CÍMLAP
Gerard Quinn - Theresia Degener
Human rights and disability
CONTENTS, FOREWORD
Contents
Contributors
Foreword
Acknowledgements
Executive summary
Chapter 1: The moral authority for change: human rights values and the worldwide process of disability reform
Chapter 2: The application of moral authority: the shift to the human rights perspective on disability through United Nations "soft" law
Chapter 3: Building bridges from "soft law" to "hard law": the relevance of the United Nations human rights instruments to disability
Chapter 4: Disability and freedom: the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR)
Chapter 5: Disability and social justice: the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights
Chapter 6: The integrity of the person: the Convention against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment and disability
Chapter 7: Gender and disability: the Convention on the Elimination of all Forms of Discrimination against Women
Chapter 8: Disability and children: the Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC)
Chapter 9: Disability and racial discrimination: the International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination (CERD)
Chapter 10: Civil society: current use of the United Nations human rights system and future choices
Chapter 11: National human rights institutions - catalysts for change
Chapter 12: Recommendations: Making the United Nations human rights machinery work better in the context of disability
Foreword
It has been one of my goals as High Commissioner to have more attention
given to the human rights of persons with disabilities, and to have the
United Nations system respond more effectively in this area. I am very
pleased, therefore, that this study on human rights and disability was
based on an initiative of the Commission on Human Rights.
In 2000 the Commission requested me as High Commissioner to examine what
might be done to strengthen both the protection and the monitoring of the
human rights of persons with disability. As a first step it was decided to
commission a study on the human rights dimensions of disability. The study
would, it was hoped, clarify the conceptual and policy issues as well as
report on both the experience and the potential of the international treaty
bodies in monitoring and advancing protection.
This comprehensive and well researched study of human rights and disability
is the result. I warmly welcome the study and commend it to all concerned
with human rights and disability. On behalf of the Office of the High
Commissioner for Human Rights I thank the authors and researchers who have
worked together to provide us with an indispensable and practical resource
for the use of international and national human rights mechanisms to defend
the human rights of those with disabilities. At the same time, the book
will be an essential foundation for the further initiatives on protection
being considered by the General Assembly of the United Nations. I wish to
acknowledge the support of the Government of Ireland, which made the
project possible.
Mary Robinson
High Commissioner for Human Rights