The Network of Organisations Working for People with Disabilities, Pakistan (NOWPDP), an initiative of the Aga Khan Council for Pakistan, has released a booklet on the UN Convention for the Rights of Persons with Disabilities.
The move is aimed at celebrating the ratification of the convention by the Pakistan government.
As of February 2010, 78 countries have ratified the UN Convention for the Rights of Persons with Disabilities. The United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities aims to ensure that persons with disabilities enjoy equal human rights as others. Its objective is “to promote, protect and ensure the full and equal enjoyment of all human rights and fundamental freedom by all persons with disabilities, and to promote respect for their inherent dignity”.
The booklet has been distributed to members of the parliament, the prime minister and the president to raise awareness about ways in which Pakistan can implement the clauses of the convention and become a more inclusive society for people of all abilities. The booklet highlights the state of disability in Pakistan and the benefits of a more inclusive society. It proposes implementation of legislation, through effective monitoring and governance bodies within the government, accessibility of buildings and the environment for people with disabilities, availability of quality education for all children with disabilities, equal opportunities for people with disabilities to gain employment without fear of discrimination and the ratification of the convention, as a symbol of commitment of the Pakistani government to the inclusion of people with disabilities.
The booklet was developed in collaboration with the Children’s Museum for Peace and Human Rights, having compiled a petition of over 1.1 million signatures supporting the ratification of the convention. The Children’s Museum for Peace and Human Rights and NOWPDP are working together to increase awareness of the convention and Pakistan’s obligations under it.