Disability Rights Advocacy Workbook - Handicap International

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The adoption of the Convention and the process of its development raised awareness andunderstanding about people with disabilities, especially among governments. Very fewcountries currently have comprehensive laws to protect the rights of people withdisabilities. The negotiation process also helped to make people with disabilities morevisible, to direct attention to their concerns, and to promote an increase in resources todisability programs. The process also drew advocates, organizations, and communitiestogether to work for a common goal.The adoption of the Convention has contributed to changing the way people think aboutpeople with disabilities, encouraging the understanding that persons with disabilities areholders of human rights that must be protected. However, the adoption of theConvention is only the first step. In order for the Convention to successfully improvethe situation of people with disabilities around the world, it needs to be ratified andimplemented by States. Once States ratify the Convention and implement it throughtheir national laws, people with disabilities will be see the full respect of their humanrights.How is the Convention on the Rights of Persons WithDisabilities different from the UN Standard Rules?The Convention clearly differs from the UN Standard Rules in important ways:• Although the Standard Rules refer to human rights, they are not a statement ofhuman rights standards. The Convention affirms the human rights of people withdisabilities.• The UN Standard Rules are a statement of guiding principles, but no government isunder an obligation to follow them. The Convention becomes binding law forgovernments that ratify it. For those who do not, it nonetheless establishesinternational standards by which to evaluate states' laws, policies, and practicesconcerning people with disabilities.• The UN Standard Rules lack several important core principles that exist in theConvention:- A statement on nondiscrimination;- Prohibition against torture and other forms of ill-treatment;- Prohibition against slavery and other forms of exploitative labor practice;- Provisions regarding freedom from violence and protection of the right to life;- Explicit due process guarantees, including due process for involuntaryinstitutionalization;- Provisions for enforcing human rights standards for people with disabilities inhospitals or institutions;- Protection for the reproductive rights of people with disabilities.Advocacy Workbook, Landmine Survivors Network 21
How does a new UN convention come into being?The evolution of a UN convention from hopes and ideals to legally binding law is alengthy process that begins and ends with advocacy by people who care about the issue.Each stage of development can take many months or even many years to accomplish:1. Advocated by groups concerned about an issue. Usually working in coalition,advocates lobby UN representatives to bring the issue before the GeneralAssembly.2. Recommended by a resolution of the UN General Assembly for considerationand establishment of an Ad Hoc Committee to study the creation of a newconvention.3. Drafted by a working group. Working groups consist of governmentrepresentatives of UN member states, as well as representatives ofnongovernmental organizations (NGOs) and intergovernmentalorganizations (IGOs), such as the World Health Organisation (WHO) and theInternational Labour Organisation (ILO).4. Every article of the draft text is then debated until consensus is reached on itslanguage and content. In this way a final draft is achieved for submission to theGeneral Assembly.5. Adopted by vote of the UN General Assembly. The Convention on the Rightsof Persons with Disabilities was adopted on 13 December 2006.6. Signed by UN member states. When member states sign the convention, theyare indicating that they have begun the process required by their government forratification. In signing, they also are agreeing to refrain from acts that would becontrary to the objectives of the Convention. The Convention on the Rights ofDisabilities will open for signature on 30 March 2007.7. Ratified by UN member states. When a member state ratifies a convention, itsignifies its intention to comply with the specific provisions and obligations ofthe document. It takes on the responsibility to see that its national laws are inagreement with the Convention. There is also a process by which states canratify the Convention but indicate their reservations about specific articles withwhich they disagree.8. Entered into force. A convention goes into effect when a certain number ofmember states have ratified it. The Convention on the Rights of Persons withDisabilities comes into force one month after 20 ratifications are deposited.9. Implemented and Monitored. The ratifying government must report regularlyto the administrative body created by the Convention on how it is implementingAdvocacy Workbook, Landmine Survivors Network 22
Page 2: COPYRIGHT 2004, 2007LANDMINE SURVIV
Page 5 and 6: After completing this workbook, you
Page 7 and 8: The social model emphasizes identif
Page 9 and 10: • Social rejection and exclusion
Page 11 and 12: What you do not know is sometimes m
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Disability Rights Advocacy Workbook - Handicap International

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