Sign the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities

Convention is signed; but still waiting for ratification

Updated: Friday, July 30th, 2010 | By Lukas Pleva

In July 2009, we rated President Barack Obama's campaign pledge to sign the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities as a Promise Kept. Susan Rice, Obama's ambassador to the United Nations, signed the convention at U.N. headquarters in New York on July 30, 2009.

The convention, which you can read here, "asserts the rights to education, health, work, adequate living conditions, freedom of movement, freedom from exploitation and equal recognition before the law for persons with disabilities," according to a statement from the United Nations.

Obama also promised, however, that he would urge the U.S. Senate to ratify the Convention "expeditiously." Under the Constitution, the executive branch can negotiate treaties, but it ultimately needs consent of the Senate.

We haven't heard much about the Convention since the United States became a signatory, so we wanted to see whether Obama made good on the second part of the promise.

We checked the Senate website, and found no record of the Convention having been approved or even submitted for consideration. We also went through President Obama's speeches and other White House statements. Obama called on the Senate to give the Convention "swift consideration and approval" on July 24, 2009, but we couldn't find evidence that he has done so since.

Andrew Imparato, president of the American Association of People with Disabilities, told us that the document is currently in the midst of a clearing process by the Department of State, Department of Justice, and other relevant government agencies. Still, he added that he did not think that "it would take this long." From his understanding of the latest developments, the Convention will not be ready for submission to the Senate until after the upcoming November elections, he said.

Finally, William Freeman, president of the American Disability Association, told us that "knowing what we do know, there is no plausible manner in which the U.S. can comply with this treaty given the current other issues," such as the economy. He also added that the organization does not "expect the Senate to ratify this treaty until such time as it believes the U.S. can shoulder a minimally-compliant effort in regards to such a treaty." He said he regretted that he "cannot offer a more promising view of what we had thought was a promising new wind in the Obama government."

Obama promised to sign the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities and to urge the U.S. Senate to ratify the Convention expeditiously. The United States has been an official signatory on the Convention since June 2009. Still, as far as we can tell, there has been no substantive movement on the second part of the promise except for internal discussions within federal agencies. Since advocates for the disabled don't expect action anytime soon, we're changing the rating to Stalled.
 

Sources:

U.S. Senate, Treaties index page, accessed July 19, 2010

Project VoteSmart.org, Remarks by the President on 20th Anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act, July 26, 2010

Project VoteSmart.org, Remarks By The President On Signing Of U.N. Convention On The Rights Of Persons With Disabilities Proclamation, July 24, 2009

E-mail interview, William J. Freeman, American Disability Association, July 19, 2010

E-mail interview, Stewart Patrick, Council on Foreign Relations, July 27, 2010

E-mail interview, Andrew Imparato, President and CEO of the American Association of People with Disabilities, July 27, 2010

Obama gets U.N. Convention on disabilities signed

Updated: Friday, July 31st, 2009 | By Angie Drobnic Holan

On July 30, 2009, the United States become a signatory to the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities. The convention, which you can read here , " asserts the rights to education, health, work, adequate living conditions, freedom of movement, freedom from exploitation and equal recognition before the law for persons with disabilities," according to statement from the United Nations.

Susan Rice, Obama's ambassador to the United Nations, signed the convention at U.N. headquarters in New York, bringing the total number of signatories to 141 as of that date.

We rate this Promise Kept.

Sources:

United Nations, UN applauds decision of United States to join landmark disability pact , July 31, 2009

The White House, Remarks by the President on the Signing of the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities Proclamation , July 24, 2009