56/115. Implementation of the World Programme of
Action concerning Disabled Persons:
towards a society for all in the twenty-first century
Resolution adopted by the General Assembly
[on the report of the Third Committee (A/56/572)]
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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 Women [1] 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,
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 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-General [6] 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;
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
non-governmental 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
fifty-eighth 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
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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.
5 See A/56/169 and Corr.1, paras. 25 and 26.
6 A/56/169 and Corr.1.
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