Update from the UN Meeting:  Success!

I am very pleased to tell you that we succeeded in getting our proposed language into the draft text of a convention on the rights of people with disabilities, especially in the areas of recognition as a person before the law (legal capacity), torture and other cruel inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment (prohibiting forced treatment), and liberty and security of the person (prohibiting detention on the basis of disability).  See draft text [INSERT LINK] articles 9, 10, 11 and 12, also articles 1, 14, 15 and 21.  This was almost like a dream come true, and while the governments added footnotes to the text saying that they disagree and it will have to be negotiated in the Ad Hoc Committee, the fact that it is in the text is a huge victory. 

Now we get to the next serious phase of work, which is getting governments to back our positions.  There are already three or four government delegations on the working group which have voiced their support for what we are doing.  Lebanon in particular made some statements in the meetings about not taking away people's right to make their own decisions when you give them assistance.  We can win this if we believe in ourselves and our cause and work to make it reality. 

There is a good opportunity for advocacy between now and May, when the Ad Hoc Committee will meet to start negotiations on the text.  We need advocacy everywhere, in all countries.  We need to educate those governments that might come to see our point of view, and also let governments that oppose us know that their own people are demanding freedom from psychiatric slavery.  It is impossible to predict who will support us, so it's best to keep an open mind and bring clear, firm educational advocacy to everyone. 

Please contact me if you have any questions about how to start doing advocacy in your own country or want more information or materials to use.  I would also appreciate knowing about your efforts, so I can follow up with your country's delegates at the Ad Hoc Committee.

Best wishes,

Tina Minkowitz

World Network of Users and Survivors of Psychiatry

Representative on the Working Group

 More resources:

 *Draft text [link]

*Daily summaries of Working Group meeting and other information

http://www.rightsforall.org/updates2004_summary.php [link]

http://www.dpi.org/en/resources/topics/convention/WGSummaries.htm [link]

http://www.worldenable.net/rights/ [link]

http://www.un.org/esa/socdev/enable/ [link]