UNITED NATIONS, May 15 (IPS)-- The United Nations is planning to set up a 10-member monitoring committee as the next step towards the implementation of the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities. After entering into force May 3, 2008, the Convention became the first human rights treaty of the 21st century.
The treaty is expecting to help protecting the rights of over 650 million disabled people worldwide. It is a unique Convention in the sense that it includes both rights and development dimensions. As the former chair of the Ad Hoc Committee that drafted the resolution, and permanent representative of New Zealand, Ambassador Rosemary Banks stated: "It is a matter of great pride for New Zealand that the Convention is being so quickly and so enthusiastically embraced in all regions of the world."
The signing of the Convention by 80 states on 30 March last year was the largest number of States ever to sign a UN treaty on a single day. Ratifi cation by 20 states within a year was another impressive achievement. The greatest challenge though is still ahead. As the International Disability Alliance (IDA), an alliance composed by 8 different international organizations of and for people with disabilities was quoted as saying: "Unless the Convention is actually implemented, ratifi cation will be meaningless."
All members of the panel in the press conference held on the 12 of May at the U.N., as well as the Commemorative Event, recognised that the ratifi cation of the treaty is only a fi rst step. The mere adoption of the Convention is not enough unless measures for implementation are taken. The Convention is legally binding and it means that every country that signs it is obliged to adapt its domestic legislation in order to meet the international standards laid out in the treaty and at the same time work to overcome stereotypes and established behaviours that discriminate against persons with disabilities. It will be hard work requiring "breaking down negative perception. You have to look at the person and not at the disability. That requires a tremendous change of the perception of everyone", Chris Sullivan, a Merril Lynch Vice-President who was born hearing-impaired.
The most important measure the UN is taking towards implementation is the formation of a monitoring committee consisted by 10 members. The role of the Committee on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities will be to assist State Parties in the implementation of the Convention. The Committee will include independent experts that will be elected at the fi rst Conference of the State Parties, by the countries that have ratifi ed the Convention. The Committee will receive periodic reports from States Parties on the progress made towards implementation. It is the national responsibility of the states to create mechanisms and strategies along with fi nding the resources to promote the implementation. States are encouraged by IDA to take pragmatic steps towards the implementation of the laws in such a way that it actuallly improves the every day life of persons with disabilities.
Groups or individuals will have the chance to petition to the Committee. "The mere existance of the Convention gives person with disabilities and their organizations the ability to say to their governments 'You have accepted these obligations' and insist that they be met" said Don MacKay, the Chairman of the Committee that drafted the treaty. In certain countries implementattion has already began. In Uganda for example the treaty has already been used at a ground level to help gather a coalition of citizens that built ramps for access for people with disabilities. They previously had to crawl up the stairs as the UN Deputy High Commissioner for Human Rights, Ms Kyung-wha Kang informed the press.
As of now, about 10 percent of the world's population experience some form of disability according to the World Health Organization (WHO) and there is urgent need for development programs to iclude these people in the society. At least, 80 persons with disabilities- around 400 million- live in developing countries that are ill equiped to provide for their needs. If family members are included, the number of people affected by disabilities exceeds one million. Disabilities have important social consequences as they can lead to more social problems like poverty, exclusion and discrimination.
The Convention and its Optional Protocol was adopted on 13 December 2006. So far, 25 countries have ratified the Convention and 120 more have signed it, indicating the intention to ratify it in the future. Equal human rights for persons with disabilities, is what the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities is trying to achieve. Combating ignorance and discrimination, changing negative attitudes and removing physical obstacles are also among the aims of the Convention.
As stated in Article 1, the purpose of this Convention is to "promote, protect and ensure the full and equal enjoyment of all human rights and fundamental freedoms by all persons with disabilities and to promote respect for their inherent dignity." The Convention builds upon, and works in synergy with previous international texts related to persons with disabilities. It does not introduce any new rights. What it is basically doing is to promote, protect and ensure these rights. Sha Zukang, the U.N Under-Secretary General for Economic and Social Affairs stated: "The Convention is not just the fi rst comprehensive human rights treaty of the 21st century, it has a very strong development dimension. It was also negotiated and entered into force in record time. We must now work towards accelarating its implementation and making sure that persons with disabilities fully enjoy their rights."
