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From: "Dspd Enable" <[log in to unmask]>
To: <[log in to unmask]>
Sent: Friday, October 01, 2010 7:59 AM
Subject: United Nations Enable Newsletter, July-September 2010
ENABLE NEWSLETTER
July-September 2010
The Enable Newsletter is prepared by the Secretariat for the Convention on
the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (SCRPD) at the United Nations
Department of Economic and Social Affairs (DESA). Input has been received
from UN offices, agencies, funds and programmes, as well as from civil
society. It is also available on-line at: http://www.un.org/disabilities.
In this issue:
§ Status of the Convention
§ Highlights
§ Upcoming events
§ Other news
STATUS OF THE CONVENTION (CRPD)
94 ratifications of the Convention
147 signatories to the Convention
Optional Protocol to the Convention
58 ratifications of the Optional Protocol
90 signatories to the Optional Protocol
Recent signatures and ratifications:
Ethiopia ratified the Convention on 7 July 2010
Grenada signed the Convention on 12 July 2010
Malaysia ratified the Convention on 19 July 2010
Honduras ratified the Optional Protocol on 16 August 2010
Lithuania ratified the Convention on 18 August 2010
Lithuania ratified the Optional Protocol on 18 August 2010
Latvia ratified the Optional Protocol on 31 August 2010
Senegal ratified the Convention on 7 September 2010
Bhutan signed the Convention on 21 September 2010
Moldova ratified the Convention on 21 September 2010
Nigeria ratified the Convention on 24 September 2010
Nigeria ratified the Optional Protocol on 24 September 2010
Armenia ratified the Convention on 22 September 2010
Greece signed the Optional Protocol on 27 September 2010
Third Conference of States Parties, 1-3 September 2010
The third Conference of States Parties to the Convention was held from 1- 3
September 2010 at UN Headquarters in New York, under the theme:
“Implementing the Convention through Advancing Inclusion of Persons with
Disabilities”. The session began with elections for members of the
Committee on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities in accordance with
article 34 of the Convention. As the total number of ratifications had
passed 80, the membership of the Committee was increased by six to a total
of 18 members. Additional elections were held for the six members of the
Committee whose term expires in 2010. Substantive roundtable discussions
and an interactive informal session with civil society discussed the
implementation of Articles 11, 19 and 24 of the Convention. An update was
also provided on implementation of the Convention within the UN System. For
the first time, a Civil Society Forum was held on the day prior to the
opening of the Convention. The next Conference will be held on 7-9
September 2011. More information:
http://www.un.org/disabilities/default.asp?id=1532.
HIGHLIGHTS
Report of the Secretary-General to the 65th Session of the General Assembly
The report titled “Keeping the Promise: realizing the Millennium
Development Goals for persons with disabilities towards 2015 and beyond”
will be before the 65th Session of the General Assembly. It reviews the
implementation of the World Programme of Action concerning Disabled
Persons, as well as progress and challenges concerning the advancement of
persons with disabilities in the context of the MDGs with a focus on the
status of disability data and statistics. More information:
http://www.un.org/disabilities/documents/gadocs/a_65_173.doc.
Disability included in Outcome Document of the 2010 MDG Summit
Following on a proposal by the UN Secretary-General, the General Assembly
convened a High-level Plenary Meeting on 20-22 September, with the primary
objective to accelerate progress towards all the Millennium Development
Goals (MDGs) by 2015. At the 2010 MDG Summit, Governments conducted a
comprehensive review of successes, best practices and lessons learned,
obstacles and gaps, challenges and opportunities in achieving the MDGs and
adopted an outcome document, a resolution (A/65/1) which also includes
references to persons with disabilities. More information:
http://www.un.org/en/mdg/summit2010.
Prior to the summit, the 2010 MDGs Global Report was released and includes
several references to disability and persons with disabilities. See the
full report at:
http://www.un.org/en/mdg/summit2010/pdf/MDG%20Report%202010%20En%20r15%20-low%20res%2020100615%20-.pdf
.
DESA/World Bank - UN Expert Group Meeting on accessibility
On 28-30 June 2010, the “Expert Group Meeting on Accessibility: innovative
and cost-effective approaches for inclusive and accessible development” was
organized in collaboration with the World Bank and held at their
Headquarters in Washington DC. The experts reviewed current standards and
practices on accessibility and work to develop practical guidelines for
disability-inclusive policy frameworks to ensure accessibility for persons
with disabilities, with reasonable adaptation, in both the physical
environment and in the fields of information and communication
technologies. More information:
http://www.un.org/disabilities/default.asp?id=1516.
