United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities

MINISTRY OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS

Interministerial Committee of Human Rights

The UN Convention  on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities

Signed in New York on March 30, 2007

(November 5, 2007)

CONVENTION ON THE RIGHTS OF PERSONS WITH DISABILITIES

Preamble

The States Parties to the present Convention,

(a) Recalling the principles proclaimed in the Statute of the United Nations recognizing the dignity and value inherent in all members of the human family and equal and inalienable rights as the foundation of freedom, justice and peace in the world,

(b) Acknowledging that the United Nations, in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the International Pacts on Human Rights, have proclaimed and agreed that each individual is the holder of all the rights and freedoms therein indicated, without any distinction,

(c) Reaffirming the universality, indivisibility, interdependence and interrelation of all human rights and fundamental freedoms and the need to ensure their full enjoyment by persons with disabilities without discrimination,

(d) Recalling the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights, the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, the International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination, the International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against women, the Convention against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment, the Convention on the Rights of the Child and the International Convention on the Protection of the Rights of All Migrant Workers and Members of Their Families,

(e) Recognizing that disability is an evolving concept and that disability is the result of the interaction between people with impairments and behavioral and environmental barriers, which prevent their full and effective participation in society on an equal basis with others,

(f) Recognizing the importance of the principles and guidelines contained in the World Program of Action for Persons with Disabilities and the Standard Rules on the Equal Opportunities of Persons with Disabilities and their influence on the promotion, formulation and evaluation of policies and plans , programs and actions at national, regional and international level in order to pursue equal opportunities for people with disabilities,

(g) Stressing the importance of integrating disability issues into relevant sustainable development strategies,

(h) Recognizing also that discrimination against any person on the basis of disability constitutes a violation of the dignity and value inherent in the human person,

(i) Recognizing also the diversity of people with disabilities,

(j) Acknowledging the need to promote and protect the human rights of all persons with disabilities, including those that require greater support,

(k) Concerned that despite these various tools and commitments, people with disabilities continue to face obstacles in their participation in society as equal members of society, and to be subject to violations of their human rights in every part of the world ,

(l) Recognizing the importance of international cooperation for the improvement of the living conditions of people with disabilities in each country, particularly in developing countries,

(m) Recognizing the useful, existing and potential contributions of people with disabilities in favor of the general well-being and diversity of their communities, and that promoting the full enjoyment of human rights and fundamental freedoms and full participation in society by of people with disabilities will increase the sense of belonging and will make significant progress in the human, social and economic development of society and in the eradication of poverty,

(n) Recognizing the importance for people with disabilities of their individual autonomy and independence, including the freedom to make their own choices,

(o) Considering that people with disabilities should have the opportunity to be actively involved in decision-making processes related to policies and programs, including those that directly affect them,

(p) Worried about the difficult conditions faced by people with disabilities, who are subject to multiple or more serious forms of discrimination on the basis of race, skin color, sex, language, religion, political or other opinions, national or ethnic origin , indigenous or social, heritage, birth, age or other condition,

(q) Acknowledging that women and children with disabilities often face greater risks in the home and outside environment, violence, injury and abuse, neglect or lack of care, maltreatment and exploitation,

(r) Recognizing that children with disabilities should be able to fully enjoy all human rights and fundamental freedoms on an equal basis with respect to other minors, and recalling the obligations assumed for this purpose by States Parties to the Convention on the Rights of the Child,

(s) Emphasizing the need to incorporate the gender perspective in all efforts to promote the full enjoyment of human rights and fundamental freedoms by persons with disabilities,

(t) Reaffirming that most people with disabilities live in poverty, and recognizing in this regard the fundamental need to tackle the negative impact of poverty on people with disabilities,

(u) Aware that the conditions of peace and security based on full compliance with the aims and principles contained in the UN Statute and that compliance with the applicable human rights instruments are indispensable for the full protection of persons with disabilities, especially during armed conflicts and foreign occupations,

(v) Recognizing the importance of accessibility to physical, social, economic and cultural structures, to health, education, information and communication, to enable persons with disabilities to fully enjoy all human rights and fundamental freedoms,

