(New York) December 30, 2010 — The European Union’s ratification of the major international treaty on disability rights is a significant milestone in the global effort to promote the rights of people with disabilities, Human Rights Watch said today. The EU officially joined the International Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities on December 23, 2010, becoming the first intergovernmental organization to sign on to any human rights treaty and take on its binding obligations.
“The EU ratification of the Disability Rights Convention sends a clear message that disability rights are a priority in the region and worldwide,” said Shantha Rau Barriga, disability rights researcher and advocate at Human Rights Watch. “All EU members and future members should now ratify the treaty and align their laws and practices with its standards.”
In addition to joining the Disability Rights Convention, the EU is in the process of joining the European Convention on Human Rights, administered by a separate intergovernmental organization, the Council of Europe.
Joining the Disability Rights Convention obliges EU institutions, including the European Commission, Parliament, Council, and Court of Justice, to uphold disability rights. But it does not automatically make the convention binding in individual EU member states. That requires separate ratification by each country.
Eleven of the 27 EU members have yet to ratify the convention, including Bulgaria, Cyprus, Estonia, Finland, Greece, Ireland, Luxembourg, Malta, the Netherlands, Poland, and Romania, although all have signed. Among European countries seeking EU membership, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Montenegro, Serbia, and Turkey have ratified the convention, while Albania, the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, Iceland, and Kosovo have not.
Human Rights Watch Press release