Appeal to President of Pakistan - Support people with disabilities

A UN convention that would protect the rights of the world's persons with disabilities has made progress. The Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities was adopted on 13 December 2006 during the sixty-first session of the General Assembly by resolution A/RES/61/106.

In accordance with its article 42, the Convention and its Optional Protocol opened for signature by all States and by regional integration organizations at United Nations Headquarters in New York on 30 March 2007. The opening began with a solemn ceremony in the United Nations General Assembly hall. Up to today (till sending this letter) UN Convention on the rights of Person with Disabilities has been signed by 102 countries but still faces difficulties and lacks Pakistan support.

Pakistan still not signed and ratified UN Convention on the rights of Person with Disabilities. UN convention for the person with disabilities is similar to those conventions protecting the rights of children, women, refugees, poor and migrants have languished. When Pakistan can sign ratify other UN Conventions and treaties we are unable to under stand what are the barriers for signing and ratifying such a significant document?

As Your Excellency knows that on 1st March 2007, Pakistan announced that it would be one of eight countries to pilot the implementation of United Nations (UN) Reform. The announcement was made at a launch attended by Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz, together with senior government and UN officials. The reforms aim to deliver a UN system which is better able to support individual countries in achieving their development goals. Behind the reforms is the concept of “One UN”, which was recently recommended by an expert panel as a more efficient way of realizing the Millennium Development Goals.

The Government of Pakistan and the UN have already agreed a set of principles, objectives and instruments to achieve One UN in Pakistan, and a broad-based decision-making committee has been set up for issues relating to the reforms.

UN Resident Coordinator Jan Vandemoortele stressed at the launch that it was essential the reform process was led by the Government. A programme built around Pakistan’s national development priorities will therefore be established, focusing on the areas of health, education, poverty reduction, HIV/AIDS and disaster management. The allocation of UN resources will be made more coherent by a single financial framework. Dr Hafiz Pasha, UN Assistant Secretary-General and Regional Director for Asia and the Pacific, said “One UN will initiate a new era of effectiveness and efficiency in serving the developmental agenda of Pakistan.

We have all the ingredients of a successful reform process.” In the same month of UN convention opened for signatures shows that such statements are not implemented in Pakistan and are just public show.

A legally binding international convention is a long-sought goal of the world's 650 million Person with Disabilities including Pakistanis with disabilities. The convention addresses issues of access and accommodation, while requiring countries to guarantee freedom from exploitation and abuse for the person with disabilities. We all Pakistanis with Disabilities are appealing the Government of Pakistan please sign and ratify the UN Convention and develop a soft image of the Pakistan in the rest of international community.