29 March 2007 - UK among first countries to sign new human rights convention for disabled people

The UK will tomorrow be one of the first countries to sign the United Nations Convention on Disability Rights.  Anne McGuire, Minister for Disabled People, will sign the Convention on behalf of the UK at a ceremony held at the UN in New York.

The Convention marks a significant step forward in ensuring disabled people across the world have the same human rights as every one else.  It covers aspects such as disabled people's rights to education, employment and participation in political and public life. 

Ms McGuire said:

"I am proud to be able to sign the Convention for the UK, thus honouring the Prime Minister’s expressed hope given in December 2006 to be among the first countries to sign the Convention. But it's not just our citizens who will benefit from this.  There are around 650 million disabled people worldwide who stand to see an improvement in their lives too - especially in the developing world where 80% of the world's disabled population live.

"Prejudice against disabled people is unfortunately still far too prevalent and although we still have a long way to go in changing attitudes, this Convention at last puts disabled people's human rights on an equal footing with everyone else's."

Dr Richard Light, Independent Policy Adviser and Member of the UK Delegation that negotiated the Convention said:

"I am delighted to join with the 650 million disabled people around the world celebrating the opening for signature of this landmark international treaty. I am equally delighted – and proud – that the UK will be among the first states to sign the Convention. 

"Signing the Convention indicates the Government’s commitment to respecting and promoting the human rights of disabled Britons, which I enthusiastically applaud.  However, signature remains little more than a promise to be kept, until the Government takes the additional step of ratifying the Convention and its Optional Protocol; I look forward to the UK also being amongst the first UN Member States to do so."

Note to editors

1. The purpose of the UN Convention is to promote, protect and ensure the full and equal enjoyment of all human rights and fundamental freedoms by all disabled people so they can fully participate in society.  It will promote the participation of and respect for disabled people in a wide range of areas of society, and covers aspects such as:
   • Living independently and being included in the community
   • Equality and non-discrimination
   • The position of disabled women and children
   • Access to justice
   • Education
   • Health
   • Work and employment
   • Participation in political and public life
   • Participation in cultural life, recreation, leisure and sport.
2. To see the United Nations Convention on Rights of Disabled Persons, go to:  http://www.un.org/esa/socdev/enable/plenaryofga06.htm
3. The signing of the Convention follows four years of tough negotiations that began in 2002, and in which the UK played a high-profile role whilst holding the Presidency of the European Union in the latter half of 2005.   
4. Dr Richard Light is an independent consultant on disability issues and represented non-governmental disability organisations as a member of the UK delegation which negotiated the text for the Convention. His involvement ensured that disabled people had direct participation in the negotiation process.
5. The UK's signing of the Convention is an indication of its commitment to the Convention, although we will not be bound by its provisions until we have ratified it and the Convention has come into force.  This requires 20 States to have signed and ratified the Convention (or to have acceded to it, which involves signature and ratification in one stage).
6. An Optional Protocol gives the right of individual petition to the Treaty Monitoring Body after exhausting all domestic remedies.  Like many other States, the UK does not plan to sign this Protocol on 30 March.  However, this has not been ruled out for the future.
7. Work is underway to check the UK's legislation, policies and practices against the Convention’s obligations.  Before ratification, the Convention will be laid as a Command Paper before both Houses of Parliament, together with an Explanatory Memorandum. It will also be sent to the Joint Committee on Human Rights for them to consider.  Either, or both, House might decide to hold a debate.
8. The Prime Minister's Strategy Unit report, 'Improving the Life Chances of Disabled People', published in January 2005, set out the Government's strategy for disabled people. It included some sixty recommendations for improving disabled people's lives, focusing on four key themes: early years, the transition from childhood into adulthood, employment and independent living. The Office for Disability Issues (ODI) was launched in December 2005 to drive this strategy forward and report publicly on the progress being made.  The ODI also provides leadership within Government on disability rights.

DWP Press Office:Jess Prasad on: 020 3267 5122
Press Office: 020 3267 5144
Textphone: 0203 267 5145
Out of hours: 079659 108 883
Website: www.dwp.gov.uk