A/HRC/RES/31/6
Optional Protocol thereto,2 and the work of the Committee on the Rights of Persons with
Disabilities, the Special Rapporteur, the Special Envoy of the Secretary-General on
Disability and Accessibility, the Inter-Agency Support Group on the Convention on the
Rights of Persons with Disabilities and the International Red Cross and Red Crescent
Movement,
Noting the preparations for the Social Forum of the Human Rights Council, which
will be held from 3 to 5 October 2016 in Geneva and will focus on the promotion and full
and equal enjoyment of all human rights and fundamental freedoms by all persons with
disabilities in the context of the tenth anniversary of the adoption of the Convention on the
Rights of Persons with Disabilities,
1.
Welcomes the fact that, to date, 160 States have signed and 161 States and
one regional integration organization have ratified or acceded to the Convention on the
Rights of Persons with Disabilities, and that 92 States have signed and 88 States have
ratified or acceded to the Optional Protocol to the Convention, and calls upon those States
and regional integration organizations that have not yet ratified or acceded to the
Convention and the Optional Protocol to consider doing so as a matter of priority;
2.
Encourages States that have ratified the Convention and have submitted one
or more reservations to it to initiate a process to review regularly the effect and continued
relevance of such reservations, and to consider the possibility of withdrawing them;
3.
Welcomes the thematic study on the rights of persons with disabilities under
article 11 of the Convention, on situations of risk and humanitarian emergencies, prepared
by the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, 3 and calls upon
States and all relevant stakeholders to consider its findings and recommendations with a
view to implementing these recommendations as appropriate;
4.
Calls upon States that are not yet party to the Convention, in accordance with
their obligations under international law, including international humanitarian law and
human rights law, to take all measures necessary to ensure the protection and safety of
persons with disabilities in situations of risk, including situations of armed conflict,
humanitarian emergencies and the occurrence of natural disasters;
5.
Calls upon States and all relevant stakeholders to take effective and
appropriate steps to facilitate the protection and safety of persons with disabilities in
situations of risk, including situations of armed conflict, humanitarian emergencies and the
occurrence of natural disasters, having regard for the measures contemplated by the
Convention, and urges States and all relevant stakeholders, in furtherance of this objective,
to, inter alia:
(a)
Promote active participation of and meaningful consultation with persons
with disabilities and their representative organizations, including women, men, boys and
girls with disabilities of all ages, at all levels in a manner consistent with article 4 (3) of the
Convention;
(b)
Take into account persons with disabilities in their planning, response and
recovery actions in situations of risk, including situations of armed conflict, humanitarian
emergencies and the occurrence of natural disasters, to identify and eliminate obstacles and
barriers to ensuring their safety;
2
3
A/69/284.
A/HRC/31/30.
3