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Tips and Strategies for Implementing the CRPD
By Andrea Shettle, MSW | July 21, 2008
The international disability rights treaty, called the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD), is about to enter into force this May 3, 2008. But a treaty is only a piece of paper–until and unless it is fully implemented.
So how can the disability community, international development professionals, governments, and others ensure that the ratifying countries implement the CRPD? The disability community and its allies can turn to another human rights community that has experience in successfully encouraging the implementation of another international human rights treaty–the Convention on the Rights of the Child.
In October 2007, a regional Middle East and North Africa consultation was held on children and the new CRPD in Sana’a, Yemen. On the final day of that consultation, international child rights advocate Gerison Lansdown gave tips and strategies for implementing the United Nations CRPD based on lessons learned from similar efforts in implementing the Convention on the Rights of the Child. The result of her lecture, and the subsequent question and answer session, was a fact sheet, now posted at the web site for the Child Rights Information Network.
The fact sheet outlines the obligations of governments and lists suggestions for how advocates, professionals, and other individuals and their organizations can take action and make change. For example, the public and the government should be taught about people with disabilities (including children) and their entitlement to equal recognition and dignity. Also, alliances should be built across various groups to work together on advocating for disability rights and the CRPD. This alliance could work on an "alternate report" on the human rights situation for disabled people in their country to be submitted to the Committee on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities.
Read the full fact sheet on-line at: http://www.crin.org/resources/infoDetail.asp?ID=15312&flag=news
For more resources and background information about the CRPD, explore the RatifyNow.org web site.
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