16 Sep, 2014
In major milestone, 150 states ratify UN disability convention
United Nations, UN News Centre, 15 September 2014 – Guyana became the latest country to ratify the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, which is widely regarded as the first international human rights treaty of the twenty-first century and one of the fastest to be ratified.
“The 150th ratification is evidence of the commitment by the international community to promote and protect the human rights of persons with disabilities,” said Maria Soledad Cisternas Reyes on behalf of the Committee on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD), which monitors how States implement the Convention.
 Men and women at the entrance of a school in Romania that teaches people with disabilities. Photo: World Bank/Flore de Préneuf |
In a statement, the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) said “disability rights worldwide have reached a major milestone” with the ratification.
About 15 per cent of the world’s population lives with some form of disability, and those persons face physical, social, economic and attitudinal barriers that prevent them from effectively participating in society, according to UN figures.
Persons with disabilities are also disproportionately represented among the world’s poorest, and lack equal access to basic resources such as education, employment, healthcare and legal support systems.
“This Convention, in force for just six years, has been ratified across all regions and cultures, and is on the way to becoming universally recognized. We call on those states still to ratify to do so,” said Ms. Cisternas, who chairs the CRPD.
The Convention was adopted by the UN General Assembly in 2006 in an effort to ensure that persons with disabilities enjoy the same human rights as everyone else.the treaty sets out the obligations of States Parties to promote, protect and ensure the rights of all people with disabilities and promotes equal rights in all areas of life.
“A key message from persons with disabilities is that there should be ‘nothing about us without us,’” Ms. Cisternas said. “We in the Committee aim to foster this view in our dealings with States Parties, civil society, national human rights institutions and regional monitoring bodies, as well as with other UN agencies.”
Disability rights: Major milestone as ratification of UN Convention reaches 150 states
GENEVA (15 September 2014) – Disability rights worldwide have reached a major milestone after the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities was ratified by the 150th country.
Guyana became the latest state to ratify the Convention, which has been in force since 2008 and has seen one of the fastest rates of ratification of any of the international human rights treaties.
“The 150th ratification is evidence of the commitment by the international community to promote and protect the human rights of persons with disabilities,” said Maria Soledad Cisternas Reyes on behalf of the Committee on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD), which monitors how states implement the Convention.
“This Convention, in force for just six years, has been ratified across all regions and cultures, and is on the way to becoming universally recognised. We call on those states still to ratify to do so,” said Cisternas, who chairs the CRPD.
The rapid and widespread ratification of the Convention, according to Cisternas, “highlights the growing awareness that people with disabilities suffer serious gaps in the enjoyment of their rights and that these gaps need to be addressed.”
The Convention sets out the obligations of States Parties to promote, protect and ensure the rights of all people with disabilities and promotes equal rights in all areas of life.
“There is still much to be done but the Committee believes that the decision by states to ratify the Convention is a good basis for seeing progress in vital areas, such as addressing the barriers people with disabilities face in accessing services and information,” said Cisternas.
The CRPD noted that the Convention had promoted increasing awareness of the importance of the involvement of persons with disabilities in decisions affecting their lives and rights. “A key message from persons with disabilities is that there should be ‘nothing about us without us’, and we in the Committee aim to foster this view in our dealings with States Parties, civil society, national human rights institutions and regional monitoring bodies, as well as with other UN agencies,” said Cisternas.
BACKGROUND INFORMATION:
The Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities was adopted by the UN General Assembly on 13 December 2006 and came into force on 3 May 2008, being swiftly ratified by dozens of states. On 10 September 2014, Guyana became the 150th state to ratify the Convention.
Full details of the Convention’s status
Disability rights: Major milestone as ratification of UN Convention reaches 150 states
GENEVA (15 September 2014) – Disability rights worldwide have reached a major milestone after the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities was ratified by the 150th country.Guyana became the latest state to ratify the Convention, which has been in force since 2008 and has seen one of the fastest rates of ratification of any of the international human rights treaties.“The 150th ratification is evidence of the commitment by the international community to promote and protect the human rights of persons with disabilities,” said Maria Soledad Cisternas Reyes on behalf of the Committee on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD), which monitors how states implement the Convention.“This Convention, in force for just six years, has been ratified across all regions and cultures, and is on the way to becoming universally recognised. We call on those states still to ratify to do so,” said Cisternas, who chairs the CRPD.The rapid and widespread ratification of the Convention, according to Cisternas, “highlights the growing awareness that people with disabilities suffer serious gaps in the enjoyment of their rights and that these gaps need to be addressed.”The Convention sets out the obligations of States Parties to promote, protect and ensure the rights of all people with disabilities and promotes equal rights in all areas of life.
