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Larry, I agree but it might encourage a few more Governments to ratify sooner rather than later. Frank ----- Original Message ----- From: "Larry Arnold" <[log in to unmask]> To: "'Frank Hall-Bentick'" <[log in to unmask]>; <[log in to unmask]> Sent: Monday, September 24, 2007 10:20 AM Subject: RE: UN Convention could assume legal force at 62nd General Assembly next week. Mebbe but I wouldn't count on it What did Cromwell say then? "put your faith in God but keep your powder dry" I wonder sometimes if some people on this list even live in the same world as I do. What is delusion, look in the mirror, thou hast it! Larry > -----Original Message----- > From: The Disability-Research Discussion List > [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of > Frank Hall-Bentick > Sent: 24 September 2007 00:00 > To: [log in to unmask] > Subject: UN Convention could assume legal force at 62nd > General Assembly next week. > > RIGHTS: Disability Treaty Waits for Legal Teeth By Alexandra Stahl > > UNITED NATIONS, Sep 21 (IPS) - Disabled rights groups and > U.N. officials hope that the first core human rights treaty > of the 21st century, the Convention on the Rights of Persons > with Disabilities, could finally assume legal force when > world leaders gather here for the 62nd session of the General > Assembly next week. > > With 10 percent of the global population living with > disabilities, the convention applies to the world's largest > minority -- about 650 million people. > > And this number is constantly increasing through population > growth, medical advances and the aging process, says the > World Health Organisation (WHO), which makes bringing the > convention into force even more important. > > This will require at least 20 signatory countries to present > the convention to their national legislatures for adoption, > often a lengthy and complex process. Only six countries have > ratified it so far -- Croatia, Cuba, Hungary, Jamaica, Panama > and Namibia. > > "The U.N. Treaty Event [to encourage further signatures and > ratification on Sep. 25] is a great opportunity for countries > to express their commitment to the convention and the persons > with disabilities. It's a convention whose time has come and > I expect a great deal of support for it," Thomas Schindlmayr, > U.N. disability expert at the Secretariat for the Convention > on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, told IPS. > > So far 102 countries have signed the text that clarifies how > all categories of human rights specifically apply to the > disabled and identifies areas where protection of these > rights must be reinforced. > > Fifty-nine states have also signed the Optional Protocol, > which allows individuals to petition the new 18-member > Committee on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities > regarding violations of the convention once all domestic > forms of recourse have been exhausted. It requires 10 > ratifications to enter into force. > > "Members of the disability community played a significant > role in drafting this convention," noted Shantha Rau of > Rehabilitation International (RI), a global disability > network that worked closely with other disabled people's > organisations and NGOs in providing input on the convention text. > > This could set a new standard for the cooperation among > governments, the U.N. and civil society in furthering such > processes, she told IPS. > > "It was an unprecedented negotiation process, as never before > had so many NGOs been able to participate and give their > comments and opinions," agreed Vittoria Beria of the U.N. > Secretariat for the Convention on the Rights of Persons with > Disabilities. > > Jorge Ballestero, vice chair of the Ad Hoc Committee that > spent four years drafting the convention before it was > adopted by the General Assembly on Dec. 13, 2006, said the > treaty has helped change the way people view disabilities. > > "Before this convention, disability was often regarded as a > disease or illness, but now we have realised that disability > is an interaction between a certain condition and society," > he said. "Society must help to eliminate disabilities through > accessibility, non-discrimination and protecting and > enforcing the same rights to everyone." > > The eight guiding principles of the convention focus on > dignity, individual autonomy, non-discrimination, full and > effective participation and inclusion in society, equality of > opportunity, accessibility, equality between men and women, > and respect for the evolving capacities of children with > disabilities. > > Tina Minkowitz, co-chair of the World Network of Users and > Survivors of Psychiatry, which played a leading role in > drafting the convention, regards Article 12 as one of the key > aspects of the text as it deals with the legal rights of > people with disabilities. > > "People that are put under guardianship compare this to a > civil death, as they can't make basic decisions on their own. > They can't vote or marry or simply sign contracts. > Governments have to recognise that people with disabilities > have legal capacity on an equal basis with others in all > aspects of life," she told IPS. > > Minkowitz acknowledged that countries will face challenges in > implementing this article, and hopes to see some pioneer the > legal innovations required to ensure the full rights to > self-determination for people with disabilities. > > To monitor this process, a Conference of State Parties will > meet every two years in New York. It will elect the members > of the Committee on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities > that will be assisted by the Geneva-based U.N. High > Commissioner for Human Rights. > > For disability organisations like Rehabilitation > International, the ongoing process of signature and > ratification is a promising start, but there's a lot more to do. > > "While the focus now is on signature and ratification, RI and > other members of the disability community are beginning to > consider how to actually implement the goals of the > convention by focusing on how to make communities accessible, > how to make schools inclusive and how to establish concrete > programmes, national action plans, and effective policies," > Rau told IPS. > > (END/2007) ________________End of message______________________ This Disability-Research Discussion list is managed by the Centre for Disability Studies at the University of Leeds (www.leeds.ac.uk/disability-studies). 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