6.2.3 Other international and regional commitments

This section provides a list of other significant international/regional conventions and agreements, in each case noting whether they are binding or non-binding.

International

• The Universal Declaration of Human Rights (a binding convention) was published by the UN in 1948. Although this declaration is universal and valid for everybody, people with disabilities have nevertheless often been disregarded;
• ILO Convention No 159 concerning the Vocational Rehabilitation and Employment of Disabled Persons, 1983 (non-binding);
• The UN Convention on the Rights of the Child, adopted in 1989: Articles 2 (Non-discrimination), article 23 (Education of children with disabilities) and  articles 28/29 (The right to a quality education) mention children with disabilities (binding);
• The UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) Salamanca Statement and Framework for Action “Education for All”, formulated at the World Conference on Special Needs Education in 1994 (non-binding).

Regional

• African Decade of Persons with Disabilities, 1999-2009 (non-binding)
• Arab Decade for Persons with Disabilities, 2004-2013 (non-binding).
• Asian and Pacific Decade of Disabled Persons, 1993-2002 and 2003-2012 (non-binding);
• Biwako Millenium Framework for Action towards an Inclusive, Barrier-free and Right-based Society for Persons with Disabilities in Asia and the Pacific, 2002 (non-binding)
• Inter-American Convention on the Elimination of all Forms of Discrimination against Persons with Disabilities, 1999 (binding)

^ to top