academic institutions during the
missions of the Special Rapporteur to build capacities to implement the Standard
Rules on the Equalization of Opportunities for Persons with Disabilities at the
national, regional and interregional levels;
3. Welcomes the many initiatives and actions of Governments to implement
further the goal of full participation and equality for persons with disabilities in
accordance with the Standard Rules and the significant role played by the United
Nations system, including the Bretton Woods institutions, as well as nongovernmental
organizations, in this regard;
4. Urges Governments, intergovernmental organizations and nongovernmental
organizations to take practical action to create greater awareness and
support for the further implementation of the Standard Rules, to suggest measures
for the further promotion and protection of the human rights of persons with
disabilities, to improve cooperation within the United Nations system in the field of
disability and to find forms for future monitoring of the Standard Rules;
5. Urges Governments to ensure that persons with disabilities have equal
access to education, health, employment, social services, housing, public transport,
information, legal protection and political decision-making processes;
6. Invites multilateral development agencies, in the light of the Standard
Rules, to pay due attention to disability-related human rights issues in connection
with the projects they fund;
7. Requests the Secretary-General to strengthen and improve mechanisms
for consultation, the exchange of information and coordination, as appropriate, and
active participation of the relevant United Nations bodies, specialized agencies and
related organizations to further implement the Standard Rules;
8. Invites the relevant bodies and organizations of the United Nations
system, including relevant human rights treaty bodies within the respective
mandates, and urges the regional commissions, intergovernmental organizations, as
well as non-governmental organizations, in particular organizations of persons with
disabilities, to work closely with the United Nations Programme on persons with
disabilities to promote the rights of persons with disabilities, including activities at
the field level, by sharing knowledge, experiences, results and recommendations
concerning persons with disabilities;
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E/CN.5/2002/L.4/Rev.1
9. Encourages Governments, the United Nations system, including the
Bretton Woods institutions, to enhance cooperation with organizations of persons
with disabilities and other organizations concerned with disability issues so as to
implement the Standard Rules in an effective and coordinated manner;
10. Encourages States parties to the relevant treaty bodies to include in their
reports specific information on persons with disabilities to ensure that the human
rights of persons with disabilities are appropriately addressed; general comment
No. 5 of the Committee on the Economic Social and Cultural Rights could serve as a
mainstreaming model on disability issues;
11. Decides to renew the mandate for the Special Rapporteur for a period
through the year 2005 to further the promotion and monitoring of the Standard
Rules in accordance with the provisions set down in section 4 of the Standard Rules,
including the human rights dimensions of disability, and to submit to the
Commission on Human Rights the report of the Special Rapporteur and the
considerations of the Commission for Social Development thereon;
12. Requests the Secretary-General to seek the views of Member States on
the proposals in the report of the Special Rapporteur, especially on the suggested
supplement to the Standard Rules, and to submit a substantive report to the
Commission at its forty-second session;
13. Recommends that the Ad Hoc Committee, set up by the General
Assembly in its resolution 56/168 consider proposals for a convention taking into
account the relationship with relevant human rights instruments and the Standard
Rules and in so doing to carefully study the report and proposals made by the
Special Rapporteur at the fortieth session of the Commission for Social
Development6 and the study commissioned by the Office of the United Nations High
Commissioner for Human Rights, as well as the views of the Member States,
international organizations and non-governmental organizations, in particular
organizations of persons with disabilities, on these proposals;
14. Encourages Governments, the United Nations system, including the
Bretton Woods institutions, as well as non-governmental organizations, in particular
organizations of persons with disabilities, to take active part in the work of the Ad
Hoc Committee, in accordance with the standard practice of the General Assembly;
15. Further encourages Governments, as well as non-governmental
organizations and the private sector, to continue to contribute to the United Nations
Voluntary Fund on Disability in order to support the activities of the Special
Rapporteur as well as new and expanded initiatives to strengthen national capacities
for equalization of opportunities by, for and with persons with disabilities.