UN and Disability Rights: Urgent Request for Action
IID: Request for Urgent Action
October 29, 2001.
Dear Friends:
All of us involved with the defense and promotion of the human rights of people with disabilities are fully aware of the momentous importance that would have the approval, from the United Nations, of an International Convention that protects such rights.
This is a dream that has been forged within the International Community, since the end ofthe 70's. Twenty five years later we have a valuable instrument (the UN Standard Rules), but insufficient to improve, with effectiveness, the situation of human rights of more than 600 million people that today represent the population with disabilities in the planet.
The Inter-American Institute on Disabilities (IID), joining in support of all efforts being made by the international organizations representing people with disabilities, puts all its energy to the service of the cause of the UN Convention.
We act now with the same commitment and inspiration that we did during the process of the adoption ofthe Inter-American Convention for the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against People with disabilities, adopted by the Organization ofthe American States (OAS), in 1999, in Guatemala, now ratified by 7 countries in the Region. We want to offer the experience that we accumulate then, to the service of an urgent and exciting process that is now going on in the UN.
Right now, there is a valuable opportunity for us all to make advance the process toward the approval of that important international instrument. A few days ago Mexico has presented to the Third Committee of the United Nations, a proposal of are solution that supports the adoption, by the UN, of an International Convention for the Rights of People with Disabilities.
If Mexico receives the necessary support and co-sponsorship from the simple majority ofthe countries members of the UN, this proposal of a resolution is approved by the Third Committee and is automatically included in the Agenda of the next General Assembly Meeting.
The Disability Rights Movement and, all other sectors of society identified with social development, should take this opportunity to advance the process and to strengthen all the initiatives that have been taken by the international organizations from many years now, to develop the basis for an International Convention.
Since the Third Committee is meeting in New York right now, we have ONLY FEW DAYS TO ACT. The DEADLINE IS NOVEMBER 20th. We can make a difference taking two parallel actions as follows:
ACTION I: to send a letter directed to the UN Secretary General Koffi Annan, in support of the Mexican proposal to theThird Committee Meetings, of a resolution for the adoption of an International Convention on the Rights of People with Disabilities.
The e-mail address of the UN Secretary General Koffi Annan is ka@wcc-coe.org.
Please also send copies to the following officials:
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Han Seung-soo, President of the UN General Assembly, GAPresident@un.org
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Mary Robinson, United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, webadmin.hchr@unog.ch
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John Langmore, Director, Social Policy and Development Division, UN Department of Economic and Social Affairs, langmore@un.org
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Bengt Lindqvist, Special Repporteur, UN Commission for Social Development Policy, un.spec.rapp@telia.com
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Berenice Díaz, Mexico Permanent Mission to the UN, mexico@un.int
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Víctor Hugo Flores Higuera, Office for Disability (ORPIS-PCD-Oficina de Representación para la Promoción e Integración Social para Personas con Discapacidad), Government of Mexico, Maruantu@mail.internet.com.mx
ACTION II: to lobby with your governments, particularly, with your country's permanent missions to the UN, to gather their support and co-sponsorship to that resolution proposal, during the UN Third Committee Sessions that are going on in November. The Mexican staff person directly working on the subject is: Berenice Díaz, Mexico Permanent Mission to the UN.
To complete that task, we will send, as attachments to this request for urgent action, information on the resolution initiative presented by Mexico.¾ We will also keep you continued informed on progress developments during the process toward the Convention.
It is a crucial time to ACT and give a strong and definitive impulse to the International Convention. With it, we all win. A fair, inclusive and accessible world for people with disabilities is a better world for the whole humanity.
Best Regards,
Rosangela Berman Bieler
President,
Inter-American Institute on Disability
Headquarters- Washington, DC
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