A new era for human rights

The United Nations has played a big role in the struggle by disabled people to have their rights and dignity recognised.  The most significant being the adoption of the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities and its Optional Protocol at the United Nations Headquarters in New York on 13 December 2006.

Three months later it was opened for signature on 30 March 2007 and on the 3 May 2008 after a minimum number of twenty nations had ratified the Convention, it came into force.  This means that the Convention can now be used as a legal statute to protect the human rights of disabled people all over the world.Created as a human rights instrument, the Convention affirms that all disabled people must enjoy all human rights and basic freedoms.

Ensuring the inclusion of disabled people in mainstream development programmes is a crucial part of successful and sustainable community development. The new convention obliges governments and donors to make sure this happens. So, the finalisation of this convention is exciting news for World Vision as it aims to tackle global poverty on a truly inclusive level.

However, the new convention will have little effect unless it is ratified and implemented by the world’s governments. As such, World Vision is calling on all governments, including the UK government to:
- Ratify the new convention without reservation
- Implement the articles of the convention and ensure that national laws are altered to reflect these
- Develop national action plans for implementation and monitoring

Furthermore, World Vision recognises that an effective monitoring mechanism at international level is necessary to ensure effective implementation of the Convention and welcomes the article establishing a Committee on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities. However, the UN should draw on learning from other human rights conventions and provide this committee with investigating powers so that the Convention does not become meaningless and ineffective.

There are 8 Guiding Principles that underlie this Convention

1. Respect for inherent dignity, individual autonomy including the freedom to make one’s own choices, and independence of persons
2. Non-discrimination
3. Full and effective participation and inclusion in society
4. Respect for difference and acceptance of disabled people as part of human diversity and humanity
5. Equality of opportunity
6. Accessibility
7. Equality between men and women
8. Respect for the evolving capacities of disabled children and respect for them to preserve their identities.

Click to read the full document of the UN Convention on the Rights of People with Disabilities