A/RES/48/96 Page 10 Having regard to the commitment made by States concerning the protection of the environment, Mindful of the devastation caused by armed conflict and deploring the use of scarce resources in the production of weapons, Recognizing that the World Programme of Action concerning Disabled Persons and the definition therein of equalization of opportunities represent earnest ambitions on the part of the international community to render those various international instruments and recommendations of practical and concrete significance, Acknowledging that the objective of the United Nations Decade of Disabled Persons (1983-1992) to implement the World Programme of Action is still valid and requires urgent and continued action, Recalling that the World Programme of Action is based on concepts that are equally valid in developing and industrialized countries, Convinced that intensified efforts are needed to achieve the full and equal enjoyment of human rights and participation in society by persons with disabilities, Re-emphasizing that persons with disabilities, and their parents, guardians, advocates and organizations, must be active partners with States in the planning and implementation of all measures affecting their civil, political, economic, social and cultural rights, In pursuance of Economic and Social Council resolution 1990/26, and basing themselves on the specific measures required for the attainment by persons with disabilities of equality with others, enumerated in detail in the World Programme of Action, Have adopted the Standard Rules on the Equalization of Opportunities for Persons with Disabilities outlined below, in order: (a) To stress that all action in the field of disability presupposes adequate knowledge and experience of the conditions and special needs of persons with disabilities; (b) To emphasize that the process through which every aspect of societal organization is made accessible to all is a basic objective of socio-economic development; (c) To outline crucial aspects of social policies in the field of disability, including, as appropriate, the active encouragement of technical and economic cooperation; To provide models for the political decision-making process (d) required for the attainment of equal opportunities, bearing in mind the widely differing technical and economic levels, the fact that the process must reflect keen understanding of the cultural context within which it takes place and the crucial role of persons with disabilities in it; /...