The Conference of States Parties will pick the treaty’s first monitors in early November 2008.  Only nations that have ratified the treaty will be allowed to  participate and to nominate monitor candidates from within their  borders.

On May 12th, the UN will hold an entry into force celebration for civil society participants in New York (& Geneva).

The CRPD is the first international, legally binding human rights instrument to protect the rights of people with disabilities.  It is meant to protect a wide range of rights, such as access to education and health care services; the right to live in the community, and the right to respect for one’s privacy.  To date, 24 countries have ratified the CRPD.  Among these, 14 countries have also ratified the Optional Protocol, which gives people with disabilities in these countries the right to pursue redress at the international level.  The CRPD will enter into force on May 3.

Read more about remarks made at the Third International Forum on Children with Special Needs in the Peninsual On-Line at:

http://www.thepeninsulaqatar.com/Display_news.asp?section=Local_News&month=April2008&file=Local_News2008042132053.xml

Learn more about the CRPD in general by taking a few minutes to read the RatifyNow FAQ.

Read about the upcoming May 12 celebration of the CRPD entry into force.  And come back to the RatifyNow.org web site to learn about other events related to the entry into force of this international disability rights treaty.

The links to the Peninsula On-Line news article were still functioning at the time of this writing, April 29, 2008. However, RatifyNow.org readers should please note that news outlets vary widely in how long they allow their articles to be read by the public. We cannot guarantee that all links will continue to work in the long term.

The CRPD is the first international, legally binding human rights instrument to protect the rights of people with disabilities.  It is meant to protect a wide range of human rights including freedom from abuse and torture, and the right to ones physical and mental integrity.  So far, 24 countries have ratified the CRPD.  Among these, 14 countries have also ratified the Optional Protocol, which enables people with disabilities in these countries to pursue redress at the international level.  The CRPD and Optional Protocol will enter into force on May 3.

The UK has signed the CRPD, but has not yet ratified it.  A government is not legally bound to obey the CRPD until it has finished ratifying it.  However, signing the CRPD signals interest in ratifying it in the future, and also signifies a pledge to avoid taking any action that actively violates the spirit and intent of the CRPD. 

Read more about the Mental Welfare Commission report in the Herald at:

http://www.theherald.co.uk/news/news/display.var.2199563.0.Womans_sevenyear_ordeal_of_rape_and_abuse_in_council_care.php

Learn more about the CRPD in general by taking a few minutes to read the RatifyNow FAQ.

Read about the upcoming May 12 celebration of the CRPD entry into force.  Come back to the RatifyNow.org web site for information about other upcoming events associated with the CRPD entry into force.

The links to the "Herald" news article were still functioning at the time of this writing, April 29, 2008. However, RatifyNow.org readers should please note that news outlets vary widely in how long they allow their articles to be read by the public. We cannot guarantee that all links will continue to work in the long term.

The country of New Zealand has received the Franklin Delano Roosevelt International Disability Award in recognition of its role in helping to write the UN CRPD, which is the first international, legally binding human rights instrument to protect the rights of people with disabilities.  The award is being shared among organizations CCS Disability Action, Disabled Persons Assembly (DPA), and People First.

Countries that ratify the CRPD will be legally obligated to abolish discriminatory legislation and create new laws, as needed, to protect a wide range of human rights for people with disabilities.  As a few examples, the CRPD protects the right to liberty; the right to participate in political and cultural life; and the right to work and employment.  To date, 24 countries have ratified the CRPD.  Among these, 14 countries have also ratified the Optional Protocol, which gives people with disabilities in these countries the right to pursue redress at the international level.  The CRPD will enter into force on May 3.

Read more about the New Zealand award by following these two links to two related "Scoop" stories:

http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/GE0804/S00037.htm

http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PA0804/S00129.htm

Learn more about the CRPD in general by taking a few minutes to read the RatifyNow FAQ.

Read about the upcoming May 12 celebration of the CRPD entry into force.  And come back to the RatifyNow.org website to learn about more upcoming events related to the entry into force of the CRPD.

The links to the "Scoop" news articles were still functioning at the time of this writing, April 29, 2008. However, RatifyNow.org readers should please note that news outlets vary widely in how long they allow their articles to be read by the public. We cannot guarantee that all links will continue to work in the long term.

The international disability rights treaty, called the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD), is the first international, legally binding human rights instrument to protect the rights of people with disabilities.  It is meant to protect a wide range of rights including freedom from abuse and violence; the right for people with disabilities to make their own decisions about how to lead their lives; and the right to vote.  To date, 24 countries have ratified the CRPD.  Among these, 14 countries have also ratified the Optional Protocol, which gives people with disabilities in these countries the right to pursue redress at the international level.  The CRPD will enter into force on May 3.

A newly-formed group within the UN system will help countries and UN agencies themselves implement the CRPD.  Read more detail in the news story at:

http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/WO0803/S00265.htm

Learn more about the CRPD in general by taking a few minutes to read the RatifyNow FAQ.

Read about the upcoming May 12 celebration of the CRPD entry into force.

The links to the "Scoop" World news article were still functioning at the time of this writing, April 28, 2008. However, RatifyNow.org readers should please note that news outlets vary widely in how long they allow their articles to be read by the public. We cannot guarantee that all links will continue to work in the long term.

