40th
session of the Commission for Social Development
11-27 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 the 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
Resolution
on further promotion of
equalization of
opportunities by, for and with persons with disabilities
and protection of their human rights
(Click here to download the text in {pdf-format}
{Word-format})
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,
Recalling the purposes and principles of the Charter of the United Nations
and reaffirming the obligations contained in the relevant human rights
instruments, including the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of
Discrimination against Women
and the Convention on the Rights of the Child,
Recalling
General Assembly 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, and 56/115 of
19 December 2001,
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,
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,
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,
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;
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 non-governmental organizations, in this regard;
4.
Urges Governments,
intergovernmental organizations and non-governmental 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;
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;
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
Development
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.
General Assembly resolution 34/180, annex.
General Assembly resolution 44/25, annex.
A/37/351/Add.1 and Corr.1, annex, sect. VIII, recommendation I (IV).
See Official Records of the Economic and Social Council, 2000, Supplement
No. 3 (E/2000/23), chap. II, sect. A.
Ibid., 1995, Supplement No. 2 (E/1995/22), annex IV.
|
