Can a UN convention change the world?

On 3 April, Ecuador became the 20th country to ratify the UN Convention on Persons With Disabilities which means that on 3 May, the convention comes into force globally.

Whilst the convention could be a powerful legal tool to change the lives of the 650 million disabled people worldwide – I wonder whether it will be? There is already so much legislation already failing to be implemented all over the developing world…

The convention has raised the profile of shocking human rights abuses suffered by disabled people (and deaf children!) all over the world – and it has forced governments to think about their responsibilities to ensure equal rights. But will it – actually lead to ACTION? Or will it simply be an opportunity for nice announcements and new unimplemented laws…?

To avoid this – holding governments to account and providing practical examples of what’s possible – is essential and that’s where civil society (like us) comes in! We work with movements of deaf children and their families and local organisations to make sure that rights become reality for deaf children…and we will keep working till we succeed!

I’d love to hear your thoughts about how we can make the rights in the UN Convention become real around the world. Another good place to look for stories/thoughts on the convention is the RatifyNow Blog Swarm