§ Lord Morris of Manchesterasked Her Majesty's Government:
What developments there have been internationally since the representation to the Prime Minister on 5th July 2000 of Rehabilitation International's Charter for the Third Millennium, particularly with regard to the charter's call for a United Nations convention on the rights of disabled people and related developments. [HL2933]
§ The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department for Work and Pensions (Baroness Hollis of Heigham)In November 2001, a UN General Assembly Resolution established anad-hoc committee to consider proposals for an international convention to protect and promote the rights and dignity of persons with disabilities. The committee is expected to meet later this year and will take account of the recommendations of the UN Commission for Social Development, the UN Commission of Human Rights and the recent report of the UN Special Rapporteur on Disability.
In addition, the Irish resolution at the commission on Human Rights (CHR) in 2000 has led to a study on the adequacy of existing international standards to protect the rights of disabled people. The report is due soon.