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UN ESCAP/CDPF Regional Meeting on an International Convention on Protection and Promotion
of the Rights and Dignity of Persons with Disabilities
7 November 2003
Beijing Declaration on Elaboration of an International Convention to Promote and
Protect the Rights and Dignity of Persons with Disabilities*
We, the participants from Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Cambodia, China, Democratic People's
Republic of Korea, Fiji, India, Japan, Kazakhstan, Mongolia, Nepal, New Zealand, the
Philippines, Republic of Korea, Russian Federation, Samoa, Singapore, Sri Lanka, Thailand,
Viet Nam and Hong Kong, China in the UN ESCAP Regional Meeting on an International
Convention to Promote and Protect the Rights and Dignity of Persons with Disabilities,
which was successfully convened at Beijing from 4 to 7 November 2003, present the
following statement of recommendations on the elaboration of an international convention
to promote and protect the rights of persons with disabilities.
Bearing in mind the fundamental values and principles of the Charter
of the United Nations that all human beings are equal in rights and dignity and equally
entitled to civil and political, and economic, social and cultural rights;
Taking note with concern that opportunities for full and effective
participation of the estimated 600 million persons with disabilities, of whom 400 million
live in Asia and the Pacific, in social, economic and cultural life and, in civil and
political life remain limited due to a number of structural, environmental and attitudinal
factors;
Taking further note with deep concern that obstacles to the full and
effective participation of persons with disabilities have resulted in persistent poverty,
social exclusion and marginalization, which impede the full and effective exercise of
their fundamental rights enshrined in international instruments.
We, therefore:
1. Reaffirm that persons with disabilities, as human beings with equal
status and dignity, are entitled to equal rights and fundamental freedoms as all others.
2. Urge that Governments take actions to further commitments to the
eradication of all forms of discrimination against persons with disabilities and continue
to make concerted efforts to promote accessible environments, information and
communications to support and enable the full and effective participation of persons with
disabilities in all aspects of life.
3. Further urge that Governments take practical action to promote and
protect the rights of persons with disabilities, particularly as this would pertain to the
urgent task of elaborating a comprehensive and integral international convention to
promote the rights and dignity of persons with disabilities. [1]
4. Note with satisfaction the efforts and work accomplished by the Ad
Hoc Committee on a Comprehensive and Integral International Convention on the Protection
and Promotion of the Rights and Dignity of Persons with Disabilities, established by
General Assembly resolution 56/168 of 19 December 2001.
5. Further note with appreciation the efforts of the United Nations
Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (UN ESCAP) concerning regional
cooperation to empower persons with disabilities, to further their full participation and
equality, and to support the process of elaborating an international convention on the
rights of persons with disabilities.
6. Welcome the participation of organizations of and for persons with
disabilities and human rights institutions and encourage their active and meaningful
contributions to the process of elaborating the convention.
7. Call upon Governments of the Asia and Pacific region to support and
participate actively in the work of the Ad Hoc Committee.
8. Recommend that appropriate consideration be given to the following
elements in the process of elaborating an international convention on the rights of
persons with disabilities:
- Recognizing the universality of human rights and that these apply fully to persons with
disabilities, the convention should build on existing United Nations human rights
instruments, which should be elaborated to respond to the particular circumstances of
persons with disabilities in order to further their full participation and equality.
- The convention should be comprehensive and provide balanced protection and promotion of
both economic, social and cultural rights, and civil and political rights.
- Recognizing the indivisible and interdependent relationship between human rights and
development, the convention should contain enforceable rights and set forth obligations to
State Parties to adopt measures, such as policies, laws, administrative guidance and
programmes, paying full attention to the perspective of promoting rights based
development.
- The convention should accord special attention to the situation of women and girls with
disabilities as well as the specific needs of persons with diverse types of disabilities,
and effectively promote and protect their rights.
- The elaboration of the convention should take appropriate account of the diverse
patterns of historical, cultural and religious backgrounds and relative levels of
development of countries, so that the convention sets forth obligations of State Parties
that will effectively promote and protect all human rights and fundamental freedoms of
persons with disabilities.
- The convention should underline the necessity that State Parties establish an effective
system to implement and monitor its application.
- The convention should provide for an appropriate international monitoring mechanism,
with the aim of encouraging and assisting State Parties to implement the convention.
- The convention should promote international dialogue and cooperation on the promotion
and protection of rights of persons with disabilities.
9. Request that the Ad Hoc Committee consider ways and means by which
to accelerate the process of elaborating an international convention on the rights of
persons with disabilities.
*Adopted at Beijing, 7 November 2003
UN ESCAP Regional Meeting on an International Convention to Promote and Protect the Rights
and Dignity of Persons with Disabilities
[1] General Assembly resolutions 56/168 of 19 December 2001 and 57/229
of 18 December 2002. |
