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[Apparelyzed]

UN adopts disability convention

By Geoff Adams-Spink
Age & disability correspondent, BBC News website

The United Nations General Assembly has unanimously adopted a treaty on the rights of disabled people.

The text of the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities was agreed by a UN committee in August.

Countries that ratify it will have to introduce laws ensuring that disabled people are treated fairly.

The treaty will enter into force once it has been ratified by 20 countries. It is thought that the world's disabled population is 650m.

It will now be up to the 192 member states of the UN to ratify it and to begin putting it into practice.

The treaty will be signed by the European Union as a legal entity - a first in the field of human rights.

Attitude change

When the text was agreed earlier this year, UN Secretary General Kofi Annan described it as "an historic achievement".

This is the first human rights treaty of the 21st Century and sets out in detail the rights of disabled people.

It covers civil and political rights, accessibility, participation and inclusion, education, health, employment and social protection.

The treaty also recognises that attitudes need to change if disabled people are to achieve equality.

Countries that adopt the treaty will have to get rid of laws, customs and practices that discriminate against disabled people.

An optional protocol to the treaty will give groups and individuals the right to petition the Committee on Rights of Persons with Disabilities once they have exhausted all avenues within their own country.

A committee of independent experts will receive reports from states that have ratified the convention on the progress made in meeting their obligations.

The convention will be opened for signature and ratification in March 2007.

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http://news.bbc.co.u...rld/6173073.stm

[rkzenrage]

Awesome news. I am in contact with an interpreter at the UN... I'll ask her about it. She always has insight.

Anyone wanna' bet the US does not ratify it?

Edited by rkzenrage, 13 December 2006 - 08:57 PM.

[rkzenrage]

For anyone interested, my friend at the UN sent me her first e-mail.
http://unstats.un.or.../Seriesy_2E.pdf
If you want it in another language, click on it...http://unstats.un.or...grid.asp?id=214

http://www.independe.../standardrules/

http://www.un.org/es...ble/disiddp.htm

[gsp23]

Since the US already has an act to protect disabled people, does anyone know how this would work with the ADA would they get rid of one and who would trump who on conflicts? Just some thoughts when an organization already exists.

[rkzenrage]

The ADA is pathetic, ignored and useless. We need something with teeth.

[gsp23]

rkzenrage, on Dec 19 2006, 02:58 PM, said:

The ADA is pathetic, ignored and useless. We need something with teeth.

Not disagreeing with you, just wondering who would trump who if this passed here as well. Also, would we actually have anyone inforcing anything with this new policy? Thats the key to any policy is having people who will actually enforce non-compliance.

[rkzenrage]

Not saying we need the UN, just saying we need something that is enforced.