GAATES and The UN Convention
A young man sitting at a desk with his laptop computer in front of him. He is using a mouth stick to move papers next to his computer.
The Global Alliance on Accessible Technologies and Environments is dedicated to the promotion of the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities adopted by the United Nations General Assembly on 13 December 2006.
The Convention has 149 signatories and 103 ratifications, while there are 90 signatories to and 62 ratifications to the Optional Protocol.
GAATES supports the Guiding Principles of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, and is actively promoting the understanding, implementation and monitoring of the accessibility components of the Convention.
GAATES has developed a series of workshops on the Accessibility Components of the Convention.
Workshop 1:
Understanding the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities
This informative workshop presents an overview of the UN Convention and systematically presents and explains the articles that address accessibility. The presentation provides examples and outlines obligations, implementation and monitoring strategies.
Workshop 2:
Universal Accessibility
Photo of construction drawings, some rolled up, some laying flat.
This workshop provides an overview of the concept of Universal Design and its application to the built environment as well as information and communication technologies and web design.
It examines opportunities for the promotion of research and the development of universally designed goods, services, equipment and facilities, a requirement of Article 2 and other articles that address universal accessibility.
Workshop 3:
Information and Communication Technologies
Children sitting at a computer at a UNESCO Community Multimedia Centre (CMC).
This workshop addresses the various components and obligations for accessible information and communication technologies and provides opportunities for discussion of research and development opportunities.
For the full text of the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities and the Optional Protocal, follow the link to the UN Enable site.
UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities
is also available in:
Elected Members of the Committee on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities
Following list of Names, Nationality and date of terms of mandate expires
| Name | Nationality | Term expires |
|---|---|---|
| Ms. Amna Ali AL-SUWAIDI | Qatar | 31.12.2012 |
| Mr. Mohammed AL-TARAWNEH | Jordan | 31.12.2012 |
| Mr. Monsur Ahmed CHOWDHURY | Bangladesh | 31.12.2012 |
| Ms. Maria Soledad CISTERAS REYES (Vice Chairperson) | Chile | 31.12.2012 |
| Ms. Theresia DEGENER (Rapporteur) | Germany | 31.12.2014 |
| Mr. Gábor GOMBOS | Hungary | 31.12.2012 |
| Ms. Fatiha HADJ-SALAH | Algeria | 31.12.2012 |
| Mr. Hyung Shik KIM | Republic of Korea | 31.12.2014 |
| Mr. Lofti Ben LALLAHOM | Tunisia | 31.12.2014 |
| Mr. Stig LANGVAD | Denmark | 31.12.2014 |
| Ms. Edah Wangechi MAINA (Vice Chairperson) | Kenya | 31.12.2014 |
| Mr. Ronald MC CALLUM (Chairperson) | Australia | 31.12.2014 |
| Ms. Ana PELAEZ NARVAEZ | Spain | 31.12.2012 |
| Ms. Silvia Judith QUAN-CHANG | Guatemala | 31.12.2012 |
| Mr. Carlos RIOS ESPINOSA | Mexico | 31.12.2014 |
| Mr. Damjan TATIC | Serbia | 31.12.2014 |
| Mr. Germán Xavier TORRES CORREA | Ecuador | 31.12.2014 |
| Ms. Jia YANG (Vice Chairperson) | China | 31.12.2012 |