27 July 1993

43rd plenary meeting

Development of a plan of action to implement the long-term strategy to further the implementation of the World Programme of Action concerning Disabled Persons

The Economic and Social Council

Recalling General Assembly resolution 45/91 of 14 December 1990, in which the Assembly invited Member States, specialized agencies and other organizations and bodies of the United Nations system and intergovernmental and non-governmental organizations to implement the agenda for action until the end of the United Nations Decade of Disabled Persons and beyond and the preliminary outline of a long-term strategy to the year 2000 and beyond: a society for all,

Taking note of the deliberations of the General Assembly at its forty-seventh session and of the Commission for Social Development at its thirty-third session on the subject of the long-term strategy,

Emphasizing the need to take rapid action in this connection,

Recalling its resolution 1991/9 of 30 May 1991, in which it recommended that a meeting of experts, to be funded by voluntary contributions, be held in conjunction with the conference entitled "Independence 1992", to be organized in Canada, with the primary objective of drawing up a long-term strategy to implement the World Programme of Action concerning Disabled Persons to the year 2000 and beyond,

Taking note with appreciation of the report of the United Nations Expert Group Meeting on a Long-Term Strategy to Further the Implementation of the World Programme of Action concerning Disabled Persons to the Year 2000 and Beyond, held at Vancouver from 25 to 29 April 1992, and of the important input of non-governmental organizations of persons with disabilities,

Recognizing that the report represents a significant step forward in the development of the plan of action to implement the long-term strategy,

1. Requests the Secretary-General to seek the views of Member States on the framework outlined in the report of the United Nations Expert Group Meeting on a Long-Term Strategy to Further the Implementation of the World Programme of Action concerning Disabled Persons to the Year 2000 and Beyond;

2. Also requests the Secretary-General to develop a draft plan of action based on those views, the World Programme of Action concerning Disabled Persons, the report of the Expert Group Meeting referred to in paragraph 1 above, the report of the ad hoc open-ended working group to elaborate standard rules on the equalization of opportunities for disabled persons and other recent developments, as appropriate;

3. Recommends that the draft plan of action include priorities and a time-frame for implementation and be submitted to the General Assembly for consideration at its forty-eighth session and for approval at its forty-ninth session;

4. Requests that the draft plan of action be developed in consultation with the international non-governmental organizations of persons with disabilities having consultative status with the Economic and Social Council.