One Step Closer Human Rights for Disabled

Posted August 31, 2006 in News

The United Nations has approved a draft Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities. New Zealand's Ambassador Don Mackay hopes that the convention will encourage states to "...develop different ways of thinking about disability issues. Once you get a paradigm shift... and people adopt a 'can do' approach, a whole lot of other things flow from there."

"You are sending an absolutely wonderful message to the world. You're sending the message that we want to have a life and dignity for all and that all human beings are equal," said General Assembly President Jan Eliasson after the draft was adopted.

The committee has been working on a convention to protect the righs of the world's 650 million disabled people for the last five years, it includes all 192 UN member nations. The news of the draft's endorsement has been welcomed from a wide range of sources, inlcuding the Paralymics Committee.

Some nations abstained from the vote to endorse, most notably the United States. However, according to the BBC News website, Maria Raina, the co-ordinator of the international disability caucus who was part of the negotiations thinks the US will sign the convention "When you sign the convention you are agreeing to the principles even if you don't have the obligation to apply them."

As the BBC notes "Cultural differences on matters like abortion, contraception, aids prevention and sex education mean that reaching an agreed position was particularly difficult. Given the economic, social and cultural differences across the world, it will be some years before the minimum standards set out in the convention will be universally applied. But for campaigners who say that for too long the world's largest minority has been pushed to the margins of society, it will certainly be seen as a welcome first step."

There were also sticking points during the deliberations, including how to protect the disabled living under foreign occupation, and the rights of the state to commit disabled individuals. The compromise on the latter was finally worded: "Every person with a disability has a right to respect for his or her physical and mental integrity on an equal basis with others."

LINKS: allheadlinenews India eNews Times of India Gulf News Aljazeerah BBC News International Paralympics NewstalkZB

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