The UN convened on March 30, 2007 to a solemn signing ceremony for the signing of the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities. The treaty which was adopted on December 13, 2006 seeks to protect the rights of all people physical and mental disabilities.
Article 1 --
The purpose of the present Convention is to promote, protect and ensure the full and equal enjoyment of all human rights and fundamental freedoms by all persons with disabilities, and to promote respect for their inherent dignity.
Persons with disabilities include those who have long-term physical, mental, intellectual or sensory impairments which in interaction with various barriers may hinder their full and effective participation in society on an equal basis with others.
81 nations signed the treaty. The United States did not.
More below.
As all progressives know, the United States has an unfortunate recent history when it comes to treaties.
The Kyoto Protocol, Landmine Ban, hell we don't even follow the Geneva Conventions anymore. I'd like to believe that there is a good reason that the United States has not participated in this new treaty. Perhaps Ambassador Alejandro Wolff was out of town on Friday and couldn't sign the agreement.
Of course, even the UK mamaged to take the time to sign, even as they were embroiled in a diplomatic hostage crisis with Iran. But even if Wollf was unavailable, there are three other US Abassadors to the UN that could have signed, including Ambassador Terry Miller, the U.S. Representative to the UN Economic and Social Council. If anyone was there to sign it, it should have been him.
Either way, I'm really hoping that this isn't the reason:
With regard to economic, social and cultural rights, each State Party undertakes to take measures to the maximum of its available resources and, where needed, within the framework of international cooperation, with a view to achieving progressively the full realization of these rights, without prejudice to those obligations contained in the present Convention that are immediately applicable according to international law.
The only mention on the website for the Convention about America's reservations was this:
At its 30th meeting, on 3 February, the Secretary of the Committee read out a statement on behalf of the Secretary-General on the financial implications of the draft resolution contained in paragraph 14 of the current report. The representative of the United States of America expressed the reservations of his delegation on the possible financial implications of the draft resolution.
Money. It all comes down to money. We simply can't afford to provide for people with disabilities. There's no way we could cut a single bomber or fighter jet from our arsenal to provide for Americans with diasabilities.
Of course there was the perfect out for Ambassador Wolff. The Convention lays out the guidlines, but only by signing the Optional Protocol to the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, is a member state subject to any oversight, sanctions or action from the UN in conjunction with breaking the treaty. Lots of other countries did that. But not us.
I emailed the United State's permanent mission to ask why this had not been signed. I'm still waiting to hear back, and I'll call when their office opens.
If you want to ask Ambassador Wolff why he didn't sign the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities:
Press and Public Affairs Section
United States Mission to the United Nations
140 East 45th Street
New York, N.Y. 10017
212-415-4050
usunpublicaffairs@state.gov
Anyway, click here for the list of nations that signed the treaty.