March 30, 2007
No. 50
The Honourable Peter MacKay, Minister of Foreign Affairs and Minister of the Atlantic
Canada Opportunities Agency, today signalled Canada’s intention to be a signatory to
the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities.
“By signing the Convention, we are demonstrating our leadership and the importance
we attach to the rights of persons with disabilities,” said Minister MacKay. “The
commitment of Canada’s New Government with respect to issues of disability is clear.
We have a strong commitment to ensuring that persons with disabilities enjoy full
participation in society and can contribute to the community to their full potential.”
Canada’s New Government has introduced a number of measures since early 2006.
For example, it has:
• established an Enabling Accessibility Fund, with $45 million over three years to
contribute to the cost of improving physical accessibility for people with
disabilities;
• established a new Registered Disability Savings Plan to help parents and others
save toward the long-term financial security of people with severe disabilities;
• provided $30 million over five years for the Spinal Cord Injury Transnational
Research Network, established by the Rick Hansen Foundation; and
• provided $20 million toward the operating costs of the 2010 Paralympic Games
in British Columbia.
The Convention was adopted by the United Nations General Assembly on December
13, 2006. The Government of Canada will continue to work very closely with the
provinces and territories toward ratification.
Minister MacKay took part in a ceremony in Ottawa today to show support for the
Convention. Ambassador John McNee, Canada’s Permanent Representative to the
United Nations, will sign this international agreement on Canada’s behalf.
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For further information, media representatives may contact:
Foreign Affairs Media Relations Office
Foreign Affairs and International Trade Canada
613-995-1874
http://www.international.gc.ca
Backgrounder
There are 650 million people in the world who live with a disability, accounting for
around 10 percent of the world’s population. The World Bank estimates that 20 percent
of the world’s poorest people are disabled.
This Convention constitutes a historic step in ensuring that persons with disabilities
enjoy full participation in society and can contribute to the community to their full
potential.
The Convention is the first major UN human rights treaty to be adopted in the 21st
century. It was negotiated in record time, and civil society was extensively consulted.
Although core UN human rights treaties already guarantee human rights and
fundamental freedoms to all persons, including persons with disabilities, most do not
specifically prohibit discrimination on the ground of disability. This gap in the
international human rights system, coupled with growing recognition in the international
community that persons with disabilities are subject to systemic and widespread human
rights abuses, was the rationale for the Convention.
Canada’s signature of the Convention complements its domestic approach to equality
and human rights for persons with disabilities. Canada currently has in place robust
equality and non-discrimination protection for persons with disabilities.
