As the Decade drew to a close in 1990, the Economic and Social Council, in its first regular session, agreed on the elaboration of the Standard Rules as an alternative to a convention.
By resolution 1990/25 of May 24, 1990, the Council authorized the Commission for Socail Development to consider at its 32nd session the establishment of a special open-ended working group of government al experts, financed from voluntary contributions, to draft standard rules for the equalization of opportunities for persons with disabilities in close cooperation with non-governmental organzations and the organizations of the UN system. The Council requested the Commission to complete the text by 1993 in order to present it to the General Assembly at its 48th session.
The Commission approved the establishment of the working group and the drafting process began.
