Through the end of the 20th century, people with disabilities in most countries had little hope of breaking the cycle of poverty, stigma and human rights violations. With an estimated 650 million people with disabilities worldwide, 80% of whom live in developing countries, the human impact of disability discrimination across the globe is staggering. In 2001, however, a dramatic development in international awareness of disability issues occurred. After many years of outcry by the disability community for international legal protection of the human rights of people with disabilities, the United Nations opened the discussion of developing a human rights convention (treaty) on disability. In an historic process unprecedented in any international body, people with disabilities from across the globe came to the table to fight for their rights. The result was the first human rights treaty of the 21st century – the International Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities. Through this empowering participatory process, the international disability community transformed its previously fragmented efforts into a broad and powerful transnational advocacy movement and significantly impacted the substance of the Convention. In December 2006, the UN adopted the CRPD, which opened for State signature in March 2007. The Convention will enter into force in May 2008.
Now that disability has been officially mainstreamed into international human rights law and recognized as a core human rights issue, global efforts must focus on getting all countries to sign and ratify the CRPD and then to implement it. Strong advocacy is occurring worldwide on ratification and implementation, including in the United States. The US government did not support the development of this important UN treaty on disability and has indicated that it will not sign and ratify it. The US disability community has begun to organize and advocate for a change in policy on this issue. USICD is helping to lead this important effort. More information on USICD’s activities can be found under current initiatives.
Get Involved: BlogSwarm 2008!
Update: ENABLE Covention Updates (New!)
UPDATE: Signatories and Ratifications
Plain Language Summary of the Convention on Disability
Resolution (Microsoft Word Document)
Convention Fact Sheet
Position Statement (Microsoft Word Document)
Letter to President Bush (Microsoft
Word Document)
Summary Reports from UN Ad Hoc Committee Meetings
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