[Congressional Bills 108th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. Con. Res. 52 Introduced in Senate (IS)]







108th CONGRESS
  1st Session
S. CON. RES. 52

  Expressing the sense of Congress that the United States Government 
    should support the human rights and dignity of all persons with 
 disabilities by pledging support for the drafting and working toward 
 the adoption of a thematic convention on the human rights and dignity 
of persons with disabilities by the United Nations General Assembly to 
augment the existing United Nations human rights system, and for other 
                               purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                             June 10, 2003

  Mr. Harkin (for himself, Mr. Chafee, and Mr. Kennedy) submitted the 
following concurrent resolution; which was referred to the Committee on 
                           Foreign Relations

_______________________________________________________________________

                         CONCURRENT RESOLUTION


 
  Expressing the sense of Congress that the United States Government 
    should support the human rights and dignity of all persons with 
 disabilities by pledging support for the drafting and working toward 
 the adoption of a thematic convention on the human rights and dignity 
of persons with disabilities by the United Nations General Assembly to 
augment the existing United Nations human rights system, and for other 
                               purposes.

Whereas all people are endowed with an inestimable dignity, which is based on 
        autonomy and self-determination, and which requires that every person be 
        placed at the center of all decisions affecting such person, and the 
        inherent equality of all people and the ethical requirement of every 
        society to honor and sustain the freedom of any individual with 
        appropriate communal support;
Whereas more than 600,000,000 people have a disability;
Whereas more than two-thirds of all persons with disabilities live in developing 
        countries, and only 2 percent of children with disabilities in the 
        developing world receive any education or rehabilitation;
Whereas during the last 2 decades, a substantial shift has occurred globally in 
        governmental and nongovernmental institutions from an approach of 
        charity toward persons with disabilities to the recognition of the 
        inherent universal human rights of persons with disabilities;
Whereas the United Nations has authoritatively endorsed and helped to advance 
        progress toward realizing the human rights of persons with disabilities, 
        as exemplified by the United Nations Standard Rules on the Equalization 
        of Opportunities for Persons with Disabilities (adopted by the United 
        Nations General Assembly in Resolution 48/96 of December 20, 1993), 
        which are monitored by a United Nations Special Rapporteur;
Whereas because of the slow and uneven progress of ensuring that persons with 
        disabilities enjoy their universal human rights in law and in practice, 
        every society and the international community remain challenged to 
        identify and implement the processes which best protect the dignity of 
        persons with disabilities and which fully implement their inherent human 
        rights;
Whereas greater and more rapid progress must be achieved toward overcoming the 
        relative invisibility of persons with disabilities in many societies, 
        national laws, and existing international human rights instruments; and
Whereas, accordingly, the United Nations General Assembly in November 2001, 
        adopted an historic resolution to establish an ad hoc committee open to 
        all United Nations member nations to consider proposals for a 
        comprehensive and integral treaty to protect and promote the rights and 
        dignity of persons with disabilities: Now, therefore, be it
    Resolved by the Senate (the House of Representatives concurring), 
That it is the sense of Congress that--
            (1) the United States should play a leading role in the 
        drafting of a thematic United Nations convention that affirms 
        the human rights and dignity of persons with disabilities, and 
        that--
                    (A) is consistent with the spirit of the Americans 
                with Disabilities Act of 1990, the United States 
                Constitution, and other rights enjoyed by United States 
                citizens with disabilities;
                    (B) promotes inclusion, independence, political 
                enfranchisement, and economic self-sufficiency of 
                persons with disabilities as foundational requirements 
                for any free and just society; and
                    (C) provides protections that are at least as 
                strong as the rights that are now recognized under 
                international human rights law for other vulnerable 
                populations; and
            (2) the President should instruct the Secretary of State to 
        send to the United Nations Ad Hoc Committee meetings a United 
        States delegation that includes individuals with disabilities 
        who are recognized leaders in the United States disability 
        rights movement.
                                 <all>