IV 
109TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION 
H. CON. RES. 134 
Expressing the sense of Congress that the United States should play a 
leading role in the drafting and adoption of a thematic United Nations 
convention that affirms the human rights and dignity of persons with 
disabilities, and for other purposes. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
APRIL 19, 2005 
Mr. LANTOS (for himself, Mr. HYDE, Mr. LANGEVIN, and Mr. SMITH of New 
Jersey) submitted the following concurrent resolution; which was referred 
to the Committee on International Relations 
CONCURRENT RESOLUTION 
Expressing the sense of Congress that the United States 
should play a leading role in the drafting and adoption 
of a thematic United Nations convention that affirms 
the human rights and dignity of persons with disabilities, 
and for other purposes. 
Whereas all people are endowed with an inestimable dignity, 
which is based on autonomy and self-determination, and 
which requires that every person be placed at the center 
of all decisions affecting such person, and the inherent 
equality of all people and the ethical requirement of every 
society to honor and sustain the freedom of any indi-
vidual with appropriate communal support; 
Whereas more than 600,000,000 people have a disability;
•HCON 134 IH 
Whereas more than two-thirds of all persons with disabilities 
live in developing countries, and only 2 percent of chil-
dren with disabilities in the developing world receive any 
education or rehabilitation; 
Whereas during the last 2 decades, a substantial shift has oc-
curred globally in governmental and nongovernmental in-
stitutions from an approach of charity toward persons 
with disabilities to the recognition of the inherent uni-
versal human rights of persons with disabilities; 
Whereas the United Nations has authoritatively endorsed and 
helped to advance progress toward realizing the human 
rights of persons with disabilities, as exemplified by the 
United Nations Standard Rules on the Equalization of 
Opportunities for Persons with Disabilities (adopted by 
the United Nations General Assembly in Resolution 48/ 
96 of December 20, 1993), which are monitored by a 
United Nations Special Rapporteur; 
Whereas because of the slow and uneven progress of ensuring 
that persons with disabilities enjoy their universal human 
rights in law and in practice, every society and the inter-
national community remain challenged to identify and 
implement the processes which best protect the dignity of 
persons with disabilities and which fully implement their 
inherent human rights; 
Whereas in his second inaugural address, President George 
W. Bush stated that: ‘‘From the day of our Founding, 
we have proclaimed that every man and woman on this 
earth has rights, and dignity, and matchless value, be-
cause they bear the image of the Maker of Heaven and 
earth. Across the generations we have proclaimed the im-
perative of self-government, because no one is fit to be 
a master, and no one deserves to be a slave. [. . .] So
•HCON 134 IH 
it is the policy of the United States to seek and support 
the growth of democratic movements and institutions in 
every nation and culture, with the ultimate goal of ending 
tyranny in our world.’’; 
Whereas the protection of human rights, self-determination, 
and full and equal participation in democratic processes 
and the encouragement of free and fair global economic 
development have long been the cornerstones of the for-
eign policy of the United States; 
Whereas with the strong commitment and leadership of the 
United States and the vast domestic experience of the 
United States in the advancement of disability rights, the 
world community can benefit from United States partici-
pation in the drafting of a proposed United Nations con-
vention that affirms the human rights and dignity of per-
sons with disabilities; and 
Whereas, accordingly, the United Nations General Assembly 
in November 2001, adopted an historic resolution to es-
tablish an ad hoc committee open to all United Nations 
member nations to consider proposals for a comprehen-
sive and integral treaty to protect and promote the rights 
and dignity of persons with disabilities: Now, therefore, 
be it 
Resolved by the House of Representatives (the Senate 
concurring), That it is the sense of Congress that— 
(1) the United States should play a leading role 
in the drafting and adoption of a thematic United 
Nations convention that affirms the human rights 
and dignity of persons with disabilities, and that—
•HCON 134 IH 
(A) is consistent with the spirit of the 
American with Disabilities Act of 1990, the 
United States Constitution, and other rights en-
joyed by United States citizens with disabilities; 
(B) promotes inclusion, independence, po-
litical enfranchisement, and economic self-suffi-
ciency 
of 
persons 
with 
disabilities 
as 
foundational requirements for any free and just 
society; and 
(C) provides protections that are at least 
as strong as the rights that are now recognized 
under international human rights law for other 
vulnerable populations; and 
(2) the President should instruct the Secretary 
of State to send to the United Nations Ad Hoc Com-
mittee meetings a United States delegation that in-
cludes individuals with disabilities who are recog-
nized leaders in the United States disability rights 
movement. 
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