Activities of Asia Pacific Human Rights Network (APHRN)

Secretariat

B-6/6, Safdarjung Enclave Extension, New Delhi - 110029, India

Phone: + 91-11-26192717, 26192706, 26191120

Fax: + 91-11-26191120

Email: secretariat@aphrn.org

Website: http://www.aphrn.org

ACTIVITIES

Seventh Annual Meeting On The Role of the Asia Pacific Forum In the Protection and Promotion of Human Rights

New Delhi, India, 11 – 13 November 2002

Proposed international Convention on Protection and Promotion of the Rights and Dignity of Persons with Disabilities

Summary

One of the most recent international developments regarding disability rights is the formation of an Ad Hoc Working Committee on the formation of a United Nations Convention on the Rights of People with Disabilities. This Proposed Convention is the context for the current examination of disability at the 7^th Annual Meeting of the Asia Pacific Forum of National Human Rights Institutions (APF). As stated in the Forum background paper, the New Zealand Human Rights Commission has requested that the subject be included on the current agenda so that the APF may contribute to the possible formation of this new international human rights treaty. The stated purpose of the background paper, which will presumably apply to the upcoming APF discussions, is: (1) “to explore arguments for the development of a new UN Convention on the Rights of People with Disabilities” and (2) “to explore the role of national human rights institutions [] and the role of the APF in that process.”[1]

The Asia Pacific Human Rights Network (APRHN) acknowledges the appropriateness of focusing on regional and international approaches to disability at a meeting such as the 7^th Annual Asia Pacific Forum. However, APHRN would like to stress that the international focus on disability is a relatively new one, and as such many nations in the Asia Pacific region have yet to enact comprehensive legislation with supporting institutions that will guarantee the full equality of disabled persons. The Proposed UN Convention is a welcome addition to international human rights instruments; yet Asia Pacific national human rights institutions (NHRI), located at the nexus of human rights and governmental reform, should also take advantage of their unique position to facilitate the integration of the rights of disabled persons into the national human rights cultures of their respective states.

With this in mind, APHRN offers eight recommendations aimed at strengthening perceived and actual ties between NHRI and the protection of the rights of disabled persons. These recommendations were developed in the context of the Paris Principles, the United Nations Standard Rules on the Equalization of Opportunities for Persons with Disabilities, and the United Nations World Program of Action concerning Disabled Persons. These recommendations are as follows: (1) NHRI should ensure that disabled persons are adequately represented in the composition of their institutions; (2) NHRI should be physically accessible to disabled persons; (3) NHRI should raise awareness regarding the rights of disabled persons through information dissemination; (4) NHRI should evaluate existing national legislation with an eye towards a rights based approach to disability; (5) NHRI should use their powers of litigation and friends of the court to protect the rights of disabled persons; (6) NHRI should coordinate public education and awareness programs regarding the rights of disabled persons; (7) NHRI should contribute to the recently established NGO fund for the rights of disabled persons; (8) NHRI should use their powers of investigation and reporting to actively pursue violations of the rights of often-marginalised disabled persons.

[1] New Zealand Human Rights Commission, Background Paper on the Proposed UN Convention on the Rights of People with Disabilities (Asia Pacific Forum of National Human Rights Institutions 2002), at 1.