Human rights and disability.
| Publisher | UN Commission on Human Rights |
| Author | UN Commission on Human Rights (51st sess. : 1995 : Geneva) |
| Publication Date | 3 March 1995 |
| Citation / Document Symbol | E/CN.4/RES/1995/58 |
| Reference | 51 |
| Cite as | UN Commission on Human Rights, Human rights and disability., 3 March 1995, E/CN.4/RES/1995/58, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/3b00f02833.html [accessed 6 June 2023] |
Human rights and disability
Commission on Human Rights resolution 1995/58
The Commission on Human Rights, Mindful of the pledge made by States, under the Charter of the United Nations, to take action jointly and separately, in cooperation with the United Nations, in order to promote a better quality of life, full employment, and conditions of economic and social progress and development, Welcoming the unreserved reaffirmation in the Vienna Declaration and Programme of Action (A/CONF.157/23) of the human rights and fundamental freedoms of persons with disabilities and the recognition in the Programme of Action of the International Conference on Population and Development (A/CONF.171/13, chap. I, resolution 1, annex) of a pressing need for, inter alia, the realization of the goals of full participation and equality for persons with disabilities, Recalling General Assembly resolution 48/96 of 20 December 1993, in which the Assembly adopted the Standard Rules on the Equalization of Opportunities for Persons with Disabilities, and in particular the decision to appoint, within the framework of the Commission for Social Development, a special rapporteur to monitor the implementation of the Standard Rules (annex, section IV, para. 2), Reaffirming the continuing validity and value of the World Programme of Action concerning Disabled Persons, which provides a firm and innovative framework for disability-related issues, Re-emphasizing the responsibility of Governments for removing or facilitating the removal, as far as possible, of barriers and obstacles to the full integration and participation of persons with disabilities in society, and supporting their efforts to develop national policies to reach specific objectives, Recognizing the contribution of non-governmental organizations, especially organizations of persons with disabilities, in the global effort to bring about full participation and equality for persons with disabilities, Aware of the major obstacles to the implementation of the World Programme of Action concerning Disabled Persons, foremost among these being an inadequate allocation of resources, Noting the Centre for Human Rights publication Human Rights and Disabled Persons (United Nations publication, Sales No. E.92.XIV.4) by Mr. Leandro Despouy, Special Rapporteur of the Subcommission on Prevention of Discrimination and Protection of Minorities, in which international mechanisms for the protection of persons with disabilities, such as an ombudsman, are proposed, Having due regard to the preconditions for equal participation set out under section I of the Standard Rules, including national action to raise awareness in society about persons with disabilities, their rights, their needs, their potential and the need to realize these, to recognize their contributions, to provide effective medical care, including mental health care, to ensure rehabilitative services, to establish and maintain support services, including the provision of devices to assist persons with disabilities, and to help them to increase their level of independence in their daily living and to exercise their rights,1. Calls upon the Secretary-General to maintain the integrity of programmes within the United Nations system relating to persons with disabilities, including the United Nations Voluntary Fund on Disability, in order to promote the rights and the equalization of opportunities and full inclusion within societies of persons with disabilities;
2. Welcomes the work done by the Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights to draw attention to the recommendations of the Special Rapporteur on disability of the Committee for Social Development;
3. Encourages all the human rights treaty-monitoring bodies to respond positively to its invitation to monitor the compliance of States with their commitments under the relevant human rights instruments in order to ensure the full enjoyment of those rights by persons with disabilities;
4. Calls upon States to cooperate fully with the Special Rapporteur, to meet his requests for information and to provide relevant data to the Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights;
5. Notes with appreciation that a number of Member States have made, or have indicated their intention to make, contributions to support the work of the Special Rapporteur;
6. Urges all Governments to implement, with the cooperation and assistance of organizations, the Standard Rules on the Equalization of Opportunities for Persons with Disabilities;
7. Invites Governments and the private sector to provide meaningful assistance to the United Nations Voluntary Fund on Disability, with a view to providing additional support for the implementation of the Standard Rules, within the context of the World Programme of Action concerning Disabled Persons;
8. Urges non-governmental organizations active in the protection and promotion of persons with disabilities to provide relevant information to the Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights and to the Centre for Human Rights;
9. Requests the Secretary-General to ensure appropriate support for the effective functioning of the long-term strategy to implement the World Programme of Action concerning Disabled Persons to the Year 2000 and Beyond (A/49/435, annex);
10. Encourages the Secretary-General and the United Nations agencies concerned to finalize, in consultation with Member States, the development of a global disability indicator in the Commission on Social Development, and also encourages the Special Rapporteur to make use of it, where appropriate, in his future work;
11. Encourages the consideration during major forthcoming events, including the World Summit for Social Development and the Fourth World Conference on Women: Action for Equality, Development and Peace, of disability issues relevant to the subject-matter of those events;
12. Requests the Secretary-General to report biennially to the General Assembly on the progress of efforts to ensure the full recognition and enjoyment of the human rights of persons with disabilities;
13. Reaffirms its commitment to ensuring that the rights of persons with disabilities and their concerns for full participation in community affairs continue to be addressed in all of its work;
14. Decides to continue to consider the question at its fifty-second session under the agenda item entitled "Report of the Subcommission on Prevention of Discrimination and Protection of Minorities".
53rd meeting, 3 March 1995 [Adopted without a vote]