UN/ DISABILITIES AND RIGHTS

25-Aug-2006
The UN General Assembly's Ad Hoc Committee continues to negotiate what could be the first Human Rights Treaty of the 21st Century. If adopted, the convention will mark a major shift in the way the world's 650 million people with disabilities are treated. UNTV

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STORY: UN/ DISABILITIES AND RIGHTS
TRT: 1:11
SOURCE: UNTV
RESTRICTIONS: NONE
LANGUAGE: ENGLISH/ NATS
DATELINE: 25 AUGUST 2006, NEW YORK

SHOTLIST:

1. Wide shot, Conference on Disabilities Convention
2. Various shots, delegates discussing
3. Med shot, Chairman talking
4. Tilt down, clock
5. Med shot, press conference
6. Cutaway, press
7. SOUNDBITE (English) Thomas Schindlmayr, Department of Economic and Social Affairs, UN:
"The Chair has implored upon delegates to make process in these areas so that we do not have to come back for a ninth session of the Ad Hoc Committee. Indeed, he did ask what benefits will we have if we were to come for another two weeks session possibly in January to talk about the same issues that have bedeviled us at this present moment."
8. Cutaway, press
9. Wide shot, press conference

STORYLINE:

The UN General Assembly's Ad Hoc Committee continues work on the draft convention on the rights of persons with disabilities scheduled to conclude by 6 o'clock this evening (25 August.)

At a press conference at UN Headquarters, Thomas Schindlmayr of the Department of Economic and Social Affairs told reporters that the negotiations were "coming right down to the wire."

Discussing the latest developments, he said that agreement had been reached on 25 of the convention's 40 articles and delegations were also "very, very close" to reaching agreement on more.

However, several difficulties still needed to be resolved before there was final agreement on the new instrument.

Don MacKay (New Zealand), Chairman of the negotiations, said the talks had become "bogged down," with some countries digging in on their positions. MacKay told the participants that agreement could be reached with determination.

According to Schindlmayr, the remaining sticking points in negotiations are issues such as foreign occupation and sexual and reproductive health.

SOUNDBITE (English) Thomas Schindlmayr, Department of Economic and Social Affairs, United Nations:
"The Chair has implored upon delegates to make process in these areas so that we do not have to come back for a ninth session of the Ad Hoc Committee. Indeed, he did ask what benefits will we have if we were to come for another two weeks session possibly in January to talk about the same issues that have bedeviled us at this present moment."

Schindlmayr added that, at this point, there was no "plan B" and there were no provisions in place for having another session in January.

UNIFEED

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U060825c