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Help build bottom-up support for the UN Convention on Human Rights for Persons with Disabilities

Friday, March 30, 2007 was the first day countries around the world had an opportunity to sign the UN Convention on Human Rights for Persons with Disabilities - the first international convention EVER to comprehensively address the rights of people with disabilities. And while 81 countries did proudly sign at the signing ceremony in New York City, the United States was not amongst them despite the U.S.'s historic role as a leader in the field of disability and human rights!

Let's get to work to change this!!

You can help generate bottom-up support to help make the case to the President and the Administration that signing this core international human rights convention is a must! You can do this by working right where you are by encouraging your local and state governmental bodies and organizations to pass supporting resolutions endorsing the UN Convention on Human Rights for Persons with Disabilities.

We're seeing this happen in California, and we'd like to see similar efforts spread across the country. The City Council of Santa Cruz, California was the first to take action by passing a resolution in support of the Convention and now the County of Santa Cruz Board of Supervisors, and, not to be outdone, the City and County of San Francisco are working on resolutions, as well.

WHEN TO ACT: Now!

WHO: Get your phone books out and flip to the blue pages in the front, or go to www.whitepages.com. Once on whitepages.com, enter "Government Offices" under the "Business Category" section, and then simply enter your city and state. You'll get quite a list of offices.

Here are some examples of who might be appropriate to contact in your area to help generate bottom-up support for the UN Convention on Human Rights for Persons with Disabilities:

1. Local cities, counties, towns, and other municipalities
2. Local, state, and national organizations that focus on civil and human rights
3. Local disability boards and commissions

WHAT TO DO:

1. 1. Call the offices of these local and state governments, commissions, boards, and organizations and ask to speak to the staff person who handles policy matters or public affairs.
   
   
2. Tell them:
   • You were disappointed that the United States did not sign the UN Convention on Human Rights for Persons with Disabilities at the signing ceremony on March 30, and you want to ensure that they U.S. does sign in coming days.
   • You believe they can play a leadership role in making the case to the President and the Administration that signing the Convention is entirely consistent with American values and with the Americans with Disabilities Act by passing their own supporting resolutions endorsing the Convention.
   • Other local governments have begun to do this and you're happy to offer them what one City Council wrote as a resolution as an example (see the Santa Cruz resolution below as a suggested model).
     
     
3. If they are interested in seeing the Santa Cruz resolution as an example, give them the web address where they can view the resolution online (www.ci.santa-cruz.ca.us/council/resolution/Reso%2027,454.pdf), or offer to email them a copy of the Santa Cruz resolution that is found below (simply cut and paste that portion of the action alert into an email).
   
   
4. Send Sylvia Caras the information of your successful attempts to make this happen. Email her at sylvia@peoplewho.org. Sylvia is a Representative on the International Disability Caucus Steering Committee for the North America Region, and she will keep track of these efforts. We'll use the information to make our case to the President and his Administration that the Convention is widely supported across the country and that the United States should not delay in signing!

MORE INFORMATION:

To read the text of the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities.

For more information on the background of the CRPD, why it is important, how it was negotiated, and the signature and ratification process, please see the Disabled Peoples' International online Ratification Toolkit.

EXAMPLE RESOLUTION FOLLOWS:

RESOLUTION NO. NS-

RESOLUTION OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF SANTA CRUZ SUPPORTING THE UNITED NATIONS CONVENTION ON THE RIGHTS OF PERSONS WITH DISABILITIES

WHEREAS, historically, persons with disabilities have been marginalized, stigmatized and deprived of opportunities and freedoms afforded to individual without disabilities; and

WHEREAS, on December 13, 2006, the United Nations General Assembly adopted by consensus a landmark treaty, the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, to promote and protect the rights of the world's 650 million disabled people; and

WHEREAS, the Convention was the most rapidly negotiated human rights treaty in the history of international law; and

WHEREAS, the Convention is the first human rights treaty of the 21st century; and

WHEREAS, the Convention will require ratifying nations "to promote, protect and ensure the full and equal enjoyment of all human rights and fundamental freedoms by all persons with disabilities, and to promote respect for their inherent dignity" and promote awareness of the capabilities of those who are disabled; and

WHEREAS, the Convention also requires governments to fight stereotypes of people with disabilities; and

WHEREAS, the Convention also recognizes that attitudes need to change if disabled people are to achieve equality; and

WHEREAS, the City of Santa Cruz quickly complied with the regulations for governments when the Americans with Disabilities Act was enacted in 1990; and

WHEREAS, in the 2000 Census, 7,800 City residents reported a disability, which is approximately 15 percent of the City's total population.

NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED by the City Council of the City of Santa Cruz that it supports this Convention, endorses equality of opportunity, and will continue to be responsive to and inclusive of people with disabilities.

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the City Council does hereby authorize the Mayor to communicate the City's support of the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities to the United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon and the Acting U.S. Representative to the United Nations, Alejandro D. Wolff and urge ratification of the Convention by the United States.

PASSED AND ADOPTED this 23rd day of January, 2007, by the following vote:

AYES:

NOES:

ABSENT:

DISQUALIFIED:

APPROVED: ________________________ ATTEST: __________________________
MayorCity Clerk

Source: AAPD