Human Rights Ministry hails
entry into force of Convention on Rights of Persons with Disabilities
MINISTRY OF DISASTER MANAGEMENT
AND HUMAN RIGHTS No:02, Wijerama Mawatha, Colombo 07, SRI LANKA
MEDIA RELEASE
Human Rights Ministry hails entry into force of Convention on Rights
of Persons with Disabilities The Ministry of Disaster Management and
Human Rights of the Government of Sri Lanka welcomes the entry into
force of the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities
(CPD).
The Convention will have a legally binding effect from Saturday 3 May
2008. The 20th instrument of ratification was deposited by Ecuador on
3 April which triggered the process of entry into force of this important
international human rights instrument. Sri Lanka is a signatory to this
Convention, having signed the instrument in March 2007.
A high level committee chaired by Dr. Rohan Perera, Legal Advisor
to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and comprised of senior officials
of the ministries of Foreign Affairs, Justice, Disaster Management and
Human Rights as well as the Attorney-General’s Department was convened
on an initiative of Mahinda Samarasinghe, Minister of Disaster Management
and Human Rights, to study the feasibility of Sri Lanka’s ratification
of this Convention.
The Committee has reported to Minister Samarasinghe that, once draft
enabling legislation – now being finalized – has been enacted by Parliament,
it will be possible for Sri Lanka to become a state party to the Convention
as early as September 2008 during the annual treaty event which coincides
with the 63rd Sessions of the UN General Assembly in New York.
The Ministry of Social Services and Social Welfare has taken the lead
in preparing legislation and approval of the Cabinet of Ministers has
been granted for initiation of the legislative process. The Convention
adopted in December 2006 is expected to provide a powerful tool to eradicate
the obstacle faced by persons with disabilities.
Among the issues addressed by this instrument are discrimination against
persons with disabilities, segregation from society, economic marginalization,
and lack of opportunities for participation in social, political and
economic decision-making processes. (Ends) 02 May 2008 MINISTRY OF DISASTER
MANAGEMENT AND HUMAN RIGHTS No:02, Wijerama Mawatha, Colombo 07, SRI
LANKA
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