Global: UN acknowledges 650 million disabled people
International aid and development agencies, World Vision and Action on Disability and Development (ADD), welcome the formal adoption of the UN Convention on the Rights and Dignity of Persons with Disabilities. The Convention draws together for the first time the human rights of disabled people.
UN acknowledges 650 million disabled people with the 1st Human Rights treaty of the 21st century
International aid and development agencies, World Vision and Action on Disability and Development (ADD), welcome the formal adoption of the UN Convention on the Rights and Dignity of Persons with Disabilities. The Convention draws together for the first time the human rights of disabled people.
It has the potential to ensure that barriers to participation in society are removed so that disabled people are fully included in their own communities and in international development initiatives. The Convention will provide a recognised international standard for the rights and freedoms of disabled people around the world, including the 480 million disabled people in developing countries.
Isaac Kute, ADD's Chief Executive said "We welcome the long overdue Convention and call on all governments to ratify this treaty as quickly as possible - disabled people have been 2nd class citizens for too long! In order for the Convention to make a practical difference to disabled people's lives governments need to take urgent steps to ensure this treaty is not left gathering dust on a shelf."
World Vision's Disability Adviser Sue Coe says: "This Convention will hopefully mean that the rights of disabled people, especially disabled children, will finally be taken seriously. Until now, governments have been slow to make good on their commitments to disabled children outlined in many other human rights treaties. For example, though all disabled children have a right to education through the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child, only 2% of disabled children in the developing world actually go to school."
British Para-olympian athlete Anne Wafula-Strike, grew up in Kenya and was struck down with polio at the age of two and says "I threatened to quit school when I was a child because of a lack of adequate facilities and the way I was treated by society. We would particularly like to see governments take action to ensure that the 40 million disabled children currently out of school in developing countries are given the opportunity to receive a quality education which will enable them to reach their full potential in life."
Isaac added: " This new Convention provides the impetus for governments to ensure that disabled people are finally fully included in society. However, this will only happen if the Convention is implemented and monitored effectively once it has been ratified."
For more information, pictures and recent broadcast footage of a disability project in Zambia or an interview with celebrity ambassador, Para-olympian athlete, Anne Wafula-Strike and ADD spokesperson Isaac Kute, please contact Esther Williams on 01908 244 418 or 07876 503 978 [email protected]
1. World Vision is a Christian charity and one of the world's leading relief and development agencies, currently helping more than 100 million people in nearly 100 countries in their struggle against poverty, hunger and injustice, irrespective of their religious beliefs. The issue of including disabled people in development projects is currently being tackled by all World Vision offices throughout the world.
2. Working in 12 countries in Africa and Asia, Action on Disability and Development (ADD) supports groups of disabled people to campaign for their equal rights. In developing countries, disabled people, especially disabled women and children, are among the poorest, most disadvantaged and socially excluded, and are often forgotten by other organizations. ADD also works to influence other development organisations of the need to include disabled people in their work.
Esther Williams World Vision Tel. 01908 244418 Mob. 07876 503978 NB broadcasters: ISDN line 01908 394862 E-mail: [email protected]