(W)Aware that every individual, by virtue of his obligations towards other individuals and the community to which he belongs, has a responsibility for the promotion and observance of the rights recognized by the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and by the International Covenants on Civil Rights and politicians and on economic, social and cultural rights,
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(x) Convinced that the family is the natural and fundamental core of society and that it is entitled to protection by society and the state, and that people with disabilities and members of their families should receive the protection and assistance necessary to enable families to contribute to the full and equal enjoyment of the rights of persons with disabilities,

(y) Convinced that a global and integrated international convention for the promotion and protection of the rights and dignity of persons with disabilities can contribute significantly to rebalance the profound social disadvantages of people with disabilities and to promote their participation in the civil sphere, political, economic, social and cultural, with equal opportunities, in both developed and developing countries. They
agree as follows:
Article 1
Purpose

The purpose of this Convention is to promote, protect and guarantee the full and equal enjoyment of all human rights and fundamental freedoms by persons with disabilities, and to promote respect for their intrinsic dignity.
For people with disabilities we mean those who have lasting physical, mental, intellectual or sensory impairments that in interaction with barriers of different nature can hinder their full and effective participation in society on the basis of equality with others.

Article 2
Definitions

For the purpose of this Convention:

“communication” means languages, visualization of texts, Braille, tactile communication, large-format printing, accessible multimedia media as well as systems, tools and formats for improved communication and alternative written, sound, simplified , with the help of human readers, including accessible information and communication technologies;

“language” means languages ​​spoken and sign language, as well as other forms of non-verbal expression;

“Disability-based discrimination” means any distinction, exclusion or restriction on the basis of disability that has the purpose or effect of prejudicing or nullifying recognition, enjoyment and exercise, on an equal basis with others, of all human rights and fundamental freedoms in the political, economic, social, cultural, civil or any other field. It includes all forms of discrimination, including the refusal of reasonable accommodation;

“reasonable accommodation” means the necessary and appropriate modifications and adaptations which do not impose a disproportionate or excessive burden, when necessary in particular cases, to guarantee enjoyment and exercise for disabled persons, on the basis of equality with others, of all human rights and fundamental freedoms;

“universal design” means the design of products, structures, programs and services that can be used by all people, to the greatest extent possible, without the need for adaptations or specialized designs. “Universal design” does not exclude support devices for particular groups of people with disabilities where necessary.

Article 3
General principles

The principles of the present Convention are:

(a) respect for intrinsic dignity, individual autonomy, including the freedom to make choices, and the independence of persons;

(b) non-discrimination;

(c) full and effective participation and inclusion in society;

(d) respect for the difference and acceptance of persons with disabilities as part of human diversity and of humanity itself;

(e) equal opportunities;

(f) accessibility;

(g) equality between men and women;

(h) respect for the development of the abilities of minors with disabilities and respect for the right of minors with disabilities to preserve their identity.

Article 4
General obligations

States Parties undertake to ensure and promote the full realization of all human rights and fundamental freedoms for all persons with disabilities without discrimination of any kind on the basis of disability. To this end, the States Parties undertake:
(a) to take all appropriate legislative, administrative and other measures to implement the rights recognized in this Convention;

(b) to take all measures, including legislative ones, which are capable of modifying or repealing any law, regulation, custom and current practice which constitutes discrimination against persons with disabilities;

(c) to take into account the protection and promotion of the human rights of persons with disabilities in all policies and programs;

(d) to refrain from engaging in any act or practice that is contrary to this Convention and to ensure that public authorities and institutions act in accordance with the present Convention;

(e) to take all appropriate measures to eliminate discrimination on the basis of disability by any person, organization or private enterprise;

(f) to undertake or promote the research and development of universally designed goods, services, equipment and equipment, as defined in Article 2 of this Convention, which should require the least possible adaptation and the lowest possible cost to meet the specific needs of people with disabilities, promote their availability and use, and encourage universal design in the development of standards and guidelines;

(g) to undertake or promote research and development, and to promote the availability and use of new technologies, including information and communication technologies, mobility aids, devices and support technologies, suitable for people with disabilities , giving priority to technologies with more accessible costs;

(h) to provide accessible information to persons with disabilities about mobility aids, support devices and technologies, including new technologies, as well as other forms of assistance, support services and equipment;

(i) to promote the training of professionals and staff working with persons with disabilities on the rights recognized in this Convention, so as to provide better assistance and better services guaranteed by these same rights.

