Major Milestone: The UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities has entered into force.

Marianne Schulze, LIGHT FOR THE WORLD, Stefan Barriga, Liechtenstein, First Secretary, Dr. Erwin Buchinger, Minister for Social Affairs, Austria

On 3 May 2008, the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities entered into force. On the opening day for signature back in 2006, a record-breaking 82 countries signed the Convention. To date, 27 UN member states have ratified (the legal translation of the Convention into national law) the Convention and thus showed their commitment to secure the rights of persons with disabilities and to abolish all laws, regulations, customs and practices that discriminate against persons with disabilities.

Before the Convention was adopted by the General Assembly of the United Nations in December 2006 LIGHT FOR THE WORLD successfully advocated for the inclusion of disabled persons in development cooperation and their active participation in this process (Article 32).

Based on the new Convention persons with disabilities can make specific claims for the realisation of their rights such as barrier-free access to health services. This means, for example, that buildings and information should be fully accessible to persons with disabilities, within community reach (not in a far away city) and they should be treated equally by doctors. The broad range of rights enshrined in the Convention also includes the rights of children with disabilities, the right to education and the right to participation in society. Furthermore, the Convention is an awareness raising tool.

The Convention will provide protection for 650 million people with disabilities worldwide 80% of whom live in developing countries. On 30 March 2007, the European Community signed the new UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities on the first day it was open for signature. This was the first time the European Community signed a core UN human rights convention. Austria was among the 81 states to sign the convention on the first day possible. LIGHT FOR THE WORLD works to make sure that the rights promised in the Convention become a reality in Austria and the European Community’s development policy.

In addition, the Optional Protocol has entered into force alongside the Convention. It allows individuals living in a country that has ratified the Convention to submit petitions regarding violations of their rights to the Committee in charge of monitoring its implementation.

Facts on the UN Convention and on persons with disabilities: http://www.un.org/disabilities/convention/facts.shtml