WHO/DESA - Panel Discussion on Mental Health
On 16 September 2010, in the lead up to the Millennium Development Goals
review summit, WHO and UN DESA organized a panel discussion on Mental
Health and Development bringing together high level speakers from the UN,
government, the scientific community, civil society and other development
actors. Speakers on the panel discussed efforts needed for a greater
integration of mental health into the development agenda and highlighted
the different roles of diverse stakeholders. Following the Panel, WHO
launched its new Report on Mental Health and Development: Targeting People
with Mental Health Conditions as a Vulnerable Group. The launch included a
presentation and discussion on specific actions that can be taken by
governments and other development actors to ensure mental health is
integrated into development plans and programmes. To download the WHO
report, please visit
http://www.who.int/mental_health/policy/mhtargeting/en/. More
information: Michelle Funk ([log in to unmask]) or visit
http://www.un.org/disabilities/default.asp?id=1545.
GPDD Working Group on the reconstruction of Haiti
During the major reconstruction that follows most natural disasters,
planners often miss opportunities to avoid recreating the exclusion of
persons with disabilities by adapting the design of the built environment.
It is far more cost-effective to modify the plans for a new building at the
outset than to adapt an existing building to make it accessible. The Global
Partnership for Disability and Development (GPDD) has initiated a Working
Group on Haiti Reconstruction to ensure that reconstruction efforts after
the Haiti earthquake involve persons with disabilities at all stages, and
that all rebuilt and newly built infrastructure is fully accessible and
usable by people with disabilities. To participate in this group, please
contact Maria Veronica Reina at [log in to unmask] More information:
http://www.un.org/disabilities/default.asp?id=1533.
Toolkit for Long Term Recovery "Haiti: Reconstruction for All"
The toolkit, "Haiti: Reconstruction for All" developed by the GPDD Working
Group on Haiti Reconstruction helps to structure a more comprehensive
approach to disaster management to ensure long term recovery is inclusive
of persons with disabilities. More information:
http://gpdd-online.org/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=111:toolkit-for-long-term-recovery-haiti-reconstruction-for-all-&catid=1
.
GAID/G3ict – Roundtable on women with disabilities and ICT
On 1 July 2010, a Roundtable meeting was organized by G3ict and GAID on
“The role of Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) in Empowering
Women with Disabilities” at UN Headquarters. Experts in ICT applications
for persons with disabilities illustrated the role of ICT in empowering
women with disabilities, and discussed issues such as the role of
accessible internet resources for work, health, education and social
networking, how accessible mobile phones can change the lives of women with
disabilities, breaking the isolation of women with disabilities with ICTs,
accessible workplaces and accessible financial services, and success
stories, pending issues, and new solutions offered by industry and service
providers. More information: http://www.g3ict.org.
Panel discussion on women with disabilities at ECOSOC
On 1 July 2010, the UN Department of Economic and Social Affairs
co-organized a lunch-time panel discussion on women with disabilities along
with Governments and other stakeholders, during the High-Level Segment of
the Annual Ministerial Review meeting of the Economic and Social Council at
UN Headquarters. More information:
http://www.un.org/disabilities/default.asp?navid=13&pid=1514.
International partnership forum for on disability and development
The International Forum for Development Partners on Disability and
Development was organized by the Global Partnership for Disability and
Development (GPDD) and the World Bank took place on 15-16 September in
Brussels, Belgium. The event brought together development partners,
including representatives and disability focal points from Government donor
agencies, United Nations agencies, multilateral organizations, and private
foundations who are interested and/or currently working on disability
issues and inclusive development to share experiences and to help increase
donor coordination and collaboration. More information:
[log in to unmask]
Stevie Wonder Calls for International Action for to Enhance Accessibility
for Visually Impaired Persons
US singer-songwriter Stevie Wonder has called on the international
community to take action to enhance accessibility for all those with
physical disabilities. Speaking at the opening of the annual meetings of
the World Intellectual Property Organization Assemblies in Geneva on 20
September, he called upon delegates to conclude an agreement on improved
accessibility to copyright protected works by visually impaired persons
within a year. More information:
http://www.wipo.int/pressroom/en/articles/2010/article_0035.html.
