Ability Forum

[kodakkal]

LAUNCHING OF STUDY ON HUMAN RIGHTS AND DISABILITY
MONDAY 15 APRIL 2002, 18H00-19H00, ROOM XXI


STATEMENT BY THE HIGH COMMISSIONER FOR HUMAN RIGHTS



Excellencies, ladies and gentlemen,

It is a pleasure to welcome you this evening - after a full day session of the Commission on Human Rights - at the formal launching of the study I have commissioned the Research Centre on Human Rights and Disability of the University of Galway to prepare. As you would recall, the main authors of the study presented their findings on the current use and future potential of the United Nations human rights instruments in the context of disability, during a meeting I held on 14 January 2002. The full text of the study is now available and has been distributed to delegations few days ago – some copies are also available in this room

I am pleased to welcome the Special Rapporteur of the Commission for Social Development on Disability, Mr. Bengt Lindqvist, as well as Mrs. Charlotte McClain, Commissioner of the South African Commission  and Gerard Quinn, one of the drafters of the study.

The struggle to advance equality through the elimination of all forms of discrimination remains a fundamental element of the promotion and protection of human rights for all. We have to acknowledge that the discrimination of persons with disability has been, for too long, a neglected issue as compared to other forms of discrimination. Fortunately, that neglect is being reversed. The human rights dimension of the question of disability is being reaffirmed and re-emphasized.  The culmination of this recognition came in 1993, with the Vienna Declaration for Human Rights which, by reaffirming that all human rights and fundamental freedoms are for all, placed persons with disabilities and their active participation in all aspects of civil society, explicitly in a human rights context. Also in 1993, the Standard Rules were unanimously adopted by the General Assembly and provided the international community with concentrated and concrete guidelines to advance the protection of persons with disabilities.

The Commission on Human Rights, particularly aware of the need to strengthen the work of human rights mechanisms in  the promotion and protection of the rights of persons with disabilities, requested me, in its resolution 2000/51 on the human rights of persons with disabilities, in cooperation with the Special Rapporteur on Disability, to examine measures to strengthen the protection and monitoring of the human rights of persons with disabilities.

It is further to that particular request that I have decided to strengthen the work of my office on disability and to reinforce its expertise in this area. In order to develop the human rights activities of the United Nations in the field of disability, my office has designed a project to, inter alia, provide a conceptual framework for the recognition of the human rights dimension of disability.  The first outcome of the project is the publication of the study which is being presented today.  I am confident that this study would be a first step towards a better documented recognition of the human rights dimension of disability issues.

The study was designed with three aims:

1) to provide a reference work on human rights and disability;
2) to review the relevance and functioning of the UN human rights system in the context of disability - the study analyses the provisions of the core six human rights treaties and the examination of the issue by the treaty monitoring bodies, as well as outlining the involvement in the system of national human rights institutions and civil society;
3) to suggest options for the future, both to improve the use of existing human rights  norms and mechanisms in relation to disability, and to explore the possible need for a new international instrument.

Excellencies, ladies and gentlemen,

In view of the fact that the study considers at length the provisions of human rights instruments and disability-related activities of treaty monitoring bodies, my office has seized the chairpersons of the treaty bodies calling their attention on the study and inviting them to forward comments and suggestions on the study. It is indeed essential to identify effective ways and means to get the feedback of these bodies so that this study could become a useful tool for the advancement of the rights of persons with disabilities and could assist the more systematic integration of disability matters in the work of treaty bodies.

The important role of civil society is also reflected in the study in the chapters outlining the involvement of national human rights institutions and NGOs in the promotion and protection of the rights of persons with disabilities. This is one of the reasons why, the yearly meeting of national human rights commissions held in parallel to the work of the Commission on Human Rights will be exclusively devoted this year to human rights and disability. National institutions will be reflecting on their role in the promotion and protection of the rights of persons with disabilities. The meeting will be held tomorrow 16 April from 15h00 to 18h00 in room XXIII. This meeting is open to the widest possible participation and does not intend to limit itself to the perspective of National Institutions only. Other approaches, experiences and perspectives are welcome and I take this opportunity to invite all of those present this evening to that meeting.

