UK ratifies the UN Disability Convention

At long last the UK have finally ratified the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (UNCRPD).

After much stalling on the part of our Government, Jonathan Shaw, Minister for Disabled People announced on 8th June 2009 that the convention had been ratified and that the government were fully committed to its full implementation. In a statement to the House of Commons, he said:

"I am delighted to announce that later today the UK will ratify the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities in New York. In addition, we aim to start the Parliamentary process for ratification of the Optional Protocol to the Convention shortly.

"There are an estimated 650 million disabled people in the world, including over 10m in the UK. The UN Convention is a powerful and explicit statement that they have – and must be able to enjoy on an equal basis – the same human rights as others. The Convention is therefore a very significant landmark, both for disabled people and for Government and society as whole.

"Ratification of the Convention is further demonstration of the Government’s commitment to equality of human rights for disabled people, and of our determination to achieve equality by 2025."

The Convention is a major landmark as it is the first human rights treaty of the 21st Century and will hopefully ensure equality for all 650 million disabled people across the world. The convention focuses on ensuring that all disabled people are able to enjoy fundamental human rights and thus participate fully in society.

It is my opinion that the UK government took far too long in agreeing this Convention and I wholeheartedly supported the criticism directed at them for seeking a number of opt-out clauses regarding immigration, education and the armed forces. It would now seem that by ratifying this Convention, the Government has accepted their legal obligation to ensure that all necessary laws are passed.

Implementation now looms and this will be a challenging process that must involve the disabled community as a whole. Their voices must be heard in ensuring that equality becomes a standard rather than a privilege.