United Nations
General Assembly
A/RES/59/198
Distr.: General
22 March 2005
Fifty-ninth session
Agenda item 105 (b)
Resolution adopted by the General Assembly on 20 December 2004
[on the report of the Third Committee (A/59/503/Add.2)]
59/198. Ad Hoc Committee on a Comprehensive and Integral
International Convention on the Protection and Promotion
of the Rights and Dignity of Persons with Disabilities
The General Assembly,
Recalling its resolution 56/168 of 19 December 2001, by which it decided to
establish an Ad Hoc Committee, open to the participation of all Member States and
observers to the United Nations, to consider proposals for a comprehensive and
integral international convention to promote and protect the rights and dignity of
persons with disabilities, based on a holistic approach in the work done in the fields
of social development, human rights and non-discrimination and taking into account
the recommendations of the Commission on Human Rights and the Commission for
Social Development,
Recalling also its resolution 58/246 of 23 December 2003, as well as relevant
resolutions of the Commission for Social Development and the Commission on
Human Rights,
Reaffirming the universality, indivisibility and interdependence of all human
rights and fundamental freedoms and the need for persons with disabilities to be
guaranteed their full enjoyment without discrimination,
Convinced of the contribution that a convention can make in this regard, and
encouraged by the increased support of the international community for such a
convention,
Stressing the importance of the active participation of intergovernmental and
non-governmental organizations and national human rights institutions in the work
of the Ad Hoc Committee, and their valuable contribution to the promotion of the
full enjoyment of all human rights and fundamental freedoms by persons with
disabilities,
Underlining the importance of the participation of the Special Rapporteur on
disability of the Commission for Social Development in the work of the Ad Hoc
Committee,
Recognizing the important contributions made thus far to the Ad Hoc
Committee by all stakeholders,
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