With reference to economic, social and cultural rights, each State Party undertakes to take measures, up to the maximum available resources and, where necessary, in the framework of international cooperation, in order to progressively achieve the full realization of these rights, without prejudice to the obligations contained in this Convention which are immediately applicable in accordance with international law.
In developing and implementing the legislation and policies to be adopted to implement the present Convention, as well as in other decision-making processes relating to matters concerning persons with disabilities, States Parties shall work in close consultation and actively involve persons with disabilities, including children with disabilities, through their representative organizations.

Nothing in this Convention may prejudice more favorable provisions for the realization of the rights of persons with disabilities, contained in the legislation of a State Party or in the international legislation in force for that State. No restrictions or derogations are permitted for human rights and fundamental freedoms recognized or existing in any State Party to this Convention by virtue of laws, conventions, regulations or customs, under the pretext that the present Convention does not recognize such rights or liberties or that recognize to a lesser extent.

The provisions of the present Convention extend to all units constituting the federal States without any limitation or exception.

Article 5
Equality and non-discrimination

States Parties recognize that all persons are equal before the law and are entitled, without any discrimination, to equal protection and equal benefit from the law.
States Parties must prohibit all forms of discrimination based on disability and guarantee equal and effective legal protection against all discrimination to persons with disabilities whatever their basis.

In order to promote equality and eliminate discrimination, States Parties shall take all appropriate measures to ensure that reasonable accommodation is provided.

The specific measures necessary to accelerate or achieve de facto the equality of persons with disabilities do not constitute discrimination within the meaning of the present Convention.

Article 6
Women with disabilities

States Parties recognize that women and children with disabilities are subject to multiple discrimination and, in this regard, take steps to ensure full and equal enjoyment of all human rights and fundamental freedoms by women and children with disabilities. .
States Parties shall take all appropriate steps to ensure the full development, progress and empowerment of women, with the aim of ensuring that they exercise and enjoy the human rights and fundamental freedoms set forth in this Convention.

Article 7
Minors with disabilities

States Parties shall take all measures necessary to ensure the full enjoyment of all human rights and fundamental freedoms by minors with disabilities, on the basis of equality with other minors.
In all actions concerning children with disabilities, the best interests of the minor constitute the primary consideration.

States Parties shall guarantee to minors with disabilities, on an equal basis with other minors, the right to freely express their views on all matters concerning them and their views shall be duly taken into account, taking into account their age and grade maturity, ensuring that appropriate assistance is provided in relation to disability and age, with a view to achieving this right.

Article 8
Raising awareness

States Parties undertake to take immediate, effective and adequate measures to:
(a) to raise awareness of society as a whole, including at the family level, on the situation of people with disabilities and increase respect for the rights and dignity of persons with disabilities;

(b) combat stereotypes, prejudices and harmful practices concerning people with disabilities, including those based on sex and age, in all areas;

(c) to promote awareness of the skills and contributions of people with disabilities.

In the context of the measures they adopt for this purpose, the States Parties:
(a) initiate and conduct effective public awareness campaigns in order to:

(i) to promote a receptive attitude towards the rights of persons with disabilities;
(ii) to promote a positive perception and a greater social awareness towards people with disabilities;
(iii) to promote recognition of the skills, merits and attitudes of people with disabilities, their contribution to the workplace and the labor market;

(b) promote at all levels of the educational system, including especially all children, from an early age, an attitude of respect for the rights of persons with disabilities;

(c) encourage all means of communication to represent persons with disabilities in a manner consistent with the objectives of this Convention;

(d) promote training programs to raise awareness of people with disabilities and the rights of people with disabilities.

