United Nations, 2 October – India and Gabon have ratified the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, bringing the number of ratifications to seven – 13 short of the number that will bring the Convention into effect.
In addition, 15 countries signed the Convention—the first of the 21st Century and the first that directly addresses the needs of persons with disabilities—during a five-day treaty event at the United Nations that concluded today, bringing the total of signatures to 117. They are Bulgaria, Cambodia, the Comoros, Estonia, Japan, Malawi, Madagascar, Maldives, Mauritius, Montenegro, the Philippines, Romania, Slovakia, Swaziland and Trinidad and Tobago.
Seven countries – Cambodia, Gabon, Madagascar, Mauritius, Montenegro, Slovakia and Swaziland – signed the Optional Protocol to the Convention, bringing the number of signatories to 66. The Protocol, which has been ratified by three countries, will come into force when the Convention does, and after 10 ratifications or accessions.