Since the last session of the General Assembly, our initiatives and actions in the disability field should be considered in light of the resolution it has adopted which is a landmark in the history of the disability movement.  By deciding to establish a Committee that would elaborate an international convention to protect and promote the rights and dignity of persons with disabilities, based on the holistic approach in the work done in the field of social development, human rights and non-discrimination, the General Assembly responded to the needs of various disability groups on the value of a legally binding human rights instrument.  I welcome this reaffirmed recognition of the importance of the disability issue in the international context.  The General Assembly initiative has been strengthened by the Commission for Social Development resolutions in last February. All of us are expecting similar support from the Commission on Human Rights.

However, it is essential to be aware that, if this resolution brings us hope, we should still remain conscious of the challenging task this drafting represents and of the long road ahead before the international community reaches a satisfying convention to be adopted. Let us recall that the needs and aspirations of persons with disabilities are multi-dimensional and, that the Convention should take into consideration all expressed concerns. This resolution should not overshadow the necessity to ensure that, while drafting an instrument that should further strengthen the existing human rights provisions directly or indirectly linked to disability and provide for higher standards, human rights of persons with disabilities be protected and promoted today.

Therefore United Nations action should be tri-dimensional:

1) Continue and reinforce social development efforts in the field of disability by continuing providing support to the Special Rapporteur of the Commission for Social Development in ensuring the implementation of the Standard Rules;

2) Ensure that existing instruments and mechanisms be used in the most effective and efficient manner to ensure the full enjoyment of all their rights by persons with disabilities;

3) Ensure that human rights be at the core of the new convention and that the drafting efforts be directed at providing for higher human rights standards in the promotion and protection of the rights of persons with disabilities.

I am confident that this study as part of a vaster project on disability would help maintain and further build the international momentum on the recognition of persons with disabilities as full members of the society and as holders of rights to be exercised.

I thank you for your attention and presence. I will now give the floor to Mr. Bengt Lindqvist, Special Rapporteur of the Commission for Social Development on Disability…………….

………………………..

As I mentioned earlier, the study outlines the role of national human rights institutions in the disability field. This is why, I have the pleasure to give the floor to Ms. Charlotte McClain from the South African Commission…………………………………

_________________
KODAKKAL SHIVAPRASAD,FUWAI,
Award Winner & Record Holder-International Biographical NOte.
PRO- www.disabilityindia.org/legalaid.cfm#1
Web:http://www.kodakkal.ning.com
http://www.giveindia.org/m-890-society-for-child-development.aspx

LAUNCHING OF STUDY ON HUMAN RIGHTS AND DISABILITY
MONDAY 15 APRIL 2002, 18H00-19H00, ROOM XXI


STATEMENT BY THE HIGH COMMISSIONER FOR HUMAN RIGHTS



Excellencies, ladies and gentlemen,

It is a pleasure to welcome you this evening - after a full day session of the Commission on Human Rights - at the formal launching of the study I have commissioned the Research Centre on Human Rights and Disability of the University of Galway to prepare. As you would recall, the main authors of the study presented their findings on the current use and future potential of the United Nations human rights instruments in the context of disability, during a meeting I held on 14 January 2002. The full text of the study is now available and has been distributed to delegations few days ago – some copies are also available in this room

I am pleased to welcome the Special Rapporteur of the Commission for Social Development on Disability, Mr. Bengt Lindqvist, as well as Mrs. Charlotte McClain, Commissioner of the South African Commission  and Gerard Quinn, one of the drafters of the study.

The struggle to advance equality through the elimination of all forms of discrimination remains a fundamental element of the promotion and protection of human rights for all. We have to acknowledge that the discrimination of persons with disability has been, for too long, a neglected issue as compared to other forms of discrimination. Fortunately, that neglect is being reversed. The human rights dimension of the question of disability is being reaffirmed and re-emphasized.  The culmination of this recognition came in 1993, with the Vienna Declaration for Human Rights which, by reaffirming that all human rights and fundamental freedoms are for all, placed persons with disabilities and their active participation in all aspects of civil society, explicitly in a human rights context. Also in 1993, the Standard Rules were unanimously adopted by the General Assembly and provided the international community with concentrated and concrete guidelines to advance the protection of persons with disabilities.

The Commission on Human Rights, particularly aware of the need to strengthen the work of human rights mechanisms in  the promotion and protection of the rights of persons with disabilities, requested me, in its resolution 2000/51 on the human rights of persons with disabilities, in cooperation with the Special Rapporteur on Disability, to examine measures to strengthen the protection and monitoring of the human rights of persons with disabilities.

