Persons with Albinism

Urges Member States to continue to meet their obligations to uphold the human rights of all persons, including persons with albinism, including the rights to life, liberty, security of person, education, work, an adequate standard of living and the enjoyment of the highest attainable standard of physical and mental health;

Encourages Member States to adequately support programmes developed under their national action plans by providing adequate financial and human resources to ensure their effective implementation;

Also encourages Member States to address the root causes of discrimination and violence against persons with albinism, including through awareness-raising campaigns, the dissemination of accurate information on albinism and other measures, such as the integration of albinism into education curricula, and to collaborate with organizations representing persons with albinism, including civil society organizations, as appropriate, in their efforts to drive public awareness on albinism;

Further encourages Member States to end impunity for violence against persons with albinism, including sexual and gender-based violence, by amending laws, where applicable, and by bringing perpetrators to justice;

Calls upon Member States to work to ensure accountability through the conduct of impartial, speedy and effective investigations into crimes and attacks against persons with albinism falling within their jurisdiction, to hold those responsible accountable and to ensure that victims, survivors and family members have access to appropriate remedies, as well as accessible therapy and psychosocial, socioeconomic, legal and medical support, as appropriate;

Encourages Member States to take effective steps to promote regional cooperation for the prevention, detection, investigation, prosecution and punishment of cross-border crimes affecting persons with albinism, notably trafficking of persons, children and body parts;

Calls upon the international community to provide financial and technical assistance to Member States, upon their request, in support of measures to prevent and combat discrimination against persons with albinism, including strengthening the capacity of their healthcare systems to provide affordable dermatological and ophthalmological services;

Calls upon Member States to provide accessible, affordable and quality healthcare for persons with albinism, with particular attention to skin cancer prevention and treatment, eye care and the provision of assistive devices, such as glasses and magnifiers, and the inclusion of such services in health coverage, and to provide access to information on proper skin and eye care, and also calls for further investment in dermatology and ophthalmology training, mobile clinics in remote areas and mental health and psychosocial support;

Also calls upon Member States to facilitate equity, social justice and social protection mechanisms to ensure universal and equitable access to timely and quality healthcare and social services, including individualized support services, without financial hardship for persons with albinism, as well as the elimination of the root causes of discrimination and stigma in healthcare settings, including during pandemics and other health emergencies;

Encourages Member States and relevant United Nations agencies to collect, compile and disseminate disaggregated data on persons with albinism, where applicable, to identify patterns of discrimination and assess progress towards the improvement of their status;

Encourages Member States to develop, if necessary, policies and measures to address the social development challenges faced by persons with albinism, who may require assistance in order to enjoy equal access to benefits and services, notably in the fields of education, employment and health, and to promote their participation in political, civil, economic, social and cultural life;

Also encourages Member States to adopt and implement policies aimed at protecting persons with albinism from the adverse effects of environmental factors, inter alia, climate change, including through awareness-raising, access to resources for protection from ultraviolet light, and their inclusion in national climate adaptation and resilience strategies;

Recommends that the international community foster scientific and technological progress and promote digital literacy and equitable access to relevant innovations for persons with albinism, in line with the principles of inclusivity and non‑discrimination;

Calls upon Member States to support the participation of persons with albinism in social, economic, political, civil and cultural life, as well as their consultation and active involvement in the design, implementation and evaluation of laws, policies, campaigns and training programmes, and further urges Member States to implement, if necessary, national measures to ensure that persons with albinism are not left behind, recognizing that persons with albinism are often disproportionately affected by poverty, discrimination and lack of decent work and employment, to commit to working towards the social integration of persons with albinism in a manner that respects, protects and promotes their human rights and fundamental freedoms, without discrimination of any kind, and to raise community awareness to safeguard their dignity and safety, including by amending laws, where applicable, to counter cyberbullying and bring perpetrators to justice;

Requests the Secretary-General to submit a report to the General Assembly at the main part of its eighty-second session, under the item entitled “Social development”, on the various social development challenges faced by persons with albinism, taking into consideration the specific needs of women and children, including those related to social inclusion, health, education and employment, and measures taken, with recommendations for further action to be taken by Member States and other relevant stakeholders to address identified challenges, and encourages the Secretary-General to collect information from Member States and all relevant organizations and bodies of the United Nations system in the preparation of the report;