Committee on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities to hold third session from 22 to 26 February 2010

BACKGROUND RELEASE

18 February 2010

The third session of the Committee on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities will be held at the United Nations Office at Geneva from 22 to 26 February 2010.

On Monday morning, after adopting its agenda and programme of work, the Committee will discuss and approve the report of its second session. It will also discuss and approve the report of the Chairperson on activities undertaken between the second and third sessions of the Committee.

During the session, the Committee will primarily discuss a number of topics in closed meetings, including ways and means of expediting the Committee’s work, and discussion of and adoption of the Committee’s Draft Rules of Procedure. In addition, Committee members will discuss follow–up to the day of general discussion on article 12 (on the right to equal recognition before the law) and preparation of the Committee’s second day of general discussion to be held during the fall 2010 session, and such other matters relating to its work as may be necessary.

On Friday, 26 February, in the morning, the Committee will hold a meeting with States parties to exchange views on the future working methods of the Committee, including in relation to guidelines for reports of States parties. According to the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, States parties are required to submit their initial reports to the Committee two years after the entry into force of the Convention for them. In May 2010 it will be two years since the Convention has entered into force for the first 20 states to ratify it. The Committee is hoping to start receiving in May the first reports from these States.

This session is happening at a time of renewed activism of the Committee. With regard to the events in Haiti, the Committee warned, in a recent media statement, against the disabled becoming the forgotten ones and urged the Haitian Government, the international community, United Nations agencies and all humanitarian organizations in Haiti not to allow the marginalization of persons with disabilities and to build a disability perspective in the emergency response and the reconstruction of the country.

Convention on the Rights of Persons With Disabilities

Adopted on 13 December 2006 by the General Assembly, the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities Protocol entered into force on 3 May 2008.

The purpose of the Convention is to promote, protect and ensure the full and equal enjoyment of all human rights and fundamental freedoms by all persons with disabilities, and to promote respect for their inherent dignity. Persons with disabilities include those who have long-term physical, mental, intellectual or sensory impairments which in interaction with various barriers may hinder their full and effective participation in society on an equal basis with others.

States parties undertake to ensure and promote the full realization of all human rights and fundamental freedoms for all persons with disabilities without discrimination of any kind on the basis of disability. States Parties recognize that all persons are equal before and under the law and are entitled without any discrimination to the equal protection and equal benefit of the law. Specific measures which are necessary to accelerate or achieve de facto equality of persons with disabilities shall not be considered discrimination under the terms of the present Convention.

States parties reaffirm that every human being has the inherent right to life and shall take all necessary measures to ensure its effective enjoyment by persons with disabilities on an equal basis with others. States Parties reaffirm that persons with disabilities have the right to recognition everywhere as persons before the law. States Parties shall recognize that persons with disabilities enjoy legal capacity on an equal basis with others in all aspects of life.

Each State party shall submit to the Committee, through the Secretary-General of the United Nations, a comprehensive report on measures taken to give effect to its obligations under the present Convention and on the progress made in that regard, within two years after the entry into force of the present Convention for the State Party concerned. Thereafter, States parties shall submit subsequent reports at least every four years and further whenever the Committee so requests.

States Parties to the Convention

At present the Convention has 79 States parties. These are: Algeria, Argentina, Australia, Austria, Azerbaijan, Bangladesh, Belgium, Brazil, Burkina Faso, Chile, China, Cook Islands, Costa Rica, Croatia, Cuba, Czech Republic, Denmark, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Egypt, El Salvador, Gabon, Germany, Guatemala, Guinea, Haiti, Honduras, Hungary, India, Iran, Italy, Jamaica, Jordan, Kenya, Lao People's Democratic Republic, Lesotho, Malawi, Mali, Mauritius, Mexico, Mongolia, Montenegro, Morocco, Namibia, New Zealand, Nicaragua, Niger, Oman, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, Philippines, Portugal, Qatar, Republic of Korea, Rwanda, San Marino, Saudi Arabia, Serbia, Seychelles, Slovenia, South Africa, Spain, Sri Lanka, Sudan, Sweden, Syrian Arab Republic, Tanzania, Thailand, Tunisia, Turkey, Turkmenistan, Uganda, Ukraine, United Kingdom, Uruguay, Vanuatu, Yemen and Zambia.

Committee Membership

The members of the Committee are elected for a term of four years and shall be eligible for re?election once. However, the term of six members elected at the first election expire at the end of two years, as decided by a drawing of lots. Those Committee members whose terms expire two years after the first election can be eligible for re-election for a full four-year term if re-nominated.

The current membership of the Committee is as follows: Mr. Monsur Ahmed Choudhuri (Bangladesh); Ms. Amna Ali Al Suweidi (Qatar); Mr. György Könczei (Hungary); Ms. Ana Peláez Narváez (Spain); Mr. Cveto Uršič (Slovenia); Ms. Jia Yang (China); Mr. Mohammed Al-Tarawneh (Jordan); Mr. Ronald McCallum AO (Australia); Ms. María Soledad Cisternas Reyes (Chile); Mr. Germán Xavier Torres Correa (Ecuador); Mr. Lotfi Ben Lallohom (Tunisia); Ms. Edah Wangechi Maina (Kenya).

The six members whose terms shall expire at the end of two years on 31 December 2010 are Mr. Könczei; Mr. Uršič;
Mr. McCallum AO; Mr. Torres Correa; Mr. Ben Lallohom; and Ms. Wangechi Maina.
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For use of the information media; not an official record