ACTING HIGH COMMISSIONER FOR HUMAN RIGHTS HAILS PROGRESS ON CONVENTION ON DISABLED

3 December 2003




Following is the message of acting United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights Bertrand Ramcharan on the International Day of Disabled Persons which is commemorated on 3 December 2003:


“The International Day of Disabled Persons takes place this year at a time when we are also marking the tenth anniversary of the Declaration and Programme of Action adopted by the World Conference on Human Rights in Vienna.

The World Conference on Human Rights reaffirmed the universality of all human rights and fundamental freedoms, and the right of persons with disabilities to the equal effective enjoyment of these legal guarantees in a way that is respectful and accommodating of their differences. The World Conference on Human Rights also stated that persons with disabilities should be guaranteed equal opportunity through the elimination of all those barriers which exclude or restrict their full participation in society.
Last week, the General Assembly endorsed the decision of the Ad Hoc Committee on a Comprehensive and Integral International Convention on the Protection and Promotion of the Rights and Dignity of Persons with Disabilities to establish a Working Group to prepare a draft text for a convention. The General Assembly also decided that the Ad Hoc Committee shall start the negotiations on the proposed new convention at its third session, in 2004.
The Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights supports the adoption of a new convention, which could provide an additional tool to strengthen the promotion and protection of the human rights of persons with disabilities. It would enhance the visibility of disability issues within the human rights system and would allow for tailoring the implementation of general human rights norms and standards to the particular situation and needs of persons with disabilities.
The International Day of Disabled Persons should refocus our attention on the rights and dignity of persons with disabilities. It should prompt us to collective and individual efforts to ensure the full respect for and increasing enjoyment of their rights. Our Office stands ready to assist the Ad Hoc Committee and its Working Group. We welcome the valuable contribution offered by national human rights institutions and civil society organizations to this process, and encourage their continuing active and meaningful participation in discussions on the proposed new treaty”.