UN agrees on rights for disabled treaty

The United Nations has reached agreement on an international treaty to improve the rights of disabled people. The treaty is expected to benefit as many as 650 million people, if it is ratified by countries around the world. The UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities was approved at the organisation’s headquarters in New York on 25 August after five years of negotiations.

Negotiations went beyond the agreed deadline set by Ambassador Don McKay of New Zealand and talks became deadlocked over access to sexual and reproductive health services as well as the situation of disabled people in what the treaty referred to as “situations of risk”.

Countries that sign up to the convention must abolish laws, regulations, customs and practices that discriminate against disabled people. They must also guarantee that disabled people “enjoy their inherent right to life on an equal basis with others”. The convention states that disabled children must not be separated from their parents against their will, except when authorities determine it is in a child’s best interests.