UN hosts disabilities conference to take stock and renew commitments

The United Nations on Wednesday began a three-day conference to review progress made in implementing a milestone convention designed to protect the rights and interests of disabled persons.

The meeting, or the third session of the Conference of States Parties to the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, is convened under the theme of the inclusion of disabled persons by implementing the convention.

The Convention was adopted by the UN General Assembly on Dec. 13, 2006 and then entered into force in 2008. To date, there are 146 signatories and 90 ratifications.

"We gather here today to review progress made toward the Convention's implementation and to better understand the gaps and challenges related to it," UN Under-secretary-general for Economic and Social Affairs Sha Zukang told the opening session.

"It is my hope that we will leave this meeting with a renewed commitment to the Convention and to improving the lives of persons with disabilities," he said.

Sha said that persons with disabilities are more likely to be poor and to lack access to equal social, health, educational and employment services, and that the international community should undertake collective responsibility to address these inequalities.

He noted that some member states have gone beyond ratification and have taken measures that implement the Convention.

For example, some governments have strengthened existing legislative frameworks that protect persons with disabilities. In other cases, new legislation has been created -- such as anti- discrimination laws.

Despite the progress, there is so much more that needs to be done, Sha said, noting that fewer than half of all member states have ratified the Convention and its Optional Protocol. "Today I call on the remaining member states to become States Parties to this Convention," he urged.

Other challenges include the lack of expertise in how to plan and execute government strategies that address disability needs, and how to address disability needs during times of natural disaster and armed conflict, he noted.

"With your assistance -- from governments, civil society, the private sector, NGOs -- we will succeed in advancing the human rights and economic and social needs of persons with disabilities, " Sha added.

The UN Convention asserts the rights of persons with disabilities to education, health, work, adequate living conditions, freedom of movement, freedom from exploitation, and equal recognition before the law.

Countries that join in the Convention engage themselves to develop and carry out policies, laws and administrative measures for securing the rights recognized in the Convention and abolish laws, regulations, customs and practices that constitute discrimination.

The UN meeting will include the election of 12 members to the Committee of Experts -- the international treaty monitoring body which manages the implementation of the convention and handles complaints of violations under the treaty.

Source: Xinhua