The Australian Government signed the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities at the United Nations in March 2007.
This was an historic day in the lives of people with disabilities here in Australia and around the world.
“The Convention upholds the values of all people with a disability irrespective of the type of disability, their language or geographic location,” AFDO Chairperson, Samantha Jenkinson said. “Its development would not have been possible without cooperation between governments and civil society. In this process people with a disability have been acknowledged as the experts on our own lived experiences. Our experiences have been the catalyst to create a more just and inclusive world,” she said.
Throughout the process of developing the Convention, AFDO has worked along side the international and Australian disability communities as well as the Australian Government to voice the experiences of people with disability. This has ensured a convention that articulates what is needed to uphold the basic human rights of people with a disability.
AFDO looks forward to being active partners in the process of ratification of the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities. We anticipate active participation at all levels of Australian government and society in the implementation phase by organisations of people with disabilities. The stipulated requirements for consultation will be embraced as an opportunity to learn and work together.
The signing and ratifying of the Convention by the Australian Government will move us toward a society in which all people with disability are active citizens.
The text of the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities can be found at http://www.un.org/esa/socdev/enable/rights/convtexte.htm