Label us Able: Respect diversity and free the potential of all
A panel discussion was organized by the Permanent Mission of Finland to the
United Nations as a side event to the High-level Plenary Meeting of the
General Assembly, the MDG Summit on 22 Sep 2010. The seminar focused on the
rights of persons with disabilities and aimed to promote tolerance and
respect for equality and difference. Panelists included Alexander Stubb,
Foreign Minister of Finland and hip-hop artist Signmark, Marko Vuoriheimo,
Ms. Rachael Mayanja, Assistant Secretary-General of the UN Department of
Economic and Social Affairs and Mr. Shuaib Chalklen, Special Rapporteur on
Disability. More information:
http://formin.finland.fi/Public/default.aspx?contentid=200943&nodeid=15145&contentlan=2&culture=en-US
.
UPCOMING EVENTS
4 – 8 October: 4th Session of the Committee on the Rights of Persons with
Disabilities
The Committee will meet in Geneva for their 4th session from 4-8 October
(http://www.ohchr.org/EN/HRBodies/CRPD/Pages/Session4.aspx). On 7 October,
the Committee will hold a Day of General Discussion on “The Right to
Accessibility”. The purpose of the Day is to foster a deeper understanding
of the contents and implications of the Convention as they relate to
specific issues or articles of the Convention. Representatives of
Governments, United Nations human rights mechanisms, United Nations bodies
and specialized agencies, non-governmental organizations, national human
rights institutions as well as individual experts and children are welcome
to take part. More information:
http://www.ohchr.org/EN/HRBodies/CRPD/Pages/DGD7102010.aspx.
3 - 14 October: Commonwealth Games – Para Sports
The Commonwealth Games Federation (CGF) has officially released the
Para-Sports Medal Events Programme for the 2010 Commonwealth Games to be
held in New Delhi, India, following consultation with the International
Paralympic Committee. The Games will take place in New Delhi, India, and
will showcase world-class sporting opportunities for elite athletes with
disabilities. More information:
http://www.paralympic.org/Media_Centre/News/General_News/2008_11_26_a.html.
22 - 24 October: First European Congress on Visual Impairment
The first European Congress on Visual Impairment will be held in
Valladolid, Spain and will cover the prevention of visual impairments and
rehabilitation.
More information: http://www.eventoplenos.com/eurovision_eng/.
26 - 29 October: 4th Community-based Rehabilitation Conference in Africa
The Conference will be, held under the theme “Linking CBR with Disability
and Rehabilitation” in Abuja, Nigeria. It aims to promote better CBR
practices in Africa and provides an opportunity for people to share
information, knowledge, and experience on how disability concepts and CBR
programmes can link together to help improve the quality of life for
persons with disabilities and their families.
More information: Joan Okune ([log in to unmask]) or Sally Hartley
([log in to unmask]).
28 - 30 October: 4th National Spinal Cord Injury Conference
The Conference is organized by the Toronto Rehabilitation Institute and
will take place in Niagara Falls, Ontario, Canada and showcase new
research, clinical breakthroughs, innovative approaches and methodologies
to address spinal cord injuries. More information:
http://www.sciconference.ca.
30 October - 3 November: International Conference for Universal Design
The International Association for Universal Design will organize the
conference in Hamamatsu City, Japan. The theme of the third conference will
be “For the People and the Earth of Tomorrow - Towards a Sustainable
Co-existence”. The conference organizers invites educators, product
planning and developers, administrators, consultants, civic activists and
students to submit research papers, as well as reports and editorial
articles. More information: http://www.ud2010.net/index.en.html.
17-19 November: 6th World Conference on the Promotion of Mental Health and
Prevention of Mental and Behavioral Disorders
The Conference will be held in Washington, DC and address the issues young
people with mental health conditions face in justice systems. Around the
world, many young people in the juvenile justice system suffer from mental
health disorders and often do not receive the services and support they
need. Youth in poor and disadvantaged communities are especially vulnerable
to being improperly incarcerated due to a lack of mental health services
available to them. More information: http://wmhconf2010.hhd.org.
3 December: International Day of Persons with Disabilities.
The theme of the 2010 commemoration of the International Day of Persons
with Disabilities is "Keeping the promise: Mainstreaming disability in the
Millennium Development Goals towards 2015 and beyond". The 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 inclusion of persons
with disabilities in every aspect of life. More information:
http://www.un.org/disabilities/default.asp?id=1540.
July 3 - 8, 2011: Access Africa – 5th IDP Africa Forum
The IDP-Institutional Development Forum will focus on how the power of
technology can advance equality and rights of persons who are blind and
partially sighted. Participants will include parents, persons who are blind
and partially sighted, representatives from organizations of and for the
blind, universities and Government ministries, international organizations,
vendors, and sponsors of assistive technology. More information:
http://www.perkins.org/international-programs/localexpertise/idp.html#Access_Africa_The_5th_IDP_Africa_Forum
.
