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Celebration of the International Day of
People with Disabilities
A Twin Track Approach
Sheikha Hessa Al-Thani
Special Rapporteur on Disability
, United Nation – December 3, 2003
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Presentation Content:
- Historical Background
- 600 million people in the world living with a
disability, their living condition varied, but they
were united in one common experience the
phenomenon of exclusion was rooted in ignorance,
low expectations and prejudice
- .
International recognition of disability as a human
rights issue is increasing. There is also a growing
recognition that disability-related exclusion are
concerns for the human rights bodies of the United
Nations.
- The International Year of Disabled Persons
(IYDP)
A good beginning was made with the
proclamation of 1981 as the International Year of
Disabled Persons. Of particular importance in this
context was the adoption by the General Assembly
of the theme of the year “full participation and
equality”, which meant recognition at the highest
possible political level of the right to full
participation of persons with disabilities in the
societies to which they belong.
- World Program of Action:
-
The most important outcome of the international year
of Disabled persons, 1981 was The World Program of
Action Concerning Disabled Persons, adopted by the
General Assembly by its resolution 37/52 of 3rd
December 1982.
- The year and the World program of action
emphasized the right of persons with disabilities to the
same opportunities as other citizens and to an equal
share in the improvements in living conditions
resulting from economic and social development.
- There also, for the first time “handicap” was defined
as a function of the relationship between persons with
disabilities and their environment.
- Decade of Disabled Persons
During the subsequent United Nations Decade of
Disabled Persons, 1983 – 1992, the policies and
programs outlined in the World Program of Action
were to be implemented. During that period some
significant developments were made.
- The Standard Rules on the Equalization
of Opportunities for People with
Disabilities
As a result, the disability community requested that
the United Nations assume a strong leadership role
and give more concrete guidelines for development
and implementation. In response to that request, the
Standard Rules were elaborated and adopted by the
General Assembly in resolution 48/96 of 20th
December 1993.
- Purpose & Content of the Standard Rules
The Standard Rules on the Equalization of Opportunities for
Persons with Disabilities have been developed on the basis of
the experience gained during the United Nations Decade of
Disabled Persons (1983-1992). The International Bill of
Human Rights, comprising the Universal Declaration of
Human Rights, the International Covenant on Economic,
Social and Cultural Rights and the International Covenant on
Civil and Political Rights, the Convention on the Rights of the
Child and the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of
Discrimination against Women, as well as the World Program
of Action concerning Disabled Persons, constitute the
political and moral foundation for the Rules.
The purpose of the Rules is to ensure that girls,
boys, women and men with disabilities, as members
of their societies, may exercise the same rights and
obligations as others.
- Standard Rules
I. Preconditions for Equal Participation
Rule 1. Awareness-raising
Rule 2. Medical care
Rule 3. Rehabilitation
Rule 4. Support services
Standards
II. Target Areas for Equal Participation
Rule 5. Accessibility
Rule 6. Education
Rule 7. Employment
Rule 8. Income maintenance and social security
Rule 9. Family life and personal integrity
Rule 10. Culture
Rule 11. Recreation and sports
Rule 12. Religion
III. Implementation Measures
Rule 13. Information and research
Rule 14. Policy-making and planning
Rule 15. Legislation
Rule 16. Economic policies
Rule 17. Coordination of work
Rule 18. Organizations of persons with disabilities
Rule 19. Personnel training
Rule 20. National monitoring and evaluation of disability
programs in the implementation of the Rules
Rule 21. Technical and economic cooperation
Rule 22. International cooperation
- “A Voice of Our Own”
Today, the International Day of Persons with
Disabilities, also marks the 10th anniversary of the
adoption of the Standard Rules by the United
Nations General Assembly, for which I appointed
Special Rapporteur to monitor its implementation
for the duration of my mandate from 2003 to 2005.
