Celebrating the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities
© UNICEF video
Disability activist Victor Pineda established a non-profit foundation that works with new media to inspire people with disabilities, and was instrumental in developing a child-friendly version of the CRPD.
By Amy Bennett
NEW YORK, USA, 14 May 2008 – A major victory was achieved for people living
with disabilities as leaders and activists gathered in the UN General Assembly
Hall this week to celebrate the Convention on the Rights of Persons with
Disabilities (CRPD) – the first human rights Convention of the 21st century.
The goals of the CRPD, which was put into force on 3 May, are to protect the
rights of people with disabilities and give more leverage to governments to
enact laws to help them.
“Now we must take concrete steps to transform the vision of the Convention
into real victories on the ground,” said UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon. “We
must address the glaring inequalities experienced by persons with disabilities.
We must counter discrimination and prejudice.”
‘Here and now’
It is estimated that there are 200 million children with disabilities
globally – 10 per cent of the world’s children.
“It’s time, here and now, to begin paying a social debt owed to the millions
of children, adolescents and adults with disabilities that live in every part of
this planet, so that we can begin to restore the dignity and equal opportunities
that until now had been denied them,” said the First Lady of Panama, Vivian
Fernández de Torrijos.
UNICEF believes that children with disabilities are effective self-advocates
with a key role to play in shaping societal views. The CRPD will require that
children with disabilities be consulted during the development and
implementation of legislation and policies.
© UNICEF
Cover of the booklet 'It’s About Ability: An
explanation of the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities',
a child-friendly version of the Convention on the Rights of Persons with
Disabilities.
Working with partners
One of UNICEF's first priorities in regard to the CRPD will be working with
UN and civil society partners to create awareness and empower children, parent
associations and other organizations to use the Convention as an advocacy
tool.
The Victor Pineda Foundation and the German National Committee for UNICEF
provided the funding to realize this project. The Special Olympics and Save the
Children (UK and Sweden) provided space to consult with children at organized
events.
Together with its partners, UNICEF will also support data collection and
research, and will provide technical assistance in the review of national
legislation to ensure they are in compliance with the CRPD's principles.
“The inclusion of children with disabilities is not a charitable act but a
matter of rights,” said UNICEF Director of Programmes Nicholas Alipui.
“Empowering and enabling children makes them less vulnerable to violence, abuse
and exploitation.”
'It’s about ability'
The event also marked another special occasion, as UNICEF presented a
child-friendly version of the CRPD called 'It’s About Ability: An explanation of
the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities'.
The child-friendly booklet is part of a collaborative effort involving
UN partners, Save the Children and disabled people’s organizations. The booklet
was developed by UNICEF and the Victor Pineda Foundation, which works with new
media to inspire people with disabilities.
“It’s about ability. That’s what it’s about,” said disability activist Victor
Pineda. “Hopefully I can inspire other kids with this book to understand all the
things that they can do and to help them understand the promises that have been
given to them.”
'It's About Ability' will be distributed together with a set of educational
materials, currently under development, which are to be used by youth leaders,
peer educators, teachers and community workers.
“We must convince more and more nations, organizations and individuals to
join this cause,” said Secretary-General Ban.
VIDEO
