Note to Correspondents

INTERNATIONAL DAY OF DISABLED PERSONS TO BE

 

OBSERVED AT UN HEADQUARTERS ON 3 DECEMBER

 

“Nothing About Us Without Us”, the slogan of the international disability movement, will be the theme of the International Day of Disabled Persons 2004, to be observed at the United Nations Headquarters on Friday, 3 December.

The observance, to be held from 1:15 p.m. to 2:45 pm in Conference Room 4, will feature award-winning filmmaker Victor Pineda, who will present three of his short documentaries:  “In Cuba Disabled”, the first in a trilogy that will examine the lives of people with disabilities in the developing world; “Broken Balkans” which looks at life with disabilities in the countries of the former Yugoslavia; and “A World Enabled”, which presents stories and testimonies of delegates drafting the first-ever United Nations convention on the rights of persons with disabilities.

The observance will be opened by Johan Schölvinck of the United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs.  Matthew Sapolin, Executive Director of New York City’s Mayor’s Office for People with Disabilities, will read the Mayoral Proclamation for the International Day.  François Oubida, of the Permanent Mission of Burkina Faso to the United Nations, will examine the issue of disability from a regional perspective.

“The observance of the Day is an opportunity to foster changes in attitudes towards persons with disabilities and eliminate barriers to their participation in all aspects of life”, Mr. Schölvinck said.  “The involvement of persons with disabilities in elaborating the convention on their own rights is an excellent example of how the principle of full participation can be put into practice.”

The annual observance of the International Day aims to promote an understanding of disability issues and mobilize support for the dignity, rights and well-being of persons with disabilities.  It also seeks to increase awareness of gains to be derived from the full integration of persons with disabilities in political, social, economic and cultural life.

The 2004 observance will focus on the involvement of persons with disabilities in the planning of strategies and policies that affect their lives. The motto “Nothing About Us Without Us” relies on this principle of participation, and has been used by disabled people’s organizations over the years as part of the global movement to eliminate barriers to their full participation.

Victor Pineda is an independent producer, director and journalist, and the President of Babylon Studios in Berkeley, California.  “In Cuba Disabled” won a Merit Award at the 2003 Superfest, the International Media Festival on Disabilities.

The observance is organized by the Division for Social Policy and Development, United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs with the support of the United Nations Department of Public Information.  Special thanks to the Victor Pineda Foundation for its contribution.

Contact:  Edoardo Bellando, United Nations Department of Public Information, tel.:  (212) 963 8275, e-mail:  bellando@un.org.

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