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August 28, 2006
Information from Aqueel
Information from Aqueel
Downloaded from BBC NEWS By Geoff Adams-Spink
Age & disability correspondent, BBC News website, New York
UN to finalise disability treaty
An international treaty that aims to give greater rights and freedoms to disabled people around the world is expected to be agreed at the UN.
The draft United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities is being considered in New York.
This is the first human rights treaty of the 21st Century, and the UN hopes it will mark a significant improvement in the treatment of disabled people.
The world's disabled population is estimated to be 650 million.
The UN says that discrimination against disabled people is widespread: for example, 90% of disabled children in developing countries do not go to school.
"The existing human rights system was meant to protect and promote the rights of persons with disabilities," said the UN human rights commissioner,
Louise Arbour.
"But the existing standards and mechanisms have in fact failed to provide adequate protection for persons with disabilities - it is clearly time for the UN to remedy this shortcoming."
Enact laws The draft convention has been discussed by an ad-hoc committee of the UN over the past four years.
"The convention endeavours to elaborate in detail the rights of people with disabilities and to set out a code of implementation," said committee chairman, ambassador Don MacKay of New Zealand.
The greatest significance will be a 'levelling up' of provision across the world UK campaigner Bert Massie After the final details have been worked out the treaty is expected to be adopted by the UN General Assembly during its next session, which starts in September.
Those countries that sign up to it will have to enact laws and other measures to improve disability rights and also agree to get rid of legislation, customs and practices that discriminate against disabled people.
The thinking behind the convention is that welfare and charity should be replaced by new rights and freedoms.
Currently only 45 countries have specific legislation that protects disabled people.
The convention recognises that a change of attitude is vital if disabled people are to achieve equal status: countries that ratify it will be obliged to combat negative stereotypes and prejudices and to promote an awareness of people's abilities and contribution to society.
Countries will also have to guarantee that disabled people will have a right to life on an equal basis with others.
Access to public spaces and buildings as well as transport, information and communications will also have to be improved.
'Welcome step'
The treaty has been welcomed by the UK's statutory body, the Disability Rights Commission (DRC).
"The greatest significance will be a 'levelling up' of provision across the world, and the creation of civil and human rights for disabled people," said
DRC chairman Bert Massie.
"Not every country has that now. Following the convention and when it's ratified by the UN, we will have approval for this enhancement of the rights of disabled people across the world."
Although current estimates are that about 10% of the world's population has a disability, the World Health Organization estimates that this is likely to increase as a result of medical advances and the ageing process.
In countries where life expectancy is more than 70, people spend, on average, about eight years living with a disability.
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.
Published: 2006/08/25 00:00:02 GMT
Source: http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/pr/fr/-/2/hi/in_depth/5274354.stm
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Posted by jicafriends at August 28, 2006 04:53 PM