The UN Convention on the Rights of People with Disabilities: An

opportunity to develop inclusion and disability rights around the

world. Richard Rieser

Equality 2025/ BCODP Rep to UNE mail r.rieser@diseed.org.uk

The Message is in the Process

• 8 meetings over 5 years• First international treaty where the people it is

about were part of making it.• Treaty was made by consensus• 118 countries were involved in the last session• Over 80 disabled people were part of state

delegations• Adopted by General Assembly 13th December

2006• Adopted by 82 countries 30th March 2007

International Collaboration

• International Disability Alliance-8 disability organisation recognised for permanent consultative status by UN formed core.

• International Disability Caucus IDC had 100 disability organisations.

• Policy made in e-mail discussion groups.• South was under represented-Project South and some

subsidised places from UN• IDA has now agreed to admit regional bodies such as

European Disability Forum, Arab Disability Organisation, Latin American and the Asia/Pacific Forum.

Why a Treaty?

• Universal Declaration Human Rights not being applied to disabled people.

• Standard Rules on Equalisation of Opportunities for Disabled People 1992 not legally binding.

• Wide range of human rights abuses for disabled people- DDA identified 2.8 million human rights abuses of disabled people in the last 15 years.

• Needed a legally binding Treaty

Relatively Speedy Process

• 1947 Declaration Human Rights

• First document UN (1971)

• World year of disabled persons (1981)

• World Action Programme (1982-1992)

• Standard Rules (1993)

• Convention on the rights of persons with disabilities (2006)

Purpose Article 1• Is to promote, protect and ensure full and

equal enjoyment of all human rights and fundamental freedoms by all persons with disabilities and to promote respect and inherent dignity.

• Persons with disabilities include those who have long term physical, mental, intellectual or sensory impairments which in interaction with various barriers may hinder their full and effective participation in society on an equal basis with others.

Convention is based on a Paradigm Shift to Social Model Thinking

“Recognizing that disability is an evolving concept and that disability results from the interaction of persons with impairments and attitudinal and environmental barriers that hinders their full and effective participation in society on an equal basis with others.” Preamble

Change of framework• From Medical

Model of Disability Problem in the Person.

• Cure, Fix or Separate

• To Social Model of Disability based on Human Rights approach- Problem with Society that needs to be changed.

• Attitudes• Organisation• Environments

International Classification of Functioning Disability and Health - ICF

• The condition of persons with specific characteristics depend from social and individual factors

• Disability isn’t an health condition

• Disability is an ordinary condition of all human being

Treaty more progressive than expected!

• Separate article for women and twin track• Separate article for children-recognise evolving

capacity-twin track• Education–states ensure an inclusive education

system• International Cooperation• Monitoring Body-12-18 with including experts

with disabilities• Countries have to report on position disabled

people within 2 years of ratification.• Optional protocol for individual / voluntary

groups

Problems

• Loss of sexual reproductive services and cultural discrimination –emphasis of family

• Foreign Occupations in Preamble• Progressive realisation of social and economic

rights• Mental Capacity- moving from guardianship to

assisted decision making• A number of countries will reserve on this.

• Get your copy-www. Un enable

Condition of Disabled People in European Union

+ 50 millions

in 27 countries

650 million aound the world.

What is the position of disabled people.

• UNESCO identifies only 3% of disabled children complete primary education in the majority world.

• 500,00 disabled people are still living in 2500 mega institutions in EU.(2004)

• 2 million disabled children are in hospitals/institutions in Ex-Soviet republics and eastern Europe.(2006)

• 70% disabled adults of working age not working across Europe. (Eurostat 2003)

• Infant mortality rates are much higher inmajority world for disabled children under 5 than non-disabled.(WHO)

Article 3-General Principles

The principles of the present Convention shall be:(a) Respect for inherent dignity, individual autonomy including

the freedom to make one’s own choices, and independence of persons;

(b) Non-discrimination;(c) Full and effective participation and inclusion in society;(d) Respect for difference and acceptance of persons with

disabilities as part of human diversity and humanity;(e) Equality of opportunity;(f) Accessibility;(g) Equality between men and women;(h) Respect for the evolving capacities of children with disabilities

and respect for the right of children with disabilities to preserve their identities.

