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United Nations
MEDIA ADVISORY
Disability treaty set to correct injustices opens for signature
United Nations, 13 March 2007 A new human rights treaty that would protect
the
rights of the worlds 650 million persons with disabilities will be opened
for signature at the United Nations on 30 March.
Over 40 countries have already indicated they will sign the Convention on
the Rights of Persons with Disabilities when it opens for signature and
ratification by States and regional integration organizations at a solemn
ceremony in the UN General Assembly hall. Many more are expected to
announce their intention in the coming weeks leading up to the signing
event.
The event takes place from 10:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. in the General Assembly.
General Assembly President Sheikha Haya Rashed Al Khalifa will chair the
ceremony, which will feature among the speakers UN Deputy-Secretary- General
Asha-Rose Migiro, UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Louise Arbour and a
spokesperson for the International Disability Caucus. UN Legal Counsel
Nicolas Michel will open the convention for signature.
A High-Level Dialogue on implementing the Convention follows starting at
3:00 pm and includes speakers and panelists covering both political and
substantive issues.
At its core, the convention ensures that persons with disabilities enjoy the
same human rights as everyone else, and are able to lead their lives as
fully-fledged citizens who can make valuable contributions to society if
given the same opportunities. It covers rights such as equality,
non-discrimination and equal recognition before the law; liberty and
security of the person; accessibility, personal mobility and independent
living; right to health, work and education; and participation in
political and cultural life. The treaty will enter into force when ratified
by 20 countries.
Disability organizations from around the world are expected to attend the
ceremony. It was the disability community that came together at the global
level to fight for a specific treaty that would recognize their rights. The
disability community quickly organized itself into the International
Disability Caucus – a coalition of 70 international, regional and national
organizations. Countries and the disability community worked together at the
UN to create a treaty that ensures that persons with disabilities finally
enjoy all the rights and responsibilities that others in society take for
granted.
The convention demands real change through effective legislation and a shift
in attitude. The 45 countries that have enacted some legislation in this
area have already demonstrated that change in the area of rights for persons
with disabilities takes place far more rapidly when there are laws.
The convention says implementation will be progressive, and does not call on
budget-strapped governments to pay for things they cannot afford. But it
sets out minimum measures to respect basic human dignity, as well as
longer-term goals to achieve full integration.
Also opening for signature is an 18-article Optional Protocol on
Communications, which will allow petitioning by individuals and groups to a
committee of experts once all national recourse procedures had been
exhausted.
For information, please visit please visit
http://www.un.org/esa/socdev/enable/ or contact Edoardo Bellando, Tel.
(212) 963-8275, e-mail: [log in to unmask], or Daniel Shepard, Tel. (212)
963-9495, e-mail: [log in to unmask]
See futher information on UN Convention from UN Enable I have included
below:-
Information Note from the Office of Legal Affairs (UN Enable)
http://www.un.org/esa/socdev/enable/opsigola.htm
Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities
New York, 13 December 2006
Opening for signature
The Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities was adopted on 13
December 2006 during the sixty-first session of the General Assembly, by
resolution 61/106. In accordance with its article 42, the Convention shall
be open for signature by all States and by regional integration
organizations at United Nations Headquarters in New York, as of Friday, 30
March 2007.
The Secretary-General takes this opportunity to recall that, under
established international practice, only Heads of State, Heads of Government
or Ministers for Foreign Affairs are empowered, by virtue of their
functions, to sign a treaty on behalf of a State without having to produce
full powers to that effect. Other representatives wishing to sign a treaty
must be in possession of appropriate full powers, which expressly authorize
signature of a specified treaty by a named representative issued by one of
these authorities.
The Secretary-General would be obliged if States wishing to sign the
Convention could notify, and provide copies of the required full powers in
advance to the Treaty Section, Office of Legal Affairs, at United Nations
Headquarters in New York (tel. 1 (212) 963-5047; fax 1 (212) 963-3693;
e-mail [log in to unmask]).
For more information on full powers, please refer to the Treaty Handbook on
the United Nations Treaty Collection Web site, which can be accessed at the
following address: http://untreaty.un.org/
Optional Protocol to the Convention on the Rights of Persons with
Disabilities
New York, 13 December 2006
Opening for signature
The Optional Protocol to the Convention on the Rights of Persons with
Disabilities was adopted on 13 December 2006 during the sixty-first session
of the General Assembly by resolution 61/106. In accordance with its article
10, the Optional Protocol shall be open for signature by all signatory
States and regional integration organizations of the Convention on the
Rights of Persons with Disabilities at United Nations Headquarters in New
York, as of Friday, 30 March 2007.
