Meeting Background
A. Policy framework for rights-based approaches to development
The relevant international normative frameworks for design and evaluation of
disability-sensitive strategies, policies and legislation include the “Universal
Declaration of Human Rights”, the “International Covenant on Civil and Political
rights” and “International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights”.[5] Non-binding disability-specific
international instruments include the World Programme of action concerning Disabled
Persons (1982)[6] and the “Standard
Rules on the Equalization of Opportunities for Persons with Disabilities (1993).[7] Instruments in the field of employment and
rights of workers include International Labour Organization (ILO) Convention No. 159,
“Vocational Rehabilitation and Employment (Disabled Persons), 1983”[8] and ILO Recommendation No. 168, “Vocational
Rehabilitation and Employment (Disabled Persons), 1983”.[9]
In the Arab region, the Conference entitled “Disability Conditions in the Arab
World: towards an Arab Decade on Disability (Beirut, 2 – 5 October 2002)”,
adopted a “Declaration on the Arab Decade on Disabled Persons” to be endorsed by
the League of Arab States and declared by Arab Governments. These instruments provide a
normative basis for a broad human rights framework for formulating strategic options,
drafting policies and plans and evaluating measures to promote equal treatment and
effective protection of persons with disabilities in the exercise of their civil,
political, social, economic and cultural rights.
At the Millennium Summit, held at the United Nations in September 2000, heads of State
and Government committed themselves to “making the right to development a reality for
everyone."[10] The “Millennium
Development Goals”[11] provide a
framework for the design and evaluation of comprehensive inter-sectoral development
instruments appropriate to twenty-first century, whose first priority is poverty
eradication. However, the Millennium Development Goals do not address the situation
of persons with disabilities.
Normative guidance on the promotion of equalization of opportunities for employment of
persons with disabilities is provided in Rule 7 of the United Nations Standard Rules on
the Equalization of Opportunities for Persons with Disabilities (General Assembly
resolution 48/96, annex, of 20 December 1993):
“States should recognize the principle that persons with disabilities must be
empowered to exercise their human rights, particularly in the field of employment .
. . [persons with disabilities] must have equal opportunities for productive and gainful
employment in the labour market.”[12]
The fifty-second session (1997) of the General Assembly considered both the normative
and substantive aspects of a broad human rights framework related to the advancement of
persons with disabilities and the political economy of disability on the basis of a report
of the Secretary-General on his third five-year review and appraisal of the World
Programme of Action concerning Disabled Persons (A/52/361).[13] In resolution 52/82 the Assembly expressed the view of
“the need to adopt and implement effective public policies and programmes to promote
the rights of persons with disabilities” and identified three priority areas for
promoting equalization of opportunities for persons with disabilities: accessibility,
social services and social safety nets, and employment and sustainable livelihoods.[14]
Progress in the elaboration of a new comprehensive and integrated international
convention in the field of disability – a seventh human rights instrument – will
need to be informed of both development issues and trends – implementation of the
Millennium Development Goals in particular – and progress in promotion and protection
of the rights of persons with disabilities on the basis of current binding as well as
non-binding international instruments. Account would need to be taken of current
developments related to definitions and classifications of disability and of progress in
data collection and statistics for disability-sensitive analysis, planning and evaluation.
The work also should take into account reviews and assessments of issues and trends
in national law and legislation and of contributions that institutions of civil society
make in promoting rights-based approaches to development and advancement of persons with
disabilities as a mainstream issue.
The current project is concerned with (a) an analysis and further elaboration of the
context and (b) consideration of the structure and elements for what would be the seventh
international human rights instrument – a comprehensive and integrated international
convention on the rights of persons with disabilities in development.
The project focuses on national and regional initiatives related to the rights of
persons with disabilities in the Arab region and of measures adopted to promote their full
and effective participation in social life and development. The outcome of the Arab
regional meeting will be a strategic framework on advocacy of rights based approaches to
development, formulation and negotiation of disability-sensitive policy options and scheme
for preparation of training and resource materials to build national capacities for rights
based approaches to development and promotion of sustainable livelihoods of persons with
disabilities in the mainstream. The outcome of the Arab regional meeting would provide
input for the Ad Hoc Committee on the elaboration of a new international instrument in the
field of disability, established pursuant to Assembly resolution 56/168.
Notes:
[5]"Overview of International Legal
Frameworks for Disability Legislation" <http://www.un.org/esa/socdev/enable/disovlf.htm>.
[6]Document A/37/361/Add.1 and Add.1/Corr.1,
annex - <http://www.un.org/esa/socdev/enable/diswpa00.htm>.
[7]General Assembly resolution 48/96, annex
- <http://www.un.org/esa/socdev/enable/dissre00.htm>.
[8] < http://www.ilo.org/ilolex/english/convdisp2.htm
>.
[9] < http://www.ilo.org/ilolex/english/recdisp2.htm
>.
[10] General Assembly resolution 55/2,
para. 11 < http://www.un.org/millennium/
>.
[11] “United Nations Millennium
Declaration” (General Assembly resolution 55/2) < http://www.un.org/spanish/millenniumgoals/ares552.html
>.
[12] General Assembly resolution 48/96, of
20 December 1993, annex < http://www.un.org/esa/socdev/enable/dissre04.htm
>.
[13] < http://www.un.org/esa/socdev/enable/disrawp0.htm
>.
[14] < http://www.un.org/esa/socdev/enable/disimpe0.htm
>. |
