From the BBC:

The United Nations is celebrating the coming into force of the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD) — a landmark agreement that aims to give the world’s 650 million disabled people full equality. The measure took effect earlier this month after the 20th nation ratified it, in this case Ecuador.

So far some 25 countries have ratified the convention — starting with Jamaica in March last year. The largest nations that have already ratified it include India, Mexico, the Philippines and South Africa. Spain, Hungary and Slovenia are the only EU nations on the list so far.

… disability campaigners in the UK are critical of their government’s “reservations” on residential care, segregating education, employment in the armed forces and freedom of movement for disabled people with regard to nationality and immigration

… It is estimated that about 10 percent of the world’s population lives with some sort of disability, making disabled people the world’s largest minority. This figure is likely to increase as a result of medical advances and the world’s aging population, according to the World Health Organization.

… In some countries, disabled child mortality is as high as 80 percent even when the general level of mortality for the under fives has dropped below 20 percent.

See earlier posts:

• Op-ed: Washington’s phobia of global treaties
• World leaders urged to act on disability rights

From the [Qatar] Gulf Times:

Panamanian First Lady Vivian Fernandez de Torrijos this week called for immediate action by world leaders on their commitment to “create equal opportunities for all human beings”.

“I am speaking to you as a woman, as a mother and as a citizen of the world. We must create a society where justice, equality and acceptance of diversity are the basic fundamentals. We the governments, ministers, first ladies, all have to ensure that we carry out our commitments,” said de Torrijos, wife of Panama’s President Martin Torrijos Espino.

De Torrijos was speaking at the concluding session of the 3rd Annual International Shafallah Forum on Children with Special Needs.

Citing the United Nations Convention on Rights of Persons with Disabilities, she said the world must hear their voice.

Also attending the conference were Cherie Blair, wife of former British Prime Minister Tony Blair, and Bob and Suzanne Wright, founders of Autism Speaks.

See also:

Researchers say sports are changing media stereotypes of disability

The Gulf Times is the leading English language newspaper in Qatar.

Writing on the BBC’s Ouch website, columnist Tom Shakespeare says the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities has made little difference in the way life is lived. He compares the treaty to a Mother’s Day card: well intentioned but ultimately ineffective. The measure will soon mark its first anniversary,

Guaranteeing people formal equality or freedom sounds great, but what really improves quality of life is access to employment or, failing that, adequate welfare benefits or services. Human rights tends to focus on the individual, whereas it’s more often structural and community solutions that are required.

Passing disability civil rights statutes is relatively simple and looks nice. Doing something to improve the situation for disabled people is complicated, costly and difficult. So expect lots of the former and less of the latter in future.

Why reject pacts to help the disabled or ban land mines?

By Karl F. Inderfurth in the Christian Science Monitor.

The “America unbound” approach is making the US the odd man out on critical global issues. In March of this year, a new human rights treaty was opened for signature at the United Nations, the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities. The convention would ensure that people around the world with disabilities enjoy the same rights as everyone else to equal protection before the law, and in work and education opportunities.

… The treaty had the largest number of first-day signatories in the history of the UN – 81. Today that number is 119. The US is not one of them.

… “Just saying no” is not the kind of leadership that many expect of the US, either at home or abroad. By joining other countries to establish mutually binding agreements, the US could seize the opportunity to demonstrate that it is truly committed to working with the international community to solve global problems.

Inderfurth, a professor at the Elliott School of International Affairs at George Washington University, was the US special representative of the president and the secretary of state for global humanitarian demining from 1997-98.