Information brought to you from the Disability Grapevine.
The Disability Grapevine Online Newspaper: Issue #49
The Disability Grapevine Online World Newspaper: Issue #37
United Nations
Media Advisory
Sunday, December 10, 2006
A proposed Convention to protect the rights of the some 650
million persons with disabilities will be submitted to the United
Nations General Assembly for adoption on 13 December.
The Convention, if adopted, will be the first major human rights
treaty of the 21st century. After adoption by the General
Assembly, the Convention will then be open to the 192 member
states for ratification and implementation. It will enter into
force when ratified by 20 countries.
After four years of negotiations by a General Assembly committee,
countries reached agreement on the landmark Convention on 25
August. UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan hailed the agreement on
the Convention "as a historic achievement for the 650 million
people with disabilities around the world."
Human rights advocates hope that the Convention will finally
ensure that countries are no longer be allowed to relegate persons
with disabilities to the margins of society. Governments that
ratify it will be legally bound to treat persons with disabilities
as subjects of the law with clearly defined rights.
Filling a gap in international human rights law, the 50-article
Convention elaborates in detail the rights of persons with
disabilities. It covers, among others, civil and political rights,
accessibility, participation and inclusion, the right to
education, health, work and employment and social protection.
Importantly, the Convention recognizes that a change of attitude
in society is necessary if persons with disabilities are to
achieve equal status. The text is available at
http://www.un.org/esa/socdev/enable/
Proponents of the new Convention have maintained that even though
persons with disabilities are technically endowed with the same
rights as every one else, in practice they are discriminated in
virtually every facet of life, including employment, education,
health care and the exercise of their legal rights. Yet they are
contributing to society in countless ways, and could contribute
even more if they were fully included in their communities.
Disability advocates from around the world were instrumental in
drafting the treaty - representing government delegations,
national human rights institutes and organizations of persons with
disabilities.
While the Convention does not require countries to implement
measures they cannot afford, it does require countries to
progressively work toward measures that allow persons with
disabilities better access to transportation, education,
employment and recreation.
Countries that ratify the treaty agree to enact laws and other
measures to improve disability rights, and also to abolish
legislation, customs and practices that discriminate against
persons with disabilities. Currently only some 45 countries have
legislation that deal with persons with disabilities. The
Convention will be opened for signature and ratification on 30
March.
Together with the Convention, the General Assembly will adopt an
18-article Optional Protocol on Communications, which allows
individuals and groups to petition the Committee on the Rights of
Persons with Disabilities once all national recourse procedures
have been exhausted.
This Committee of independent experts, to be established after the
Convention enters into force, will receive periodic reports from
States parties on progress made in implementing their obligations
under the treaty.
For more information, please contact at the Dept. of Public
Information - Edoardo Bellando, Tel: (212) 963-8275,
email: bellando@un.org, or Daniel Shepard, Tel: (212) 963 9495,
email: shepard@un.org.
****************************************************
The Author's views reflect only their opinion and do not
necessarily reflect that of The Disability Grapevine.
****************************************************
Do not copy any of these articles without the author's permission.
****************************************************
To receive US News Disability Grapevine and its Archives.
To receive International News and its Archives.
****************************************************
Publisher and Executive Editor: Paul Cannaday
Advice Columnist: Just Ask Fred: Fred Shotz
****************************************************
Subscribe: DisabilityGrapeVine-subscribe@yahoogroups.com
Unsubscribe: DisabilityGrapeVine-unsubscribe@yahoogroups.com
****************************************************
Physicalism (prejudice against people with disabilities) must be stopped.
****************************************************
Please do not respond to this posting. To send Articles,
Letters to the Editor, or Classifieds, contact us at DGEditor@greatlakes.net.
Just Ask Fred Questions, email Fred at askfred@adapolice.org
****************************************************
| 