National Council on Disability
International Watch
Federal Advisory Committee
Quarterly  Report
July 2007

In December, 2006 the General Assembly of the United Nations adopted the International Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD), which opened for signature on March 30, 2007 in a ceremony at the United Nations.  The treaty will enter into force after it has been ratified by 20 countries.  Currently, there are 99 signatories to the treaty, 54 signatories to the Optional Protocol, and 1 country has ratified.  To aid the Council in its strategic planning process, NCD staff drafted a memorandum proposing several options for the Council’s next step(s) in NCD’s international disability work, in light of the completed text of the CRPD, and based on advice from this Committee.  These proposals are intended to further American interests as they pertain to protecting the human rights of people with disabilities on the world stage.  They are:

1. A Comparative Analysis of US law to the CRPD
2. An Educational Tool on the CRPD
3. A Report on the implications to the US of ratifying the CRPD
4. A Public Awareness Campaign on the CRPD

Since the last Council meeting, NCD’s Federal Advisory Committee International Watch has met twice – on May 3 and July 5.  The May 3 agenda included updates from the U.S. State Department’s disability coordinator on the 4th meeting of the State Department/USAID Federal Advisory Committee on Persons with Disabilities, which NCD staff attended; an update and overview of the conference at American University “The New UN Disability Rights Convention: Building Support in the United States for Ratification and Implementation,” as well as advice to NCD regarding its future work on the CRPD.  The July 5 agenda included an update on the current activities of the United States International Council on Disabilities (USICD) re: the CRPD; an update on US State Department inclusion efforts; and an update on the Fund for Global Human Rights Disability Initiative.  The next International Watch Federal Advisory Committee call will be on September 6, 2007.

NCD staff continues to have regular follow-up with USAID and the State Department to keep apprised of their disability inclusion efforts. 

On May 11, Ms. Durocher met with a delegation from India led by Jayshree Raveendran, Executive Director of the Ability Foundation, to share information regarding NCD; and on June 7 with a delegation from Uganda.