OVERVIEW
During the General Debate of the fifty-sixth session of the General Assembly President
Vicente Fox of Mexico called upon the international community to combat poverty and social
exclusion. He observed that as societies address issues related to the creation and
distribution of opportunities of global development, it is important that all citizens be
involved as stakeholders; the world would not become more just if certain groups are
excluded from this process. For that reason Mexico presented for the consideration of the
Assembly a proposal to establish a "Special Committee" to study the question of
a new international convention on promoting and protecting the rights and dignity of
persons with disabilities, which resulted in Assembly resolution 56/168. [1]
The first session of the Ad Hoc Committee established pursuant to Assembly resolution
56/168 met from 29 July to 9 August 2002 at Headquarters to consider proposals related to
a "comprehensive and integral convention" to promote and protect the rights of
persons with disabilities. The work of the Committee was informed by the outcomes of
expert meetings hosted, respectively, by the Government of Indonesia on
disability-sensitive policy design and the promotion of sustainable livelihoods for all
(Jakarta, 15-17 January 2002) [2] and the Government of Mexico on
international norms and standards related to disability (Mexico City, 11-14 June 2002) [3]. The Committee considered the context, structure and elements of a new,
comprehensive and integrated international convention on the rights of persons with
disabilities, which would address their social, economic and cultural rights, and civil
and political rights. On the basis of its deliberations the Committee drafted a resolution
to be submitted for adoption by the General Assembly at its fifty-seventh session on
further action related to the proposed new international convention on the rights of
persons with disabilities. Operative paragraph 4 of the draft resolution "encourages
States to hold meetings or seminars to contribute to the work of the Ad Hoc
Committee". [4]
A recurring theme in the deliberations of the Committee on the context, structure and
content of what would be a seventh international human rights instrument, with the focus
on promotion and protection of the rights of persons with disabilities, as well as in
presentations to the Committee by representatives of the non-governmental community, is
rights based approaches to development and sustainable livelihoods for persons with
disabilities in the mainstream.
The current project is a response to the expressions of interest by delegations in
rights based approaches to development. Its focus is the Américas region in the light of
the "Inter-American Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination
against Persons with Disabilities", adopted by resolution 1608 of the twenty-ninth
regular session of the General Assembly of the Organization of American States. [5]
The project has the basic goal of furthering equalization of opportunities for persons
with disabilities in social life and development, and two operational objectives:
strategic assessment of issues and trends related to strategies, policies and programmes
related to rights based approaches to development and promotion of sustainable livelihoods
of persons with disabilities in the mainstream; and formulation of a strategic framework
to build national capacities to promote and protect the rights of persons with
disabilities in the Américas.
The project will be carried out by means of a regional seminar and workshop on norms
and standards related to the rights of persons with disabilities and development, which
will take place at Quito, Republic of Ecuador for three working days, 9-11 April 2003.
Project preparations and conduct will make maximum use of Internet-enabled resources to
ensure widest possible access to meeting dialogue, findings and recommendations.
The seminar component will provide a forum for the exchange of knowledge and
national experiences in promoting and protecting the rights of persons with disabilities,
in rights based approaches to development and the issues of social inclusion, empowerment,
institution building, micro-enterprise development and promotion of sustainable
livelihoods of persons with disabilities in the mainstream. The workshop component will
focus on formulating strategic options for promoting rights based approaches to
development and national capacity building. The meeting will produce as its outcome
document a strategic planning framework for advocacy, for formulating and negotiating
policy options, and for building national capacities and institutions for the promotion
and protection of the rights of persons with disabilities and development-based approaches
to advancement of persons with disabilities in the Américas. It is envisaged that the
seminar and workshop outcome would be presented for the consideration of the Ad Hoc
Committee at its second session. At the Américas regional level, follow up could include
promotion, establishment and development of open and democratic networks to create
awareness, exchange knowledge and experience, and promote South-South cooperation in
building capacities for rights based approaches to development.
Notes:
1 < http://www.un.org/esa/socdev/enable/disA56168e1.htm
>.
2 < http://www.worldenable.net/livelihoods/default.htm
>.
3 < http://www.sre.gob.mx/discapacidad/
>.
4 A/57/357, para. 16 (o.p. 4), adopted as General Assembly resolution
57/229 of 18 December 2002.
5 Organización de los Estados Americanos, Asamblea General.
"Convención Interamericana para la Eliminación de Todas las Formas de
Discriminación contra las Personas con Discapacidad", AG/RES 1608 (XXIX-/0/99), 7 de
junio1999 < http://www.oas.org/Assembly2001/assembly/esp/aprobada1608.htm
>.
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