UN General Assembly Adopts Convention on Rights of Persons with Disabilities

CBM: Major Success will Contribute to Empowerment

view large Image Giovannie sits in his tribike, next to him the CBR coordinator and another woman.
For three years, Giovannie A. Tino (35) advocated as President of a local disabled people's organisation for equal opportunities of persons with disabilities in the Filipino community of Iriga.

The city council of Iriga places emphasis on community based rehabilitation of persons with disabilities: For seven years, Rosa Jenuie Bolivar, 48, left, has been working as a coordinator for community based rehabilitation in the social welfare department. © CBM
The first new Human Rights Treaty of the 21st century, the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, has just been adopted by the United Nations General Assembly. "This is a major paradigm shift and a historical achievement in the way the world’s 650 million persons with disabilities are treated", says Professor Allen Foster, President of CBM.

"The adoption of the Convention is a clear and positive sign of solidarity to ensure persons with disabilities are treated with equal rights by our societies and fully included in the communities" Allen Foster continues. All the more because 80 per cent of the 650 million persons with disabilities worldwide belong to the poorest of the poor and live in the most disadvantaged societies.
Emilio is standing next to his mother, putting his arm on her shoulder. Next to him sit his cousin and her children.
Emilio Ampongan, 48, supports his mother Eluminada (82), his sister and her son with a junk business. Emilio gives half of the income he earns with the repair of old umbrellas and the reselling of junk materials to his family. He lives in San Isidro, close to Iriga. © CBM

Convention will help to alleviate poverty

CBM, an International development organisation, works through partners for the empowerment and inclusion of persons with disabilities. CBM’s partner organisations provide high quality preventive, curative, educational and rehabilitative services to maximise the quality of life of persons with disabilities, and aim to advocate for equal rights of persons with disabilities.

In this context, the Convention becomes a crucial instrument to help alleviate poverty. "For example, if persons with disabilities are not given equal access to education, vocational training or life long training how can they get access to decent jobs? They will remain segregated and be forced to rely on the support of their families, who are already poor", says Allen Foster.

Access to education, buildings and job markets

Among several dimensions, the Convention highlights the right of persons with disabilities to inclusive education (article 24); the right to the highest attainable standard of health without discrimination on the basis of disability and to ensure access to health services (article 25); the right of persons with disabilities to work, on an equal basis with others. This includes the right to the opportunity to gain a living by work freely chosen or accepted in a labour market and work environment that is open, inclusive and accessible to persons with disabilities (article 27).

For 100 years, CBM has strived for equal rights of persons with disabilities

The Convention opens the way to a genuine inclusion of people with disabilities into society. "This is what CBM that was created in 1908 has strived to achieve over nearly 100 years", stresses Allen Foster. "Throughout the 1,000 projects we are involved in, our partners aim to empower persons with disabilities to exercise their rights and duties to make their own genuine contributions to society."

Now starts the ratification process by the UN member states and thereafter the Convention implementation. To date, only 45 countries have specific legislation protecting persons with disabilities.

"Societies must change attitudes to pave the way to equal rights"

The new human rights treaty requires, for instance, countries to guarantee freedom from exploitation and abuse for persons with disabilities, while protecting rights they already have, such as ensuring voting rights for blind persons; and providing wheelchair-accessible buildings as well as promote and improve access to education and information. CBM fully endorses the compulsory measure for the ratifying countries to designate a focal point in the Government and create a national independent mechanism to promote and monitor implementation (article 33).

"It is now for all of us to ensure a vital change of attitude is achieved at all levels of our societies, if we want this new Convention to be genuinely meaningful and paving the way to equal right for persons with disabilities", says Allen Foster. "Persons with disabilities will judge our capacity to stand by our promises and commitment. CBM will do everything within its mandate to support our local partners in developing countries to ensure the convention become a reality in people’s lives."

Read more about Giovannie, Emilio and the City of Iriga.

Further information:
UN Enable Website

UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities

UN Webcast showing the adoption of the UN Convention on the Rights Persons with Disabilities
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Further information

The process leading to the adoption of the the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities

Step 1 - Preparatory committee - "Ad Hoc Committee on a Comprehensive and Integral International Convention on the Protection and Promotion of the Rights and Dignity of Persons with Disabilities" - established on 19 December 2001 in accordance with General Assembly resolution 56/168. The Ad Hoc committee’s first session took place on 29 July to 9 August 2002.

Step 2 – At its Eight session from 14 to 25 August 2006, the Ad Hoc Committee adopted the draft text of the Convention.

Step 3 - Draft submitted to United Nations’ Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC)

Step 4 - UN secretariat submit an Assembly resolution that is discussed by annual General Assembly

Step 5 - Adoption of convention by UN General Assembly, 61st session (13. December 2006)

Step 6 - UN countries sign convention

Step 7 - Adaptation of the national laws to comply with the convention

Step 8 - After the UN General Assembly approval by two thirds of its members, the Convention will be submitted to its member countries for ratification. The convention will come in full force 30 days after the 20th ratification notification has reached the UN secretary. It will then apply to all the member states that have signed it and will remain open for further ratification by other member states.