General Assembly adopts dedicated resolution on the JIU review on enhancing accessibility for persons with disabilities to conferences and meetings of the United Nations system

On 27 December 2019, the United Nations General Assembly adopted a dedicated resolution (A/RES/74/253) on the review of the Joint Inspection Unit on the topic of enhancing accessibility for persons with disabilities to conferences and meetings of the United Nations system (JIU/REP/2018/6). The draft of the resolution, tabled by the Group of 77, was approved without a vote by the Fifth Committee of the General Assembly following informal consultations, before being adopted by the General Assembly on the same day.

In addition to noting the report with appreciation, the resolution urges the Secretary-General to implement all 10 recommendations contained in the report in a timely manner, and invites the executive heads and the legislative bodies of the United Nations system organizations to address the relevant recommendations in their organizations. The resolution also requests the Secretary-General to submit to the General Assembly at the main part of its seventy-fifth session a progress report on the implementation of the resolution.

The resolution marks the first instance, since 2004, of the General Assembly adopting a dedicated resolution on a JIU report. The JIU has brought the resolution to the attention of governing bodies, executive heads and senior management in its participating organizations, with the request to ensure that necessary follow-up action is taken to ensure the implementation of its recommendations.

For a snapshot of the JIU report on accessibility, including an Easy Read version of the executive summary, please read the review highlights here

To read the draft version of the resolution click here

UN Photo by Manuel Elias.