An International Watch Federal Advisory Committee conference call was held on March 4, 2004. Topics on the agenda included an update on the State Department Country Reports, an update on the International Convention Working Group, an update on the Center for International Rehabilitation’s International Disability Rights Monitoring Project, and an update on House Resolution 169, expressing the sense of Congress that the United States should support a convention on the rights of people with disabilities.

Update on Foreign Assistance:

Follow up continues on NCD’s Foreign Policy and Disability Report. Kathy Martinez and NCD staff met with Administrator Natsios at the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) on March 29 to discuss NCD’s report and the recently enacted foreign assistance legislation. Administrator Natsios agreed to include disability language in all of USAID’s RFPs and RFAs. NCD staff worked with Senator Harkin’s staff to develop better questions for the State Department’s Country Reports. A letter was sent to Lorne Craner, Deputy Assistant Secretary for the Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor, at the State Department, outlining eight (8) questions that NCD recommends the Department incorporate in the Reports. On April 1, USAID is hosting a meeting at NCD with the disability community to discuss the draft access standards required for construction projects funded by USAID.

Update on the International Convention:

Kathy Martinez gave a presentation to the Congressional Human Rights Caucus at a briefing on “International Disability Rights: The Proposed United Nations Convention” on March 30, along with Dick Thornburgh, former Attorney General of the United States; Alan Reich, President of the National Organization on Disability; Ambassador Luis Gallegos, Permanent Representative of Ecuador to the United Nations; and Mark Lagon, Deputy Assistant Secretary at the Department of State. Kathy’s presentation is available on NCD’s website.

Landmine Survivors Network (LSN) is preparing a commentary on the current version of the draft convention on the rights of people with disabilities. NCD hosted a small meeting on February 27 for the purpose of providing LSN with input from the disability community on specific sections. NCD staff also met with LSN on February 25 to work on updating NCD’s Reference Tool on the Convention.