Promoting the Rights of Children with Disabilities, UNICEF

Convention on the Rights of Personswith Disabilities and Optional Protocol tothe Convention on the Rights of Personswith DisabilitiesConvention on the Rights of Persons withDisabilitiesPreambleThe States parties to the present Convention,(a) Recalling the principles proclaimed in the Charterof the United Nations which recognize the inherentdignity and worth and the equal and inalienable rightsof all members of the human family as the foundationof freedom, justice and peace in the world,(b) Recognizing that the United Nations, in theUniversal Declaration of Human Rights and in theInternational Covenants on Human Rights, hasproclaimed and agreed that everyone is entitled toall the rights and freedoms set forth therein, withoutdistinction of any kind,(c) Reaffirming the universality, indivisibility,interdependence and interrelatedness of all humanrights and fundamental freedoms and the need forpersons with disabilities to be guaranteed their fullenjoyment without discrimination,(d) Recalling the International Covenant on Economic,Social and Cultural Rights, the International Covenanton Civil and Political Rights, the InternationalConvention on the Elimination of All Forms of RacialDiscrimination, the Convention on the Eliminationof All Forms of Discrimination against Women,the Convention against Torture and Other Cruel,Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment,the Convention on the Rights of the Child, and theInternational Convention on the Protection of theRights of All Migrant Workers and Members of TheirFamilies,(e) Recognizing that disability is an evolving conceptand that disability results from the interactionbetween persons with impairments and attitudinaland environmental barriers that hinders their full andeffective participation in society on an equal basiswith others,(f) Recognizing the importance of the principles andpolicy guidelines contained in the World Programmeof Action concerning Disabled Persons and in theStandard Rules on the Equalization of Opportunitiesfor Persons with Disabilities in influencing thepromotion, formulation and evaluation of the policies,plans, programmes and actions at the national,regional and international levels to further equalizeopportunities for persons with disabilities,(g) Emphasizing the importance of mainstreamingdisability issues as an integral part of relevantstrategies of sustainable development,(h) Recognizing also that discrimination against anyperson on the basis of disability is a violation of theinherent dignity and worth of the human person,(i) Recognizing further the diversity of persons withdisabilities,(j) Recognizing the need to promote and protect thehuman rights of all persons with disabilities, includingthose who require more intensive support,(k) Concerned that, despite these various instrumentsand undertakings, persons with disabilities continueto face barriers in their participation as equalmembers of society and violations of their humanrights in all parts of the world,(l) Recognizing the importance of internationalcooperation for improving the living conditions ofpersons with disabilities in every country, particularlyin developing countries,(m) Recognizing the valued existing and potentialcontributions made by persons with disabilities to theoverall well-being and diversity of their communities,and that the promotion of the full enjoyment bypersons with disabilities of their human rights andfundamental freedoms and of full participation bypersons with disabilities will result in their enhancedsense of belonging and in significant advances in thehuman, social and economic development of societyand the eradication of poverty,(n) Recognizing the importance for personswith disabilities of their individual autonomy andindependence, including the freedom to make theirown choices,(o) Considering that persons with disabilitiesshould have the opportunity to be actively involvedin decision-making processes about policies andprogrammes, including those directly concerningthem,51 Promoting the Rights of Children with Disabilities Innocenti Digest No. 13