HUMAN RIGHTS FOR PEOPLE WITH DISABILITY

Australian Coalition for the Ratification of the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities

A coalition of Australia’s peak human rights and disability advisory and advocacy groups is calling on State and Territory governments to support the Commonwealth as it pursues swift ratification of the new United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities.

The Convention is the first major UN human rights treaty of the 21st century. We congratulate the Federal Government on being among the first to sign the Convention on 30 March 2007. The next step is to ratify the Convention; a process that involves the State, Territory and Commonwealth governments.

The UN Convention sets out fundamental rights for full societal participation for people with a disability, enshrining their rights in modern and effective law. So far, 99 countries have signed the Convention but only one country has ratified. We are asking all Australian governments to work as quickly as possible to enable Australia to take full advantage of the benefits of the Convention at the earliest opportunity.

Our goal is for Australian ratification of the Convention by 3 December 2008, International Day of People with a Disability.

The Ratification initiative is supported by:

ACT Disability Advisory Council
ACT Disability and Community Services Commissioner
Australian Federation of Disability Organisations
Blind Citizens Australia
Brain Injury Australia
Deaf Australia (formerly Australian Association of the Deaf)
Deafness Forum
Disability Australia Ltd
Disability Council of NSW
Disability Council of Queensland
Disability Resources Centre
Disability Studies and Research Institute
Intellectual Disability Rights Service
Housing Resource and Support Service
Mental Health Council of Australia
National Association of Community Legal Centres
National Association of People Living with HIV/AIDS
National Council on Intellectual Disability
National Disability and Carers Ministerial Advisory Council
National Ethnic Disability Alliance
National Seniors Australia
NSW Disability Discrimination Legal Centre
People living with HIV/AIDS NSW
People with Disability Australia
Premier’s Disability Advisory Council (Tasmania)
Public Interest Advocacy Centre
Physical Disability Council of Australia
Queensland Advocacy Incorporated
Victorian Equal Opportunity & Human Rights Commission
WA Ministerial Advisory Council on Disability
Women with Disabilities Australia