This landmark legally-binding treaty came into force on 3 May 2008, marking a major milestone in the effort to promote, protect and ensure the full and equal enjoyment of all human rights for all people.
Ahead of the 17th Conference of the States Parties (COSP17) starting on 11 June, here are five facts about the Convention and how it continues to impact the lives of 1.3 billion men, women and children with disabilities around the world.
A 4-year-old boy plays at a learning center in Bratislava, Ukraine.
1. Why the World Needs a Treaty
People with disabilities face discrimination and denial of their human rights all over the world. The problem is not individual disabilities, but societal barriers.
That is why the treaty exists.
This treaty is a human rights treaty that lays out how we can achieve a disability-inclusive world.
The goal is to create an environment in which people with disabilities can enjoy true equality in society.
A 9-year-old boy plays on a seesaw with his friends in the inclusive playground at his school in Za’atari refugee camp, Jordan.
2. Protected rights
The Convention emphasises that the dignity of people with disabilities should be respected, their views heard and they should be involved in decisions that affect their lives – this includes all rights, from freedom of speech and education to health care and employment.
The treaty calls on states to remove barriers that prevent people with disabilities from fully participating in all areas, from technology to politics.
The Convention addresses barriers such as discrimination and accessibility, and calls for equality for women and girls. It also outlines how countries around the world can remove barriers that prevent people with disabilities from fully enjoying all their rights.
Despite all the technical difficulties of leaving his home, Dmitry Kuzuk does his own shopping and lives independently in Moldova. (File)
3. How the Treaty will be implemented
There are several ways in which the Convention can be implemented, respected and enforced.
Individuals can file petitions with the UN Committee on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities to report rights violations.
“The mere existence of this treaty allows disabled people and disability organizations to say to governments, ‘you have accepted these obligations’ and to insist that they are met,” said Don MacKay, chairman of the committee that drafted the treaty.
The 18-member Geneva-based committee will also investigate serious or systematic violations of the treaty and monitor whether rights are properly applied online and offline in peacetime, wartime and other crises.
A boy takes part in a panel discussion on health and wellbeing during an event marking World Down Syndrome Day at the United Nations Headquarters. (File)
4. A seat at the table
The key to progress is bringing those whose rights are being violated to the negotiating table.
This year, hundreds of representatives of non-governmental organisations (NGOs) will gather in New York to take part in the latest Conference of States Parties (COSP17), which will be held in June 2024, one of the world’s largest conferences on the rights of people with disabilities.
Since the Convention was negotiated, the perspectives and opinions of people with disabilities have been heard at the United Nations and in national meetings around the world.
The large tables at UN Headquarters now accommodate accessibility requirements, such as wheelchair access, use of hearing loops, documentation in Braille, large print or the use of sign language.
Music legend and United Nations Messenger of Peace Stevie Wonder speaks at the United Nations General Assembly’s High-Level Meeting on Disability and Development in 2013. (File)
5. In the spotlight
International celebrities such as visually impaired singer-songwriter and United Nations Messenger of Peace, Stevie Wonder, have also spoken out.
“Just because you can see doesn’t mean you don’t see problems that need to be solved in the world,” Wonder said, noting that there are 300 million blind people worldwide.
“We are truly able-bodied people with a wide range of abilities. We need to be included.”
To find out how the music mogul challenged stereotypes about Braille, watch this story from the UN Archives on UN Video here.
“I think there are certain stereotypes about autism, but I’ve quickly learned from meeting parents of autistic children and from meeting autistic people that those stereotypes don’t actually exist,” actress Dakota Fanning, who plays the autistic character Wendy in Please Stand By, told UN News in a conversation with the United Nations.
“So I didn’t want to perpetuate stereotypes and I really wanted to play her the same way I would play any other young woman,” she said.
Nick Hurd at the United Nations General Assembly during COSP16. (File)
“I’ve lived with discrimination for part of my life,” said Nick Hurd, a Canadian activist, actor and talk show host who was born with Down Syndrome.
“I was bullied as a child and growing up because of my disability, but now I can make my voice heard much louder, I can shout from the rooftops and from mountains bigger than the United Nations, so that people with disabilities can be included in the discussion.”
Giles Durie has dedicated his career as a photographer to documenting the effects of war – he was seriously wounded in Afghanistan himself and continues to fight on all fronts to heal his own and others’ wounds.
“In war, people with disabilities are often viewed as victims, denied equality in humanitarian assistance and excluded from peace processes,” said renowned photographer Giles Durie, the first UN Global Advocate for Disabilities in Conflict and Peacebuilding Situations.
“Now is the time for change, and together we have the power and opportunity to make a difference.”
Who’s on board?
The Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities was opened for signature in 2006. The signatory countries are:
The United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, awaiting signature by representatives of member states in 2006. (File)
To date, 191 countries and UN observers have ratified the Convention and 106 countries have ratified the Optional Protocol. Since the Convention came into force in 2008, the UN and its agencies have been working to expand its provisions. The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development aims to leave no one behind in its 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The Future Summit will realign international cooperation to be fully inclusive. See the UN Disability Inclusion Strategy. The Convention and its Optional Protocol established the Conference of the Parties (COSP), an annual meeting of the signatory countries of the Convention, to monitor implementation and discuss current themes and trends. This year’s COSP17 will be held at the UN Headquarters from 11-13 June 2024 and will focus on employment, technology and humanitarian emergencies. Learn more about the Committee on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities here.
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