The Secretary-General takes this opportunity to recall that, under
established international practice, only Heads of State, Heads of Government
or Ministers for Foreign Affairs are empowered, by virtue of their
functions, to sign a treaty on behalf of a State without having to produce
full powers to that effect. Other representatives wishing to sign a treaty
must be in possession of appropriate full powers, which expressly authorize
signature of a specified treaty by a named representative issued by one of
these authorities.
The Secretary-General would be obliged if States wishing to sign the
Optional Protocol could notify, and provide copies of the required full
powers in advance to the Treaty Section, Office of Legal Affairs, at United
Nations Headquarters in New York (tel. 1 (212) 963-5047; fax 1 (212)
963-3693; e-mail [log in to unmask]). For more information on full powers, please
refer to the Treaty Handbook on the United Nations Treaty Collection Web
site, which can be accessed at the following address:
http://untreaty.un.org/
NGO attendance at the Opening for signature of the Convention on the Rights
of Persons with Disabilities
30 March 2007
United Nations Headquarters, New York
http://www.un.org/esa/socdev/enable/csig30marngo.htm
The United Nations welcomes all interested representatives of civil society
to attend the Opening for Signature of the Convention on the Rights of
Persons with Disabilities and its Optional Protocol on March 30 at United
Nations Headquarters in New York.
Individuals wishing to attend should register by completing the electronic
form below. The registration deadline is 17 March 2007. Registrations
recorded after 11:59pm EST (GMT -5:00) will not be considered valid. Please
note that all persons attending as assistants to persons with disabilities
should also register. No accreditation is needed for NGOs at this event.
Please kindly note that no financial assistance is available from the United
Nations to support NGO attendance, and that the United Nations is not able
to assist with visa applications.
We look forward to seeing you on 30 March!
Opening for Signature of the Convention on the Rights of Persons with
Disabilities
Languages:
http://www.un.org/esa/socdev/enable/dmopsig30mar.htm
18 January 2007
Dear colleagues,
As you know, the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities will
be open for signature by all States and by regional integration
organizations at United Nations Headquarters in New York as of 30 March
2007.
Various colleagues have approached members of the bureau of the former Ad
Hoc Committee on a Comprehensive and Integral International Convention on
the Protection and Promotion of the Rights and Dignity of Persons with
Disabilities, to enquire about the arrangements for the opening of the
Convention for signature, and in particular whether there will be a ceremony
associated with it.
In the absence of a States Parties consultative mechanism for the Convention
during this transitional phase, members of the bureau have consulted amongst
themselves and with other colleagues on this matter.
Colleagues will be aware that it has been the practice to have signature
ceremonies, attended by Ministers and other high representatives, in respect
of the opening for signature of significant conventions. An example is the
Optional Protocol to CEDAW, which was opened for signature at UNHQ with an
afternoon ceremony that took place in the Trusteeship Council room, attended
by Ministers and other high level representatives. The Secretary-General
presided over that event together with his Special Adviser Angela King, and
a range of dignitaries took the floor prior to the actual signing. We are
also aware of arrangements that are being made for a ceremony to be
associated with the signature of the Convention on Enforced Disappearances.
Given that this is the first comprehensive human rights convention adopted
this millennium, that it potentially affects over 650 million persons with
disabilities world wide, and its development has involved an unprecedented
level of input and engagement from civil society around the world, there is
clearly a high level of interest in having a formal ceremony for the opening
of the new convention for signature on 30 March.
The bureau has therefore requested the United Nations Secretariat (DESA and
UNHCHR in conjunction with OLA) to proceed with arrangements for a formal
signature ceremony at United Nations Headquarters on 30 March.
The purpose of this letter is therefore to inform you of the arrangements
that are being made.
Could I therefore urge Governments to take the necessary steps to enable
them to sign the Convention at the ceremony on 30 March. Could I also ask
Governments to consider the possibility of being represented at that
ceremony by Ministers or other high level participants, in keeping with the
importance of the occasion and the significance of the new Convention.
Yours sincerely
Don MacKay
Former Chair of the Ad Hoc Committee
Hope this informationis imformative and helpful. Please disseminate and
share freely within all your own networks and groups
Yours
Colin Revell, Moderator and Member of UN Disability Convention, Yahoo
Disability Forum
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