Today at UN Headquarters in the General Assembly plenary room, the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities and its Optional Protocol were formally opened for signature, marking the first opportunity for States to become signatures and start the process to become States Parties.
The session began at 10am, and after initial statements by the President of the General Assembly, the Deputy Secretary General, the High Commissioner for Human Rights, countries who had played a leadership role in the Convention negotiations process (Mexico, Ecuador and New Zealand), and a representative of IDA and IDC, the official signing ceremony began.
It was previously predicted that approximately 45 States would sign today, but this number was more than exceeded! 81 States and the European Commission signed the Convention and 43 States signed the Optional Protocol. All those signing today are considered the “first” to sign. The UN Office of Legal Affairs noted that this represented the highest number of States ever to sign a human rights treaty on its opening for signature. Jamaica also deposited its instrument of ratification, making it the first country to become a States Party to the Convention. The list of those signing today is provided below.
The afternoon session involved a high level dialogue “”From vision to action: the road to implementation of the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities.” The dialogue was opened by statements by Ambassador Don MacKay of New Zealand and the High Commissioner for Human Rights, Louise Arbour. There then followed statements by numerous Member States, a representative of National Human Rights Institutions, as well as DPI Chair Venus Ilagan (speaking on behalf of the IDC). She noted in her remarks that the “rights-based” approach to disability at the core of the Convention is a basic shift in the way that disability is viewed globally. She said “we people with disabilities have very high hopes and expectations for the success of the convention in the future.” (A full copy of the speech is posted on the DPI website, a link to which is at the bottom of this bulletin.)
The ceremony today marked the first opportunity for States to start the process to become States Parties to the Convention. It is hoped that many more States will sign soon, and that those signing today will follow Jamaica’s lead and ratify as soon as possible!
The following is a list of those who participated in the signing ceremony, provided in the order in which they participated.
Republic of Austria
Republic of Chile
Republic of Croatia
Kingdom of Denmark
Republic of Ecuador
Republic of El Salvador
Gabon
Republic of Indonesia
Italian Republic
Jamaica (also deposited its instrument of ratification for the Convention)
Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan
Republic of Lithuania
New Zealand
Federal Republic of Nigeria
Republic of Panama
Republic of Poland
Portuguese Republic
Republic of Korea
Republic of Slovenia
Republic of South Africa
Kingdom of Spain
Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka
Kingdom of Sweden
United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland
People’s Democratic Republic of Algeria
Antigua and Barbuda
Argentine Republic
Republic of Armenia
Australia
Kingdom of Belgium
Federated Republic of Brazil
Canada
Republic of Cape Verde
People’s Republic of China
Republic of Colombia
Republic of the Congo
Republic of Costa Rica
Republic of Cyprus
Czech Republic
Commonwealth of Dominica
Dominican Republic
Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia
Republic of Finland
French Republic
Federal Republic of Germany
Republic of Ghana
Hellenic Republic (Greece)
Republic of Guatemala
Republic of Honduras
Republic of Hungary
Republic of Iceland
Republic of India
Ireland
State of Israel
Republic of Kenya
Republic of Liberia
Grand Duchy of Luxembourg
Republic of Malta
United Mexican States
Republic of Moldova
Kingdom of Morocco
Kingdom of the Netherlands
Republic of Nicaragua
Republic of Niger
Kingdom of Norway
Republic of Paraguay
Republic of Peru
Republic of San Marino
Republic of Seychelles
Republic of Sierra Leone
Republic of the Sudan
Republic of Surinam
Syrian Arab Republic
Kingdom of Thailand
Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia
Republic of Tunisia
Republic of Turkey
Republic of Uganda
United Republic of Tanzania
Republic of Yemen
European Commission