“There is still much to be done but the Committee believes that the decision by states to ratify the Convention is a good basis for seeing progress in vital areas, such as addressing the barriers people with disabilities face in accessing services and information,” said Cisternas.The CRPD noted that the Convention had promoted increasing awareness of the importance of the involvement of persons with disabilities in decisions affecting their lives and rights. “A key message from persons with disabilities is that there should be ‘nothing about us without us’, and we in the Committee aim to foster this view in our dealings with States Parties, civil society, national human rights institutions and regional monitoring bodies, as well as with other UN agencies,” said Cisternas.ENDSBACKGROUND INFORMATION:The Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities was adopted by the UN General Assembly on 13 December 2006 and came into force on 3 May 2008, being swiftly ratified by dozens of states. On 10 September 2014, Guyana became the 150th state to ratify the Convention.Full details of the Convention’s status: https://treaties.un.org/Pages/ViewDetails.aspx?src=TREATY&mtdsg_no=IV-15&chapter=4&lang=en
– See more at: http://www.ohchr.org/EN/NewsEvents/Pages/DisplayNews.aspx?NewsID=15029&LangID=E#sthash.YXM6pqZQ.dpuf
Disability rights: Major milestone as ratification of UN Convention reaches 150 states
GENEVA (15 September 2014) – Disability rights worldwide have reached a major milestone after the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities was ratified by the 150th country.Guyana became the latest state to ratify the Convention, which has been in force since 2008 and has seen one of the fastest rates of ratification of any of the international human rights treaties.“The 150th ratification is evidence of the commitment by the international community to promote and protect the human rights of persons with disabilities,” said Maria Soledad Cisternas Reyes on behalf of the Committee on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD), which monitors how states implement the Convention.“This Convention, in force for just six years, has been ratified across all regions and cultures, and is on the way to becoming universally recognised. We call on those states still to ratify to do so,” said Cisternas, who chairs the CRPD.The rapid and widespread ratification of the Convention, according to Cisternas, “highlights the growing awareness that people with disabilities suffer serious gaps in the enjoyment of their rights and that these gaps need to be addressed.”The Convention sets out the obligations of States Parties to promote, protect and ensure the rights of all people with disabilities and promotes equal rights in all areas of life.
“There is still much to be done but the Committee believes that the decision by states to ratify the Convention is a good basis for seeing progress in vital areas, such as addressing the barriers people with disabilities face in accessing services and information,” said Cisternas.The CRPD noted that the Convention had promoted increasing awareness of the importance of the involvement of persons with disabilities in decisions affecting their lives and rights. “A key message from persons with disabilities is that there should be ‘nothing about us without us’, and we in the Committee aim to foster this view in our dealings with States Parties, civil society, national human rights institutions and regional monitoring bodies, as well as with other UN agencies,” said Cisternas.ENDSBACKGROUND INFORMATION:The Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities was adopted by the UN General Assembly on 13 December 2006 and came into force on 3 May 2008, being swiftly ratified by dozens of states. On 10 September 2014, Guyana became the 150th state to ratify the Convention.Full details of the Convention’s status: https://treaties.un.org/Pages/ViewDetails.aspx?src=TREATY&mtdsg_no=IV-15&chapter=4&lang=en
– See more at: http://www.ohchr.org/EN/NewsEvents/Pages/DisplayNews.aspx?NewsID=15029&LangID=E#sthash.YXM6pqZQ.dpuf
Disability rights: Major milestone as ratification of UN Convention reaches 150 states
GENEVA (15 September 2014) – Disability rights worldwide have reached a major milestone after the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities was ratified by the 150th country.Guyana became the latest state to ratify the Convention, which has been in force since 2008 and has seen one of the fastest rates of ratification of any of the international human rights treaties.“The 150th ratification is evidence of the commitment by the international community to promote and protect the human rights of persons with disabilities,” said Maria Soledad Cisternas Reyes on behalf of the Committee on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD), which monitors how states implement the Convention.“This Convention, in force for just six years, has been ratified across all regions and cultures, and is on the way to becoming universally recognised. We call on those states still to ratify to do so,” said Cisternas, who chairs the CRPD.The rapid and widespread ratification of the Convention, according to Cisternas, “highlights the growing awareness that people with disabilities suffer serious gaps in the enjoyment of their rights and that these gaps need to be addressed.”The Convention sets out the obligations of States Parties to promote, protect and ensure the rights of all people with disabilities and promotes equal rights in all areas of life.
“There is still much to be done but the Committee believes that the decision by states to ratify the Convention is a good basis for seeing progress in vital areas, such as addressing the barriers people with disabilities face in accessing services and information,” said Cisternas.The CRPD noted that the Convention had promoted increasing awareness of the importance of the involvement of persons with disabilities in decisions affecting their lives and rights. “A key message from persons with disabilities is that there should be ‘nothing about us without us’, and we in the Committee aim to foster this view in our dealings with States Parties, civil society, national human rights institutions and regional monitoring bodies, as well as with other UN agencies,” said Cisternas.ENDSBACKGROUND INFORMATION:The Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities was adopted by the UN General Assembly on 13 December 2006 and came into force on 3 May 2008, being swiftly ratified by dozens of states. On 10 September 2014, Guyana became the 150th state to ratify the Convention.Full details of the Convention’s status: https://treaties.un.org/Pages/ViewDetails.aspx?src=TREATY&mtdsg_no=IV-15&chapter=4&lang=en
– See more at: http://www.ohchr.org/EN/NewsEvents/Pages/DisplayNews.aspx?NewsID=15029&LangID=E#sthash.YXM6pqZQ.dpuf
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