18-24 July 2011 XVI World Congress of the World Federation of the Deaf
This first ever WFD Congress in Africa will held in Durban, South Africa.
The Congress will bring together activists, professionals, interest groups
to share their experiences, knowledge and expertise to be used for welfare
and improving human rights of Deaf people in Africa and around the world.
It will also be a time to review achievements through the implementation of
the Convention on Rights of Persons with Disabilities. More information:
http://www.wfd2011.com/information/letter.html.
OTHER NEWS
(The information below is provided by the non-governmental disability
community for informational purposes only; they do not constitute
endorsement of, or an approval by, the United Nations of any of the
products, services, or opinions of the organization or individual. The
United Nations bears no responsibility for the accuracy, legality or
content of their statements and opinions.)
A guide to the UN Disability Convention
The Equality and Human Rights Commission in the UK has developed a simple
easy to understand Guide to the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with
Disabilities. The Guide provides an introduction to the Convention,
information on understanding disability rights and a video of the guide in
British Sign Language and with subtitles, as well as an Easy Read version
of the guide. More information:
http://www.equalityhumanrights.com/human-rights/a-guide-to-the-un-disability-convention/
.
Implementing disability-inclusive development in the Asia and the Pacific
On 15-17 September 2010, an international conference and action planning
roundtable was held in Darwin, Australia, by the Australian Disability and
Development Consortium (ADDC). The conference discussed and reviewed
practical actions being taken in the Pacific and Asia to ensure that local,
national and international development includes people with disabilities.
More information:
http://www.addc.org.au/2010/02/addc-conference-first-notice/.
Newsletter of Women with Disabilities Australia-Issue 2, 2010
Find out more about WWDA, an organization for women with all types of
disabilities in Australia, providing a voice for the needs and rights of
women with disabilities and to improve their lives and life chances. More
information: http://www.wwda.org.au/bulletin.htm.
Disability Rights South Asia website
The Disability Rights South Asia website from the Lawers Collective Women’s
Right Initiative is now available. This web portal is part of a project on
disability rights, undertaken by the LCWRI with active support from the
Wellesley Centers for Women, Wellesley College, Massachusetts and the Ford
Foundation, China. The project intends to integrate the discourse on
disability rights with international human rights, women’s rights and
activist litigation practices. More information:
http://www.disabilityrights-southasia.org.
DRPI fact sheet on social participation
The Disability Rights Promotion International Canada (DRPI-Canada) has
produced a fact sheet “Monitoring the Human Rights of People with
Disabilities in Canada: Toronto Monitoring Site Fact Sheet on Social
Participation” which summarizes the key findings of disability rights
monitoring. The fact sheet shows that social participation is the top
priority for persons with disabilities interviewed in Toronto. Persons with
disabilities participated fully in all aspects of the project as
coordinators and monitors. Accessible versions of the findings are
available on the DRPI-Canada website:
English version at http://www.yorku.ca/drpi/CanadaFactTor0710En.html
French version at http://www.yorku.ca/drpi/CanadaFactTor0710Fr.html
Survey on persons with disabilities to be conducted in India
The State Government of Rajasthan, India, will conduct a survey to find out
the number of persons with disabilities in the State. It will also provide
unique identification numbers and certificates so that persons with
disabilities can access their related benefits. The announcement was made
at a state-level conference on Mainstreaming Disability in Development
organised by CUTS International in partnership with Sightsavers on 2
September. The programme was attended by representatives from civil society
organizations, educational institutes and media. More information:
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/jaipur/Survey-on-disabled-soon/articleshow/6482254.cms#ixzz0zcEZsYNl
.
Conference addresses challenges of the Deaf in Zambia
A Zambian organization, Kitwe Deaf Youth and Women (KDYW) held a provincial
conference on the Convention. The conference was attended by over 30 deaf
youth representatives who dialogued to develop guidelines for advocacy
using the Convention as a working document. More information:
http://www.opportunityzambia.org/?p=64.
CONTACT INFORMATION
The Enable Newsletter is prepared by the Secretariat for the Convention on
the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, Division for Social Policy and
Development, Department of Economic and Social Affairs (DESA) at the United
Nations Secretariat in New York.
Mailing address: UN Secretariat for the Convention on the Rights of Persons
with Disabilities, 2 UN Plaza, DC2-1306, New York, NY 10017, USA.
Website: http://www.un.org/disabilities
Email: [log in to unmask]
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