Federal Advisory Committee International Watch
Quarterly Report
National Council on Disability
July 25-27, 2005
Washington, DC
Chair: Kathleen Martinez

Update on the International Convention:

The United Nations Ad Hoc Committee on the Protection and Promotion of the Human Rights of People with Disabilities is meeting for the sixth time from August 1 to August 12 at the United Nations to continue its deliberations on a treaty addressing the rights of people with disabilities. NCD has developed several topical papers on the US experience on selected treaty articles that will be discussed during the Committee’s deliberations. The topics are: health, employment, electronic and information technology, political participation, independent living, transportation, and education. The papers are intended to give a snapshot overview to the delegates of the US experience with respect to those topics. NCD is co-sponsoring a side event with Mental Disability Rights International (MDRI), on August 2 at the United Nations, to release the topical papers and to ensure that the delegates can use them during the two-week meeting period. The title of the side event is “Experiences from the United States and the Inter-American System of Human Rights.” Speakers include: Kathy Martinez, Gerard Quinn, Janet Lord, Eric Rosenthal, and Alison Hillman.

NCD staff continues to advise Representative Lantos’ staff from the House International Relations Committee on language for House Concurrent Resolution 134 which expresses the Sense of Congress that the US should support the drafting of the UN Convention on the Rights of People with Disabilities. The resolution has been inserted into the Foreign Relations Authorization Act (H.R. 2601), which has been reported out of Committee and will go to the House Floor in late July. We do not expect any amendments to that section. Last year, in our advisory role to Congress, NCD recommended that Resolution 169 be supported as drafted.

NCD staff drafted a letter to United Nations Secretary-General Kofi Annan regarding the accessibility of the UN. The State Department transmitted the letter through the United States Mission.

Update on Foreign Assistance:

NCD staff continues to follow up on the foreign assistance legislation passed last year. NCD staff attended a World Bank briefing given by the disability coordinator at the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) on accelerating the inclusion of people with disabilities within mainstream development programming.

NCD staff assisted with reviewing the prototype for AID’s online inclusive development course designed to train AID staff on incorporating disability into their overseas development work. NCD staff presented on the various components of the legislation at the Albert Schweitzer Institute in April. In May, Kathy Martinez participated in the first meeting of the new Federal Advisory Committee on Disability at the State Department.

NCD staff also provided technical assistance to delegations from Japan (May 4) and Hungary (April 20) since the last Board meeting, and will meet with a delegation from China in August.

Federal Advisory Committee meetings (International Watch):

Since the last Board meeting, two International Watch Federal Advisory Committee Conference calls have been held. On May 5, the agenda included discussion about House Concurrent Resolution 134; the development of USAID’s e-learning course on inclusive development; and InterAction’s annual forum on international development. On July 7, the agenda included an update on World Bank activities, an overview of NCD’s plans for the Ad Hoc Committee Meeting (topical papers and side-event) and an update on the State Department’s Federal Advisory Committee on Disability.