 

Article 8 Awareness Raising1. States Parties undertake to adopt immediate, effective and appropriate

measures:(a) To raise awareness throughout society, including at the family level,

regarding persons with disabilities, and to foster respect for the rights and dignity of persons with disabilities;

(b) To combat stereotypes, prejudices and harmful practices relating to persons with disabilities, including those based on sex and age, in all areas of life;

(c) To promote awareness of the capabilities and contributions of persons with disabilities.

2. Measures to this end include:(a) Initiating and maintaining effective public awareness campaigns designed:(i) To nurture receptiveness to the rights of persons with disabilities;(ii) To promote positive perceptions and greater social awareness towards

persons with disabilities;(iii) To promote recognition of the skills, merits and abilities of persons with

disabilities, and of their contributions to the workplace and the labour market;

(b) Fostering at all levels of the education system, including in all children from an early age, an attitude of respect for the rights of persons with disabilities;

(c) Encouraging all organs of the media to portray persons with disabilities in a manner consistent with the purpose of the present Convention;

(d) Promoting awareness-training programmes regarding persons with disabilities and the rights of persons with disabilities.

Article 9 Accessibility

To enable persons with disabilities to live independently and participate fully in all aspects of life, States Parties shall take appropriate measures to ensure to persons

with disabilities access, on an equal basis with others, to the physical environment, to transportation, to information and communications, including information and communications technologies and systems, and to other facilities and services open or provided to the public, both in urban and in rural areas.

Article 12Equal recognition before the law

1. States Parties reaffirm that persons with disabilities have the right to recognition everywhere as persons before the law.

2. States Parties shall recognize that persons with disabilities enjoy legal capacity on an equal basis with others in all aspects of life.

3. States Parties shall take appropriate measures to provide access by persons with disabilities to the support they may require in exercising their legal capacity.

4. States Parties shall ensure that all measures that relate to the exercise of legal capacity provide for appropriate and effective safeguards to prevent abuse in accordance with international human rights law…..

Article 24 Education• Requires all signatories to ensure all disabled

children and young people can fully participate in the state education system and that this should be an ‘inclusive education system at all levels’

• The development by persons with disabilities of their personality, talents and creativity, as well as their mental and physical abilities, to their fullest potential.

• This right is to be delivered within an inclusive primary and secondary education system, from which disabled people should not be excluded.

• Reasonable accommodations should be provided for individual requirements and support provided in individualised programmes to facilitate their effective social and academic education.

Article 27 Work and Employment

States Parties recognize 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.

To have and retain work is a vital issue for people with disabilities. The aim of the UN Convention is that people with disabilities can exercise their right to work in the open labour market. This course is also pursued by the UN Standard Rules.

Article 33 – National implementation and monitoring

1. States Parties, in accordance with their system of organization, shall designate one or more focal points within government for matters relating to the implementation of the present…..

2. States Parties shall, in accordance with their legal and administrative systems, maintain, strengthen, designate or establish within the State Party, a framework, including one or more independent mechanisms, as appropriate, to promote, protect and monitor implementation of the present Convention. …

3. Civil society, in particular persons with disabilities and their representative organizations, shall be involved and participate fully in the monitoring process.

Article 34

• International Cooperation• North-South, South-South & North-North• Spread our expertise• Develop Capacity• Pressure our Government through DIfD to

do so• Disabled Trade Unionists.• Use Equality 2025

Involving Disabled People

Article 4 - General obligations 3. In the development and implementation of

legislation and policies to implement the present Convention, and in other decision-making processes concerning issues relating to persons with disabilities, States Parties shall closely consult with and actively involve persons with disabilities, including children with disabilities, through their representative organizations.

EU horizontal Directive on disability

• Art. 44 – Regional Integration Organisations can ratify Convention– Collecting European data– Building a monitoring system on areas of

competences– Unified implementation across EU

Support campaign on

www.1million4disability.eu

Join Lobby EU Parliament Brussels 4th October

Nothing about uswithout us

We are really experts

on our own life“enable people &

communities to take control of their destiny and society”

Hamburg Declaration

Adopting the Convention

• 92 countries have so far adopted

• 50 adopted the Optional Protocol

• 1 Ratified Jamaica

• Need a strategy to get UK to adopt Optional Protocol

• Need a strategy on lobbying on ratification

The World Trade Organisation is seeking to bring all public services into the global market through GATS. What criteria will be used to give services?

Which way for the world?

People or Profits!

Developing Disability Equality & I nclusion will make a lasting shift to people.