The international disability rights treaty, called the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD), is the first international, legally binding human rights instrument to protect the rights of people with disabilities.  Among the wide range of rights that it protects include: the right to have access to an education and healthcare; the right to live in the community; and the right to receive information in accessible formats.  To date, 24 countries have ratified the CRPD.  Among these, 14 countries have also ratified the Optional Protocol, which gives people with disabilities in these countries the right to pursue redress at the international level if they are unable to obtain justice for human rights violations within their own countries.

According to BBC News, the UK hopes to ratify the CRPD by the end of 2008.  But Scope worries that the government may try to avoid needing to obey certain sections of the treaty.

Read more detail in the BBC story at

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/7321140.stm

Learn more about the CRPD in general by taking a few minutes to read the RatifyNow FAQ.

Read about the upcoming May 12 celebration of the CRPD entry into force.

The links to the BBC news article were still functioning at the time of this writing, April 28, 2008. However, RatifyNow.org readers should please note that news outlets vary widely in how long they allow their articles to be read by the public. We cannot guarantee that all links will continue to work in the long term.

The World Disasters Report (2007) examines what happens to various vulnerable groups during disaster situations, particularly women, elderly people, minorities, and people with disabilities. This report from the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies includes many stories of how discrimination and exclusion has made it harder for some people to survive or meet their needs during and after disaster situations. It also includes guidance and recommendations on how agencies, governments, and communities can improve efforts to ensure that emergency aid reaches the most vulnerable people.

Discrimination can occur on the basis of ethnic or social origin, language, religion, gender, age, physical or mental disability, and sexual orientation. The World Disasters Report points out that, although discrimination exists before disaster, an emergency can exacerbate it. However, that discrimination is often invisible because official data on older people, ethnic minorities or people with disabilities may not exist.

Furthermore, aid agencies often do not even analyze the needs of vulnerable people when they carry out emergency assessments. And vulnerable groups are usually not included in the disaster planning process before, during, or after emergencies. This accummulative discrimination can be life-threatening during a crisis. Even after the crisis, people who have suffered discrimination may take longer to recover or to regain their livelihoods.

The World Disasters Report calls for agencies to do better in planning for the needs of vulnerable populations, saying bluntly, "One-size-fits-all relief planning is unhelpful in overcoming discrimination" (p. 15).

Read chapter summaries, download individual chapters for free, or order print copies of the report at: http://www.ifrc.org/publicat/wdr2007/summaries.asp

The full report can be downloaded in PDF format (4 Mb) at: http://www.ifrc.org/Docs/pubs/disasters/wdr2007/WDR2007-English.pdf

RatifyNow readers will note that Article 11 of the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD) specifically obligates ratifying governments to ensure that people with disabilities are protected and safe during violent conflicts and natural disasters. Learn more about the CRPD and how it is meant to protect the rights of people with disabilities by reading the RatifyNow FAQ.



The CRPD is the first legally binding, international instrument to protect the human rights of people with disabilities. A few of the many rights it covers includes: the right to live in the community (instead of an institution); the right to vote; the right to sign contracts and own or inherit property; the right to an education; the right to accessible public transportation; and more. The Optional Protocol gives people with disabilities in ratifying countries an additional way to pursue redress at the international level if their human rights continue to be violated under the CRPD, and if all other avenues of justice within their own country have been exhausted.

Learn more about the CRPD and the Optional Protocol and what they mean for people with disabilities around the world by reading the short RatifyNow FAQ.

The CRPD will enter into force (become legally binding for all countries that have ratified it) on May 3. Celebrations will be held on May 12, 2008 in both New York and Washington DC.

Read about the New York celebration.

Come back to the RatifyNow.org web site for more upcoming details on events in Washington, DC.

The examination of legislation and policies found that the Constitution of Kenya guarantees the human rights and liberties of all citizens. However, although the constitution outlaws discrimination on grounds such as race, tribe, or color, it does not specifically outlaw discrimination on the basis of disability. Further, anti-discrimination laws have not been enforced in cases where disability-related discrimination has occurred.

Interviews with individual disabled people in Kenya found that nearly three-quarters had been denied the right to make decisions affecting their own lives. Also, 80% report experiencing segregation, isolation, and lack of support for their needs. More than one-third reported that their own families had committed abuse or violence on them, and more than 45 percent said their families did not allow them to participate in family activities on the same basis as other family members.

The report recommends strengthening the capacity of Disabled People’s Organizations to address human rights issues; mainstreaming disability rights issues into government bodies and the national development strategy; involving disabled people and their organization in improving anti-discrimination legislation; and making the court process more accessible to disabled people so they can more effectively challenge disability-based discrimination.

The “State of Disabled People’s Rights in Kenya (2007) Report” was commissioned by the African Union of the Blind in collaboration with the Kenyan Union of the Blind, the World Blind Union, and the Centre for Disability Rights Education and Advocacy (CREAD), with support from the Swedish International Development Agency, the Swedish Association of the Visually Impaired, and Disability Rights Promotion International (DRPI).

The report can be read on-line at http://www.yorku.ca/drpi/Kenya07.html#startContent

The report also can be downloaded in PDF format (1.2 Mb) at http://www.yorku.ca/drpi/files/KenyaReport07.pdf

This article was originally posted at the We Can Do blog on disability and international development issues. It is re-posted here with permission of author.