UN Disability Rights Convention Reaches Landmark Of 100 Signatories

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UN Disability Rights Convention Reaches Landmark Of 100 Signatories

http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/77979.php

RI congratulates the 100 governments - more than half of the UN

Member States - that have signed the UN Convention on the Rights of

Persons with Disabilities (CRPD), setting a record pace for

signatures of the first human rights treaty of the 21st century. The

Government of Qatar became the latest signatory of the CRPD and its

Optional Protocol on July 9, bringing the number of signatories to

the 100 mark.

In a recent letter to all Governments, RI called on all countries to

ratify the CRPD and its Optional Protocol as a matter of priority

and without reservations or declarations, including during the UN

Treaty Event scheduled at the UN headquarters in New York on

September 25-27 and October 1-2, 2007.

RI President Fox of Australia said, " The UN Treaty Event is

an important opportunity to reach the goal of twenty ratifications

for the treaty to become international law. The Convention marks a

significant paradigm shift to a human rights model of disability,

embodying principles of dignity, non-discrimination, full

participation, respect, equality and accessibility for all persons

with disabilities. Now is the time for governments to ratify the

treaty and implement national and regional programs to advance the

rights and inclusion of persons with disabilities worldwide. "

The CRPD represents an essential legal instrument prohibiting

discrimination against persons with disabilities in all areas of

life, and includes specific provisions related to rehabilitation,

habilitation, education, employment, health and access to

information, public facilities and services. A record-setting 81

countries signed the CRPD on its opening day, March 30, 2007, and

Jamaica became the first state to ratify the Convention. In

addition, more than 50 states have signed the Optional Protocol,

which relates to how individuals or groups can seek redress for

violations of the CRPD once national remedies are exhausted.

Attached please find a list of signatories and states parties to the

Convention.

In addition to national monitoring mechanisms, the CRPD requires the

establishment of an international committee of experts, including

people with disabilities, to monitor the implementation of the

treaty. RI encourages the continued active participation of civil

society, particularly organizations of people with disabilities, in

choosing those experts and in all levels of the monitoring process.

RI Secretary General Tomas Lagerwall said, " RI urges the UN and its

agencies, donors and the corporate sector, among others, to bear in

mind that most people with disabilities in the world live in

poverty. In order for this Convention to have a real impact,

substantial financial resources are needed to support its

implementation. "

About RI

Founded in 1922, RI is a global network of people with disabilities,

government agencies, service providers, researchers and advocates

promoting and implementing the rights and inclusion of people with

disabilities. RI is currently composed of over 700 members and

affiliated organizations in 96 nations, in all regions of the world.

RI brands itself as Rights and Inclusion, though the legal name is

Rehabilitation International, and works closely with other

disability organizations, actively participating in IDA and the IDC

RI also maintains official relations with the UN Economic and Social

Council (ECOSOC), the World Health Organization (WHO), the

International Labour Organization (ILO), the UN Educational,

Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), the UN Children's

Fund (UNICEF), the UN Economic and Social Commission for Asia and

the Pacific (UNESCAP), the Organization of American States (OAS),

the European Union (EU) and the Council of Europe, among others.

For more information about RI, please visit our newly re-designed

and accessible website: http://www.riglobal.org