The Honourable Peter MacKay, Minister of National Defence and Minister for the Atlantic Gateway, on behalf of the Honourable Lawrence Cannon, Minister of Foreign Affairs, announced that the Government of Canada today tabled in the House of Commons the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities. Tabling a treaty, such as the Convention, allows Parliament to review and discuss it before the government ratifies it.
“The government’s tabling of the Convention on the day the United Nations officially designates the International Day of Persons with Disabilities demonstrates Canada’s strong commitment to removing obstacles and creating opportunities for persons with disabilities,” said Minister MacKay. “The Convention is important internationally because it is the first international human rights treaty that explicitly reaffirms existing human rights guarantees for persons with disabilities.”
The UN General Assembly adopted the Convention on December 13, 2006. Canada was among the first countries to sign it when it was opened for signature on March 30, 2007.
The Government of Canada sought the views of the provinces, territories and the Canadian public, in particular the community of persons with disabilities. Their views and recommendations made over the course of the consultations will continue to play an important role in informing any future measures that may be taken post-ratification of the Convention at the federal level.
“The Convention will serve to promote, protect and ensure the full and equal enjoyment of human rights and fundamental freedoms by persons with disabilities, and to promote respect for their inherent dignity,” said the Honourable Rob Nicholson, Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada. “Once ratified, it will complement domestic laws, as well as provide an opportunity for Canada to share its best practices in areas such as equality, reasonable accommodation and accessibility.”
“The Government of Canada continues to invest in programs and services to meet the needs of Canadians with disabilities and provide them with the same access to opportunities that all Canadians enjoy,” said the Honourable Diane Finley, Minister of Human Resources and Skills Development. “Ratification of the Convention will give us the opportunity both to recognize the many contributions that people with disabilities make to society, and to acknowledge the progress we continue to make as a society towards the full inclusion of people with disabilities.”
