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International Developments
Sydney Paralympics Anticipating 4000 Athletes
In early April, the six-country Paralympic "watchdog" team arrived in Sydney to check out the new facilities and arrangements completed for the Paralympics. The Australian hosts expect around 4000 athletes to compete in the October 11-29 event.
Unparalleled public media coverage of the games has been announced: ABC-TV will broadcast about an hour and a half of highlights each day and a WeMedia Sports group will be providing video-streaming and live audio coverage. Details: www.olympics.com/eng/paralympics/ and www.wemedia.com
Highlights
The schedule for the Games and associated events is as follows: October 5-18 Torch Relay; 9-29 Paralympics Arts Festival; 11 Paralympic Village opens; 11-13 associated Paralympic Scientific Congress; 29 last day of competition & closing ceremony.
Five International Disability Organizations Adopt Beijing Declaration Calling for UN Rights Convention
A Declaration calling for the United Nations to adopt a Convention on the Rights of People with Disabilities was signed on March 12 by five of the main international disability organizations. The Declaration was the product of the World Non-Governmental Organization Summit on Disability, held in Beijing 10-12 March to develop a 21st century strategy to promote full participation and equality of people with disabilities.
The five organizations--Disabled Peoples International, Inclusion International, Rehabilitation International, World Blind Union and World Federation of the Deaf, all of which have consultative status with the UN--have sent the text of the Beijing Declaration to all UN Permanent Missions, requesting their active support in achieving the adoption of the proposed Convention.
The idea for an international convention has been put forward before, but since political support was not sufficient, a compromise was reached in 1993 to adopt the UN Standard Rules for Equalization of Opportunities of Disabled Persons. Now, as some less than impressive analyses of the effects of the non-binding Standard Rules are becoming available, the international leadership and disability constituencies in various countries have become convinced of the necessity of a convention.
Beijing Declaration on the Rights of People with Disabilities in the New Century
1. We, the leaders of Disabled Peoples' International, Inclusion International, Rehabilitation International, the World Blind Union, and the World Federation of the Deaf, as well as national non-governmental organizations (NGOs) of and for people with disabilities from all continents, have convened in Beijing from 10 - 12 March 2000 to develop a new century strategy for the full participation and equality of people with disabilities,
2. We recognize, with appreciation, that the last two decades of the twentieth century witnessed and increased awareness of issues faced by over 600 million people with disabilities, assisted in part by various United Nations instruments,
3. We expressed deep concern, that such instruments and mandates have yet to create a significant impact on improving the lives of people with disabilities, especially women and girls with disabilities, who remain the most invisible and marginalized of all disadvantaged social groups,
4. We emphasize, that the continued exclusion of people with disabilities from the mainstream development process is a violation of fundamental rights and an indictment of humankind at the inception of the new century,
5. We share the conviction, that the full inclusion of people with disabilities in society requires our solidarity in working towards an international convention that legally binds nations, to reinforce the moral authority of the United Nations Standard Rules on the Equalization of Opportunities for Persons with Disabilities,
6. We believe, that the inception of the new century is an opportune time for people with diverse disabilities and their organizations, and other civic organizations, local and national governments, members of the United Nations system and other inter-governmental bodies, as well as the private sector, to collaborate closely in an inclusive and wide consultative process aimed at the development and adoption of an international convention to promote and protect the rights of people with disabilities, and enhance equal opportunities for participation in mainstream society,
7. We therefore urge, all heads of state and government, public administrators, local authorities, members of the Untied Nations system, people with disabilities, civic organizations that participate in the development process, and socially responsible private sector organizations, to immediately initiate the process for an international convention, including by raising it in all forthcoming international forums, especially the Special Session of the Untied Nations General Assembly on Social Development, the NGO Millennium Forum, the United Nations Millennium General Assembly and Summit and related preparatory meetings,
8. We further urge, all participants in this process to actively facilitate the adoption of such convention, which should address, inter alia, the following areas of priority concerns:
(a) Improvement of the overall
quality of life of people with disabilities, and their upliftment from
deprivation, hardship and poverty.
(b) Education, training,
remunerative work, and participation in decision-making process levels.
(c) Elimination of discriminatory
attitudes and practices, as well as information, legal and infrastructure
barriers.
(d) Increased allocations
of resources to ensure the equal participation of people with disabilities.
1. We hereby, send out a call to action, to all concerned with equality and human dignity, to join together in widespread efforts embracing capitals, towns and cities, remote villages, and the United Nations forums, to ensure the adoption of an international convention on the rights of all people with disabilities, and
2. We commit our respective organizations to strive for a legally binding international convention on the rights of all people with disabilities to full participation and equality in society.
Adopted on the 12 of March
2000
at the World NGO Summit
on Disability
Beijing, People's Republic
of China
International Initiatives to Evaluate & Promote Inclusive Education
In 1994 more than 300 representatives of 92 governments and 25 international organizations met in Salamanca, Spain to take part in UNESCO's World Conference on Special Needs Education. The resulting document, "The Salamanca Statement," adopted unanimously, underscored the principle of inclusion:
"Ordinary schools should accommodate all children, regardless of their physical, intellectual, emotional, social, linguistic or other conditions."
Article 2: "Regular schools with this inclusive orientation are the most effective means of combating discriminatory attitudes, creating welcoming communities, building an inclusive society and achieving education for all."
Article 18: "Educational policies at all levels...should stipulate that children with disabilities should attend their neighborhood school, that is, the school that would be attended if the child did not have the disability."
Five years later, UNESCO has published Salamanca: Five Years On-a review of activities. The 32 page booklet is available from UNESCO Special Needs Education, Division of Basic Education, Place de Fontenoy, 75353 Paris 07 SP France; fax 33 1 45 68 56 27; email s.vayrynen@unesco.org; www.unesco.org/education/educprog/sne
World Congresses & Conferences Examine Inclusion in 2000
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