12 Sep 2012

UN / DISABILITIES

Hundreds of advocates on disability and government delegates have gathered at UN headquarters to review the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, which has now been ratified by 119 countries. UNTV / ONUCI / UNICEF

Posted at: September 12, 2012 5:52 pm

Duration: 02:18

Available in: SD

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Full script

STORY: UN / DISABILITIES
TRT: 2.18
SOURCE: UNTV / ONUCI / UNICEF
RESTRICTIONS: NONE
LANGUAGE: INTERNATIONAL SIGN LANGUAGE / ENGLISH / FRENCH / NATS

DATELINE: 12 SEPTEMBER 2012, NEW YORK CITY / 5 SEPTEMBER 2012, ABIDJAN, COTE D'IVOIRE / FILE

SHOTLIST:

FILE – 2011, NEW YORK CITY

1. Wide shot, exterior United Nations headquarters

12 SEPTEMBER 2012, NEW YORK CITY

2. Wide shot, press conference
3. Med shot, journalist listening
4. SOUNDBITE (International Sign Language with English interpretation) Ádám Kósa, Member of the European Parliament and Chair of the Informal Session on Women and Disabilities:
"It's really, really important that 119 [countries] have ratified officially the Convention, plus many observers, plus many NGOs from all over the world are participating in the Conference of States Parties to push governments to progress faster."

FILE – UNICEF – 16 JUNE 2012, WINDHOEK, NAMIBIA

5. Various shots, children with disabilities in school

12 SEPTEMBER 2012, NEW YORK CITY

6. SOUNDBITE (International Sign Language with English interpretation) Jenny Nilsson, Youth Section President, World Federation of the Deaf:
"Often it's people without a disability who make decisions for us, people with disabilities at this high level. What is important now at this conference, is you see that people understand that not only disabled people must speak for themselves, but children who are disabled must be able to speak for themselves."

5 SEPTEMBER 2012, ABIDJAN, COTE D'IVOIRE

7. Tilt down, football stadium
8. Various shots, group of handisport champions warming up
9. Med shot, motion handicapped athlete tying shoelaces
10. SOUNDBITE (French) Motion Handicapped Athlete:
"In the beginning I played football, I saw that there was no handicapped who plays football, I went to martial arts, I also saw that this was not possible, that is why one day I was practising karate and a gentleman approached me and asked me if I could run. I told him yes, I could."
11. Wide shot, motion handicapped athlete running with the others

STORYLINE:

Hundreds of advocates and experts on disability, as well as government delegates, have gathered at UN headquarters to review the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities.

The Conference of States Parties, which ends Friday and will have a special focus on women and children, is the largest international meeting on disability issues. It is held each year to exchange experience and ideas for implementation of the Convention, which was adopted in December 2006.

There are currently 119 States that have ratified or acceded to the Convention – these States Parties are required to promote full equality and participation of persons with disabilities in society.

At a press conference at UN headquarters today (12 September), the Chair of the Informal Session on Women and Disabilities, Ádám Kósa said it was "really, really important" that so many countries have ratified the treaty and are now attending the conference to "push governments to progress faster."

The Youth Section President of the World Federation of the Deaf, Jenny Nilsson said that even though "often it's people without a disability" who make decisions people with disabilities "at this high level", people had begun to understand that disabled people must speak for themselves. She called for disabled children to be given the same opportunity.

The disability convention entered into force in May 2008. It followed decades of work by the United Nations to change attitudes and approaches to persons with disabilities, and takes to a new height the movement from viewing persons with disabilities as 'objects' of charity, medical treatment and social protection towards viewing persons with disabilities as 'subjects' with rights, capable of claiming those rights and making decisions for their lives based on their free and informed consent as well as being active members of society.

In a press release issued today, the UN Under Secretary-General for Economic and Social Affairs, Wu Hongbo pointed to the achievements of people such as Albert Einstein, Ludwig van Beethoven, and Helen Keller, all of whom had disabilities, and recalled that "these individuals, just like many others, including the incredible athletes of the recent Paralympic Games, achieved greatness and demonstrated that by breaking down barriers, and with the right opportunities, exceptional things are possible."

In the fragile West African nation of Cote d'Ivoire, a small group of athletes with various disabilities including blindness and motion handicap, were recently training in the local football stadium.

These 'champions of peace' belong to the Ivorian Sport Federation for handicapped people.

One of them explained that he started off playing football, but "saw that there was no handicapped who plays football". He went on to try martial arts, but "saw that this was not possible". One day, he was asked if he could run. "I told him yes, I could".

Now he and his fellow athletes are all gold medal and Africa handisport champions. They run for peace, especially peace in Cote d'Ivoire and in the world.