Human Rights Council

Forty- fo u rth session

30 June–17 July 2020

Agenda item 3

Promotion and protection of all human rights, civil, political, economic, social and cultural rights, including the right to development

Resolution adopted by the Human Rights Council on 16 July 2020

4 4 / 10. Special Rapporteur on the rights of persons wit h disabilities

The Human Rights Council,

Guided bythe 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,

Recalling also the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the commitment therein to leave no one behind,

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 Security Council resolution 2475 (2019) of 20 June 2019, in which the Council addressed the disproportionate impact of armed conflict and related humanitarian crises on persons with disabilities,

Recalling also that the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction 2015–2030 promotes disability-inclusive and accessible disaster risk reduction practices,

Recalling further 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 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 also its resolutions 26/20 of 27 June 2014 and 35/6 of 22 June 2017,

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 (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, including in humanitarian situations;

(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 contribute closely in the implementation of the United Nations Disability Inclusion Strategy and other efforts for ensuring that the United Nations system is fit for purpose in relation to disability inclusion;

(g)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, funds and programmes, 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;

(h)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;

(i)To integrate a gender perspective throughout the work of the mandate and to address the multiple, intersecting and aggravated forms of discrimination faced by persons with disabilities;

(j)To continue to report annually to the Human Rights Council and to the General Assembly, 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, funds and programmes, 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.

27th meeting 16 July 2020

[Adopted without a vote.]