WORKING GROUP ON DISABILITY CONVENTION ADOPTS DRAFT TEXT

WORKING GROUP ON DISABILITY CONVENTION ADOPTS DRAFT TEXT

NEW YORK, 16 January (United Nations Department of Public Information) --The Working Group established to draft a text of an international convention on the rights of persons with disabilities today adopted by consensus a draft that will form the basis for negotiations on the convention.

The text adopted today will be taken up by the General Assembly Ad Hoc Committee on a Comprehensive and Integral International Convention on Protection and Promotion of the Rights and Dignity of Persons with Disabilities at its third session, to be held from 24 May to 4 June in New York.

The draft covers broad issues such as general principles and obligations, equality and non-discrimination, the right to work, and equal recognition before the law.  It also addresses specific issues such as living independently, children with disabilities, education, accessibility, personal mobility, social security and adequate standards of living, as well as issues of inclusion, such as promotion of positive attitudes to persons with disabilities, inclusion in the community, participation in political and public life, and participation in cultural life, recreation, leisure and sport.

The draft incorporates the goal of removing barriers in society to ensure the full and effective participation of people with disabilities in social and economic life.  Draft Article 7 calls on States parties to “prohibit any discrimination on the basis of disability, and guarantee to all persons with disabilities equal and effective protection against discrimination”.  Draft Article 19 calls on States “to ensure accessibility for persons with disabilities to the built environment, to transportation, to information and communications”.

The Working Group, established last year by the Ad Hoc Committee, brought together policy-makers, representatives of organizations of persons with disabilities and human rights experts from all over the world.  Participants brought to the two-week meeting their different perspectives, resulting in a broader understanding of disability.  Disability experts helped to view existing human rights norms and standards from a disability perspective.

Chaired by the Permanent Representative of New Zealand, Don MacKay, the Working Group went over hundreds of pages of contributions submitted by States, observers, expert meetings, United Nations bodies, regional commissions and intergovernmental organizations, as well as by non-governmental organizations (NGOs), independent experts and national disability and human rights institutions.

Participants identified possible approaches and narrowed down the options, so as to provide a basis for further work by the Ad Hoc Committee.  Delegations represented in the Working Group made it clear that they would discuss many issues further in the Ad Hoc Committee.

The Working Group was a unique blend of representatives of governments, national human rights institutions and NGOs from all over the world, especially organizations of persons with disabilities.  The Working Group included 12 NGO representatives from Landmine Survivors Network, Inter-American Institute on Disability, Disabled Peoples’ International, European Disability Forum, World Federation of the Deaf Blind, World Federation of the Deaf, Inclusion International, World Network of Users and Survivors of Psychiatry, Disability Australia Limited, World Blind Union, and Rehabilitation International.  The South African Human Rights Commission represented national human rights institution.

The 27 government representatives were from Cameroon, Canada, China, Colombia, Comoros, Ecuador, Germany, India, Ireland, Jamaica, Japan, Lebanon, Mali, Mexico, Morocco, New Zealand, Philippines, Republic of Korea, Russian Federation, Serbia and Montenegro, Sierra Leone, Slovenia, South Africa, Sweden, Thailand, Uganda and Venezuela.

For further information, contact:  Edoardo Bellando, United Nations Department of Public Information, tel.:  (212) 963-8275.

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