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81 States and the European Commission sign UN Disability Convention

Colin Revell | 03.04.2007 16:02 | Culture | Repression | Social Struggles | World

Today at UN Headquarters in the General Assembly plenary room, the UN
Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities and its Optional
Protocol were formally opened for signature, marking the first opportunity
for States to become signatures and start the process to become States
Parties.


DPI Disability Convention Daily Update - Opening for signature of the UN
Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities

March 30, 2007
-----------------------------

UN Headquarters, New York, NY

Today at UN Headquarters in the General Assembly plenary room, the UN
Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities and its Optional
Protocol were formally opened for signature, marking the first opportunity
for States to become signatures and start the process to become States
Parties.

The session began at 10am, and after initial statements by the President of
the General Assembly, the Deputy Secretary General, the High Commissioner
for Human Rights, countries who had played a leadership role in the
Convention negotiations process (Mexico, Ecuador and New Zealand), and a
representative of IDA and IDC, the official signing ceremony began.

It was previously predicted that approximately 45 States would sign today,
but this number was more than exceeded! 81 States and the European
Commission signed the Convention and 43 States signed the Optional Protocol.
All those signing today are considered the "first" to sign. The UN Office of
Legal Affairs noted that this represented the highest number of States ever
to sign a human rights treaty on its opening for signature. Jamaica also
deposited its instrument of ratification, making it the first country to
become a States Party to the Convention. The list of those signing today is
provided below.

The afternoon session involved a high level dialogue ""From vision to
action: the road to implementation of the Convention on the Rights of
Persons with Disabilities." The dialogue was opened by statements by
Ambassador Don MacKay of New Zealand and the High Commissioner for Human
Rights, Louise Arbour. There then followed statements by numerous Member
States, a representative of National Human Rights Institutions, as well as
DPI Chair Venus Ilagan (speaking on behalf of the IDC). She noted in her
remarks that the "rights-based" approach to disability at the core of the
Convention is a basic shift in the way that disability is viewed globally.

She said "we people with disabilities have very high hopes and expectations
for the success of the convention in the future." (A full copy of the speech
is posted on the DPI website, a link to which is at the bottom of this
bulletin.)

The ceremony today marked the first opportunity for States to start the
process to become States Parties to the Convention. It is hoped that many
more States will sign soon, and that those signing today will follow
Jamaica's lead and ratify as soon as possible!

The following is a list of those who participated in the signing ceremony,
provided in the order in which they participated.

Republic of Austria

Republic of Chile

Republic of Croatia

Kingdom of Denmark

Republic of Ecuador

Republic of El Salvador

Gabon

Republic of Indonesia

Italian Republic

Jamaica (also deposited its instrument of ratification for the Convention)

Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan

Republic of Lithuania

New Zealand

Federal Republic of Nigeria

Republic of Panama

Republic of Poland

Portuguese Republic

Republic of Korea

Republic of Slovenia

Republic of South Africa

Kingdom of Spain

Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka

Kingdom of Sweden

United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland

People's Democratic Republic of Algeria

Antigua and Barbuda

Argentine Republic

Republic of Armenia

Australia

Kingdom of Belgium

Federated Republic of Brazil

Canada

Republic of Cape Verde

People's Republic of China

Republic of Colombia

Republic of the Congo

Republic of Costa Rica

Republic of Cyprus

Czech Republic

Commonwealth of Dominica

Dominican Republic

Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia

Republic of Finland

French Republic

Federal Republic of Germany

Republic of Ghana

Hellenic Republic (Greece)

Republic of Guatemala

Republic of Honduras

Republic of Hungary

Republic of Iceland

Republic of India

Ireland

State of Israel

Republic of Kenya

Republic of Liberia

Grand Duchy of Luxembourg

Republic of Malta

United Mexican States

Republic of Moldova

Kingdom of Morocco

Kingdom of the Netherlands

Republic of Nicaragua

Republic of Niger

Kingdom of Norway

Republic of Paraguay

Republic of Peru

Republic of San Marino

Republic of Seychelles

Republic of Sierra Leone

Republic of the Sudan

Republic of Surinam

Syrian Arab Republic

Kingdom of Thailand

Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia

Republic of Tunisia

Republic of Turkey

Republic of Uganda

United Republic of Tanzania

Republic of Yemen

European Commission

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See following links:-

 http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/6507903.stm

UN Convention Signing Webcast & list of countries signing and ratifying.
See Webcast at  http://www.un.org/webcast/2007.html (scroll down to Special
Event.)

I notice that USA have not signed... Why? This is so hypocritical of the
USA. Can ayone tell me then why is the UN Head Office is in New York, when
with most UN Treaties the USA don't sign them and 'exclude' themselves for
International legal due process!!!

The USA didn't sign the UN Rights of a Child treaty !!


Colin Revell