RES/35/6 Special Rapporteur on the rights of persons with disabilities

GE.17-11503(E)

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Human Rights Council Thirty-fifth session

6–23 June 2017

Agenda item 3

Resolution adopted by the Human Rights Council on 22 June 2017

35/6. Special Rapporteur on the rights of persons with disabilities

The Human Rights Council,

Guided by the purposes and principles of the Charter of the United Nations, and

guided also by the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, the Convention on the Rights of

Persons with Disabilities and other relevant human rights instruments,

Recalling the universality, indivisibility, interdependence and interrelatedness of all

human rights and fundamental freedoms and the need for persons with disabilities to be

guaranteed the full enjoyment of their rights and freedoms without discrimination of any

kind,

Deeply concerned that, in all parts of the world, persons with disabilities continue to

face barriers in their participation as equal members of society and violations of their

human rights, and conscious that greater attention and commitment is needed to address

these challenges,

Recalling all previous resolutions adopted by the General Assembly, the

Commission on Human Rights and the Human Rights Council on the rights of persons with

disabilities,

Recalling also its resolutions 5/1, on institution-building of the Human Rights

Council, and 5/2, on the Code of Conduct for Special Procedures Mandate Holders of the

Council, of 18 June 2007, and stressing that the mandate holder shall discharge his or her

duties in accordance with those resolutions and the annexes thereto,

Recalling further its resolution 26/20 of 27 June 2014,

1. Reaffirms the obligation of States to take all appropriate measures to

eliminate discrimination against persons with disabilities and to promote, protect and

respect their human rights;

2. Welcomes the work of the Special Rapporteur on the rights of persons with

disabilities;

3. Decides to extend the mandate of the Special Rapporteur on the rights of

persons with disabilities for a further period of three years, with the following mandate:

(a) To develop a regular dialogue and to consult with States and other relevant

stakeholders, including United Nations agencies, programmes and funds, regional human

rights mechanisms, national human rights institutions, national independent monitoring

frameworks designated under article 33, paragraph 2, of the Convention on the Rights of

Persons with Disabilities, persons with disabilities and their representative organizations,

and other civil society organizations, to identify, exchange and promote good practices

relating to the realization of the rights of persons with disabilities and their participation as

equal members of society;

(b) To gather, request, receive and exchange information and communications

from and with States and other relevant sources, including persons with disabilities and

their representative organizations and other civil society organizations, on violations of the

rights of persons with disabilities;

(c) To make concrete recommendations on how to better promote and protect the

human rights of persons with disabilities, including on eliminating discrimination, violence

and social exclusion, how to contribute to the realization of the internationally agreed

development goals for persons with disabilities, in the Sustainable Development Goals, and

related data-collection efforts, how to promote development that is inclusive of and

accessible to persons with disabilities, and how to promote their role as both agents for and

beneficiaries of development;

(d) To conduct, facilitate and support the provision of advisory services,

technical assistance, capacity-building and international cooperation in support of national

efforts for the effective realization of the rights of persons with disabilities;

(e) To raise awareness of the rights of persons with disabilities, to combat

stigma, stereotypes, prejudices, segregation and all harmful practices that hinder their

opportunity to fully enjoy their human rights to participate in society on an equal basis with

others, to promote awareness of their positive contributions and to inform persons with

disabilities about their rights;

(f) To work closely with the special procedures and other human rights

mechanisms of the Human Rights Council, the treaty bodies, in particular the Committee on

the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, and other relevant United Nations agencies,

programmes and funds, including the United Nations Partnership to Promote the Rights of

Persons with Disabilities, and the Special Envoy of the Secretary-General on Disability and

Accessibility with a view to avoiding unnecessary duplication, including in relation to

communications;

(g) To cooperate closely with the Conference of States Parties to the Convention

on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities and the Commission for Social Development,

including by participating in their annual sessions upon request;

(h) To integrate a gender perspective throughout the work of the mandate and to

address multiple, intersecting and aggravated forms of discrimination faced by persons with

disabilities;

(i) To report annually to the Human Rights Council, starting from its thirty-

seventh session, and to the General Assembly, starting from its seventy-second session, in

accessible formats, including Braille and easy-to-read reports, and international sign

language interpretation and closed captioning during the presentation of the reports, and in

accordance with their respective programmes of work;

4. Calls upon all States to cooperate with the Special Rapporteur in the

performance of his or her mandate, including by providing all necessary information

requested, to give serious consideration to responding favourably to his or her requests to

visit their countries, and to consider the conclusions and appropriate follow-up, and

implementing the recommendations made by the mandate holder in his or her reports;

5. Encourages all relevant stakeholders, including United Nations agencies,

programmes and funds, regional human rights mechanisms, national human rights

institutions, national independent monitoring frameworks, the private sector, donors and

development agencies to cooperate fully with the Special Rapporteur to enable the mandate

holder to fulfil his or her mandate;

6. Calls upon those States that have not yet done so to consider ratifying or

acceding to the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities and the Optional

Protocol thereto as a matter of priority;

7. Requests the Secretary-General to bring the reports of the Special Rapporteur

to the attention of the Committee on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, the Conference

of States Parties and the Commission for Social Development for their information and to

avoid unnecessary duplication;

8. Requests the Secretary-General and the United Nations High Commissioner

for Human Rights to provide the Special Rapporteur with all the human, technical and

financial resources necessary for the effective fulfilment of his or her mandate.

34th meeting

22 June 2017

[Adopted without a vote.]