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DOMINICAN REPUBLIC RATIFIES INTER-AMERICAN TREATY TO ELIMINATE DISCRIMINATION AGAINST PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES

In a ceremony held at the Organization of American States (OAS), the government of the Dominican Republic today formalized its ratification of the Inter-American Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Persons with Disabilities.

The Ambassador of the Dominican Republic to the OAS, Roberto Alvarez, deposited the instruments of ratification and reiterated his country’s commitment to strengthen and promote human rights and in particular to help integrate people with disabilities into society. “As we all know, the level of state commitment to the human rights of all of its citizens lies in the extent to which it provides help to the most vulnerable groups of society, and unfortunately the disabled have been one sector that traditionally has received little attention from our governments,” Ambassador Alvarez said.

The diplomat noted that with this instrument, “we hope that not only governments but also organizations throughout society become more aware and begin to join in the effort that belongs to everyone, because this is not only a task for governments, but one that must be carried out by society as a whole.”

OAS Secretary General José Miguel Insulza announced that in accordance with the terms and commitments of the treaty, the states parties will hold the First Meeting of the Committee for the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Persons with Disabilities, which will take place in Panama City from February 28 to March 1.

Noting that the Dominican Republic becomes the seventeenth OAS member state to ratify the instrument, Insulza called on the three countries that have signed but not yet ratified—Dominica, Haiti and Jamaica—to do so as soon as possible.

“As we know, there are few conventions in our organization that have been signed and ratified by the 34 states, and I hope that this one will soon be one of them, because truthfully, this is a cause that should not only not divide us or give us problems; rather, it should unite us to work together for such a noble cause as this one,” the Secretary General said.

The anti-discrimination treaty entered into force in September 2001 and to date has been ratified, in addition to the Dominican Republic, by the following countries: Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Ecuador, El Salvador, Guatemala, Mexico, Nicaragua, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, Uruguay and Venezuela. Besides seeking to prevent and eliminate discrimination against persons with disabilities, the treaty is also intended to facilitate their full incorporation into society through legislative, social, educational and labor-related measures.

Reference: E-034/07