- “A Comprehensive & Integral
International Convention”
The General Assembly, in resolution 56/168 of
19th December 2001 established an Ad Hoc
Committee “to consider proposals for a
comprehensive and integral international convention to promote and protect the rights and dignity of
persons with disabilities, based on a holistic
approach…to social development, human rights and
non-discrimination and taking into account the
recommendations of the Commission on Human
Rights and the Commission for Social Development”
- These important events were all the result of
the strong movement towards a rights-based
approach issues of disability.
- Three Lines of Development
The Commission has to pursue three lines of
development. These include
-
the active promotion of the implementation of
the United Nations Standard Rules;
- the initiation of measures to make the United
Nations standard human rights relevant to
issues of disability,and
- the concentration of efforts on elaborating a
special convention for the rights of persons
with disabilities.
- The Mechanism of Work
- Disability-related problems had to be
approached from a social development and a
human rights perspective.
- The Standard Rules must continue to play an
active role while at the same time pursuing the
mainstream alternative of human rights.
- Disability issues must be developed as an
integral dimension of human rights within the
United Nations, and effective reporting and
monitoring routines must be put into effect.
- Twin Track Approach
Mr. Bengt Lindqvist, the former Special
Rapporteur in his presentation at the meeting of the
Commission for Social Development, recommended
the use of a twin-track approach to promoting the
human rights of persons with disabilities through the
UN, and continuing to mainstream them in current
UN Conventions, while at the same time launching a
process for a UN Convention on the Rights of
Disabled People.
- The process of elaborating a convention may take
several years. In themeantime, it is important to use
the momentum created by the commission on
Human Rights to develop the disability dimension
within the existing United Nations human rights
monitoring. In this way the twin track approach
would be implemented.
- Multi-track Approach Working
within Two Axes
A Multi-track approach to equality for the disabled:
involves combining attempts to account for the needs
and rights of the disabled in mainstream development
as well as supporting specific initiatives aimed at
empowering the disabled. This approach
accommodates both strands:
- by including the disabled in participatory
development initiatives in the community as a
whole, and
- by providing opportunities, such as income generation
for specific groups of disabled so that there is a
chance for the entire community to benefit from
development.
- Multi-track Approach: Methods
of Support and Intervention
The multi-track approach to human rights
and social development requires
-
improved cooperation between United Nations
bodies in the field of disability;
- continued the monitoring of policy
development; and
- favorable environment for people with
disabilities
- Multi-track Approach: Methods
of Support and Intervention
The multi-track approach, therefore, means
integrating disability issues further into the
fabric of human rights mechanisms.
The elaboration of a new Convention should
be seen as a complementary approach.
- This approach will provide equality of
rights and opportunities for people with
disabilities.
It also illustrates that disability is a
cross- cutting issue and needs to be taken
into account in all development work.
Additionally, it shows that people with
disability have unique problems and
needs that have to be addressed with
unique interventions.
- On the one hand, all policies should be
disability-relevant, taking into
consideration those people with special
needs. For example, any poverty alleviation
program should include programs for people
with disability.
On the other hand, disability-specific
policies should take into account other
cross-cutting issues such as poverty
reduction and gender equality. In this
way, both approaches support each other,
and the emphasis would be on
mainstreaming.
- Measures For Promotion Advice
I would like to quote here a few words form UN
Secretary-General Mr. Kofi Annan in his message
for the International Day for People with Disability
in 2002 Mr. Annan said:
" Let us renew our pledge to fight exclusion, to create
opportunities for all people, and to build societies in which
persons with disabilities are seen not only as beneficiaries of
societies support, but as an empowered and empowering source
of social, cultural, political and economic development ".
- Thank you again, for welcoming today’s
discussion of Disability and Development. I believe
we can help build a truly accessible and inclusive
society, where we all participate fully, and freely,
together. I would like to extend our warm wishes
to each and every one of you on this occasion. Let
us exert our efforts and build opportunities for all
through cooperation and hard work.
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