[Congressional Bills 109th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H. Con. Res. 134 Introduced in House (IH)]






109th CONGRESS
  1st Session
H. CON. RES. 134

 Expressing the sense of Congress that the United States should play a 
leading role in the drafting and adoption of a thematic United Nations 
 convention that affirms the human rights and dignity of persons with 
                 disabilities, and for other purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                             April 19, 2005

 Mr. Lantos (for himself, Mr. Hyde, Mr. Langevin, and Mr. Smith of New 
   Jersey) submitted the following concurrent resolution; which was 
          referred to the Committee on International Relations

_______________________________________________________________________

                         CONCURRENT RESOLUTION


 
 Expressing the sense of Congress that the United States should play a 
leading role in the drafting and adoption of a thematic United Nations 
 convention that affirms the human rights and dignity of persons with 
                 disabilities, 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 in his second inaugural address, President George W. Bush stated that: 
        ``From the day of our Founding, we have proclaimed that every man and 
        woman on this earth has rights, and dignity, and matchless value, 
        because they bear the image of the Maker of Heaven and earth. Across the 
        generations we have proclaimed the imperative of self-government, 
        because no one is fit to be a master, and no one deserves to be a slave. 
        [. . .] So it is the policy of the United States to seek and support the 
        growth of democratic movements and institutions in every nation and 
        culture, with the ultimate goal of ending tyranny in our world.'';
Whereas the protection of human rights, self-determination, and full and equal 
        participation in democratic processes and the encouragement of free and 
        fair global economic development have long been the cornerstones of the 
        foreign policy of the United States;
Whereas with the strong commitment and leadership of the United States and the 
        vast domestic experience of the United States in the advancement of 
        disability rights, the world community can benefit from United States 
        participation in the drafting of a proposed United Nations convention 
        that affirms the human rights and dignity of persons with disabilities; 
        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 House of Representatives (the Senate concurring),  
That it is the sense of Congress that--
            (1) the United States should play a leading role in the 
        drafting and adoption 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 American 
                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.
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