It is further to that particular request that I have decided to strengthen the work of my office on disability and to reinforce its expertise in this area. In order to develop the human rights activities of the United Nations in the field of disability, my office has designed a project to, inter alia, provide a conceptual framework for the recognition of the human rights dimension of disability.  The first outcome of the project is the publication of the study which is being presented today.  I am confident that this study would be a first step towards a better documented recognition of the human rights dimension of disability issues.

The study was designed with three aims:

1) to provide a reference work on human rights and disability;
2) to review the relevance and functioning of the UN human rights system in the context of disability - the study analyses the provisions of the core six human rights treaties and the examination of the issue by the treaty monitoring bodies, as well as outlining the involvement in the system of national human rights institutions and civil society;
3) to suggest options for the future, both to improve the use of existing human rights  norms and mechanisms in relation to disability, and to explore the possible need for a new international instrument.

Excellencies, ladies and gentlemen,

In view of the fact that the study considers at length the provisions of human rights instruments and disability-related activities of treaty monitoring bodies, my office has seized the chairpersons of the treaty bodies calling their attention on the study and inviting them to forward comments and suggestions on the study. It is indeed essential to identify effective ways and means to get the feedback of these bodies so that this study could become a useful tool for the advancement of the rights of persons with disabilities and could assist the more systematic integration of disability matters in the work of treaty bodies.

The important role of civil society is also reflected in the study in the chapters outlining the involvement of national human rights institutions and NGOs in the promotion and protection of the rights of persons with disabilities. This is one of the reasons why, the yearly meeting of national human rights commissions held in parallel to the work of the Commission on Human Rights will be exclusively devoted this year to human rights and disability. National institutions will be reflecting on their role in the promotion and protection of the rights of persons with disabilities. The meeting will be held tomorrow 16 April from 15h00 to 18h00 in room XXIII. This meeting is open to the widest possible participation and does not intend to limit itself to the perspective of National Institutions only. Other approaches, experiences and perspectives are welcome and I take this opportunity to invite all of those present this evening to that meeting.

Since the last session of the General Assembly, our initiatives and actions in the disability field should be considered in light of the resolution it has adopted which is a landmark in the history of the disability movement.  By deciding to establish a Committee that would elaborate an international convention to protect and promote the rights and dignity of persons with disabilities, based on the holistic approach in the work done in the field of social development, human rights and non-discrimination, the General Assembly responded to the needs of various disability groups on the value of a legally binding human rights instrument.  I welcome this reaffirmed recognition of the importance of the disability issue in the international context.  The General Assembly initiative has been strengthened by the Commission for Social Development resolutions in last February. All of us are expecting similar support from the Commission on Human Rights.

However, it is essential to be aware that, if this resolution brings us hope, we should still remain conscious of the challenging task this drafting represents and of the long road ahead before the international community reaches a satisfying convention to be adopted. Let us recall that the needs and aspirations of persons with disabilities are multi-dimensional and, that the Convention should take into consideration all expressed concerns. This resolution should not overshadow the necessity to ensure that, while drafting an instrument that should further strengthen the existing human rights provisions directly or indirectly linked to disability and provide for higher standards, human rights of persons with disabilities be protected and promoted today.

Therefore United Nations action should be tri-dimensional:

1) Continue and reinforce social development efforts in the field of disability by continuing providing support to the Special Rapporteur of the Commission for Social Development in ensuring the implementation of the Standard Rules;

2) Ensure that existing instruments and mechanisms be used in the most effective and efficient manner to ensure the full enjoyment of all their rights by persons with disabilities;

3) Ensure that human rights be at the core of the new convention and that the drafting efforts be directed at providing for higher human rights standards in the promotion and protection of the rights of persons with disabilities.

I am confident that this study as part of a vaster project on disability would help maintain and further build the international momentum on the recognition of persons with disabilities as full members of the society and as holders of rights to be exercised.

I thank you for your attention and presence. I will now give the floor to Mr. Bengt Lindqvist, Special Rapporteur of the Commission for Social Development on Disability…………….

………………………..

As I mentioned earlier, the study outlines the role of national human rights institutions in the disability field. This is why, I have the pleasure to give the floor to Ms. Charlotte McClain from the South African Commission…………………………………

_________________
KODAKKAL SHIVAPRASAD,FUWAI,
Award Winner & Record Holder-International Biographical NOte.
PRO- www.disabilityindia.org/legalaid.cfm#1
Web:http://www.kodakkal.ning.com
http://www.giveindia.org/m-890-society-for-child-development.aspx

[Adverts]