By Kuvee Kangueehi
Windhoek
The Namibian Parliament last Wednesday ratified the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities and its optional protocol.
The House made the ratification without any objection after Deputy Prime Minister Dr Libertina Amathila brought the motion before Parliament.
The purpose of the convention is to ensure the protection of the rights of around 650 million people with disabilities globally and more than 85 000 people with disabilities in Namibia.
The deputy PM said the convention seeks to underpin the fundamental freedoms and human dignity of persons with disabilities.
She said some of the general principles of the convention are respected for inherent dignity, individual autonomy, non-discrimination, full and effective participation and inclusion in society, respect for differences and acceptance of persons with disabilities as part of human diversity and humanity, equality of opportunity and gender equality.
Amathila stressed that the convention does not create new rights but merely reaffirms and guarantees existing rights and freedoms under the Namibian Constitution.
“This convention expects people with disabilities to be treated as equal citizens, who must contribute to national development.”
Amathila further noted that the convention demonstrates that many years of public policy aimed at merely accommodating people with disabilities proved to be insufficient and much rethinking has now taken place.
“The old approach is now giving way to a much stronger emphasis on identifying and removing the various barriers to equal opportunities and full participation in all aspects of life.”
She said it is about mainstreaming disability issues in developmental and economic activities in countries, and therefore a human rights approach is favoured under the provisions of the convention.
Giving a brief background of the convention, Amathila said on March 27, 2007, Cabinet approved the Disability Convention and mandated her to table it in Parliament for ratification after the Ministry of Foreign Affairs through the Namibia Mission to the United Nations signed the convention.
Amathila said Namibia has made progressive strides in mainstreaming the legitimate concerns of people with disabilities and passed the National Disability Council Act of 2005.
She said the Continental Plan of Action for the African Decade of Persons with Disabilities, was approved by Cabinet and ratified by Parliament in February. These are all steps in the right direction to ensure the full protection and promotion of the rights and dignities of people with disability.
Various institutions representing people with disabilities and disabled people packed the public gallery to witness the ratification.