24 May 1984

Meeting 20

Human rights violations and disabled persons

The Economic and Social Council,

Recalling its resolution 1983/19 of 26 May 1983,

Having regard to the Declaration on the Rights of Mentally Retarded Persons, the Declaration on the Rights of Disabled Persons and the Declaration on the Rights of Deaf-Blind Persons,

Welcoming the decision of the General Assembly, in its resolution 37/53 of 3 December 1982, to proclaim the period 1983-1992 United Nations Decade of Disabled Persons,

Deeply concerned that serious violations of human rights remain a significant cause of temporary and permanent disability,

1. Encourages the efforts of the Secretary-General to obtain the views of United Nations bodies, specialized agencies, regional intergovernmental organizations, the International Committee of the Red Cross and other concerned non-governmental organizations on ways and means of preventing serious violations of human rights which may cause disabilities;

2. Requests Governments to pay particular attention to ways and means of strengthening procedures whereby disabled persons may seek redress for human rights violations in accordance with resolution 1982/1 of 7 September 1982 of the Sub-Commission on Prevention of Discrimination and Protection of Minorities;

3. Invites Governments, in consultation with organizations of and for disabled persons, to inform the Secretary-General of their views and policies on these issues so that he can transmit them to the Sub-Commission, in accordance with its resolution 1982/1, for consideration at its thirty-seventh session;

4. Requests the Sub-Commission to appoint a special rapporteur to undertake a thorough study, in consultation with the Centre for Social Development and Humanitarian Affairs of the United Nations Secretariat, of the causal connection between serious violations of human rights and fundamental freedoms and disability and of the progress made to alleviate problems, and to submit its views and recommendations, through the Commission on Human Rights and the Commission on Social Development, to the Economic and Social Council at its first regular session of 1986;

5. Decides exceptionally to include in the agenda of its first regular session of 1986 a special item on disabled persons to coincide with the approach, in 1987, of the mid-point of the United Nations Decade of Disabled Persons, in order to allow for a full debate of the Special Rapporteur's report and the views and recommendations of the Sub-Commission, the Commission on Human Rights and the Commission on Social Development on these and related issues.