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Contributions submitted by Governments
in electronic format at the Fourth Session

Proposed Modifications to Draft Article 5

African Group

ARTICLE 5
PROMOTION OF POSITIVE ATTITUDES TOWARDS PERSONS WITH DISABILITIES, CREATION AND RAISING OF AWARENESS

1. States Parties undertake to adopt appropriate and effective measures to:

(a) Raise awareness throughout society regarding disability in various forms and persons with disabilities and their needs, potential and contributions to society and foster a culture of respect for persons with disability and their human rights;

(b) Combat stereotypes, prejudices and practices whether cultural, or other which discriminate against persons with disabilities;

(c) Portray persons with disability, irrespective of type, severity and complexity of their disabilities as capable and contributing members of society sharing the same rights and freedoms and responsibilities as all others in a manner consistent with the overall purpose of this convention;

(d) Combat patronizing, bullying and neglect on the basis of perceived incapacity of children and adults in public service and society as a whole;

2. These measures shall include among others:

(a) Initiating, promoting and maintaining an effective public, social awareness campaign designed to nurture respect and protect the rights of persons with disabilities;

(b) Developing and maintaining programmes of awareness in their population, including children from an early age and at all levels of the education system, to foster an attitude of respect for the rights of persons with disabilities;

(c) Encouraging all organs of the media to portray persons with disabilities in a manner consistent with the purpose of this convention;

(d) Working in partnership with persons with disabilities, their representative organizations and families in all measures taken to give effect to the obligations contained in this article.

Bahrain

Draft language related to training for Draft Article 5:

2. These measures shall include, among others:

raise awareness throughout society regarding this Convention, including through training related to the rights, principles and obligations associated with this Convention for personnel and others involved in the implementation of the Convention, including but not limited to officials responsible for law enforcement and justice administration, education, health care, rehabilitation, and employment, so that they may be able to carry out their responsibilities more effectively;

European Union

Draft Article 5
PROMOTION OF POSITIVE ATTITUDES TO PERSONS WITH DISABILITIES

EU Position : Article should be repositioned preferably as Art. 24 bis.

1. States Parties undertake to adopt immediate and effective measures to:

(a) Raise awareness throughout society regarding disability and persons with disabilities;

EU Proposal: Add “and foster respect for the rights of persons with disabilities”

(b) Combat stereotypes and prejudices about persons with disabilities

(c) Promote an image of persons with disabilities as capable and contributing members of society sharing the same rights and freedoms as all others and in a manner consistent with the overall purpose of this Convention.

EU Proposal: Move 2(c) to here as new (d):

(d) Encourage all organs of the media to project an image of persons with disabilities consistent with the purpose of this Convention;

EU Proposal: Delete Paragraph 2 (2d is covered by Article 25)

2. These measures shall include, among others:

(a) initiating and maintaining an effective public awareness campaign designed to nurture receptiveness to the rights of persons with disabilities;

(b) promoting awareness, including in all children from an early age and at all levels of the education system, to foster an attitude of respect for the rights of persons with disabilities;

(c) encouraging all organs of the media to project an image of persons with disabilities consistent with the purpose of this Convention;

(d) working in partnership with persons with disabilities and their representative organisations in all measures taken to give effect to the obligations contained in this article.

Report of the Coordinator to the fourth session of the Ad Hoc Committee

Summary of discussions on draft article 5

11. There was general agreement on a number of points concerning draft article 5 as set out below.

Paragraph 1

12. Subparagraph 1 (a) should reflect the text prepared by the Working Group, but with the addition of “and to foster respect for their rights” at the end of the sentence. Various formulations of this phrase were proposed, and these were referred to the Facilitator’s group on this draft article, led by Ambassador Rowe (Sierra Leone), for refinement.

13. Subparagraph 1 (b) should reflect the text prepared by the Working Group, but with the addition of the words “in all areas of life” at the end of the sentence.

14. Subparagraph 1 (c) should be redrafted to read:

“Promote awareness of the capabilities and contributions of all persons with disabilities, and that as members of society they share the same rights and freedoms as all others, and in a manner consistent with the overall purpose of this Convention.”

The meeting recognized that further fine-tuning of the paragraph was needed, and it was referred to the Facilitator’s group for further discussion.

Paragraph 2

15. Paragraph 2 contained much repetition of paragraph 1 and could either be streamlined or deleted. In either case, several delegations considered that the references to public awareness campaigns and the promotion of awareness in all children and the education system were valuable. They considered that they should be retained in either a streamlined paragraph 2 or in paragraph 1. The Coordinator referred this issue to the Facilitator’s group.

16. Should paragraph 2 be deleted, subparagraph 2 (c) should be retained and moved into paragraph 1 to become paragraph 1 (d).