Article 9
Accessibility

In order to enable persons with disabilities to live independently and to participate fully in all aspects of life, States Parties shall take appropriate measures to ensure that persons with disabilities, on an equal basis with others, have access to physical environment, transport, information and communication, including information and communication systems and technologies, and other equipment and services open or provided to the public, both in urban and rural areas. These measures, which include the identification and elimination of obstacles and barriers to accessibility, apply, inter alia, to:
(a) buildings, roads, transport and other internal and external structures, including schools, housing, health facilities and workplaces;

(b) information, communication and other services, including IT and emergency services.

States Parties also take appropriate measures to:
(a) developing and enacting minimum national standards and guidelines for accessibility to facilities and services open or provided to the public and verifying their application;

(b) ensure that private bodies, providing facilities and services open or provided to the public, take into account all aspects of accessibility for people with disabilities;

(c) provide training relating to access problems with which persons with disabilities are compared to all those involved;

(d) providing facilities and buildings open to the public with signage in Braille characters and in easily legible and comprehensible formats;

(e) provide forms of assistance from persons or animals and mediation services, including professional sign language guides, readers and interpreters, to facilitate access to buildings and other facilities open to the public;

(f) to promote other appropriate forms of assistance and support for persons with disabilities to ensure their access to information;

(g) to promote access by persons with disabilities to new information and communication technologies and systems, including the internet;

(h) to promote, at the earliest stage, the design, development, production and distribution of information and communication technologies and systems, so that these technologies and systems become accessible at the lowest cost.

Article 10
Right to life

States Parties reaffirm that the right to life is inherent in the human person and take all necessary measures to ensure the effective enjoyment of that right by persons with disabilities, on an equal basis with others.

Article 11
Risk situations and humanitarian emergencies

States Parties shall take all measures necessary to ensure the protection and safety of persons with disabilities in situations of risk, including situations in accordance of armed conflict, humanitarian emergencies and natural disasters.

Article 12
Equal recognition before the law

States Parties reaffirm that persons with disabilities have the right to recognition everywhere of their legal personality.
States Parties recognize that persons with disabilities enjoy legal capacity on the basis of equality with others in all aspects of life.

States Parties shall take appropriate measures to allow access by persons with disabilities to the support they need to exercise their legal capacity.

States Parties shall ensure that all measures related to the exercise of legal capacity provide adequate and effective safeguards to prevent abuses in accordance with international human rights standards. These guarantees must ensure that the measures relating to the exercise of legal capacity respect the rights, will and preferences of the person, which are free of any conflict of interest and any undue influence, which are proportionate and appropriate to the person’s condition, that they are applied for the shortest possible time and are subject to periodic review by a competent, independent and impartial authority or a judicial body. These guarantees must be proportionate to the degree to which the aforementioned measures affect the rights and interests of individuals.

On the basis of the provisions of this article, States Parties shall take all appropriate and effective measures to guarantee the equal rights of persons with disabilities to property or to inherit it, to control their financial affairs and to have equal access to bank loans, mortgages and other forms of financial credit, and ensure that persons with disabilities are not arbitrarily deprived of their property.
Article 13
Access to justice

States Parties shall guarantee effective access to justice for persons with disabilities, on an equal basis with others, including through the provision of appropriate procedural settlements and accommodation according to age, in order to facilitate their effective, direct participation. and indirect, also as witnesses, at all stages of the judicial process, including the investigative phase and other preliminary stages.

In order to help ensure the effective access of persons with disabilities to justice, States Parties shall promote appropriate training for those working in the field of justice administration, including police forces and prison staff.

Article 14
Freedom and security of the person

States Parties shall ensure that persons with disabilities, on the basis of equality with others:
(a) enjoy the right to freedom and personal security;

(b) are not deprived of their liberty illegally or arbitrarily, that any deprivation of liberty is in conformity with the law and that the existence of a disability does not justify a deprivation of liberty.

States Parties shall ensure that, in the event that persons with disabilities are deprived of liberty following any procedure, they are entitled on an equal basis with others, to guarantees provided for by international human rights standards and are treated in accordance with the and to the principles of the present Convention, including that of receiving reasonable accommodation.
Article 15
Right to not be subjected to torture, cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment

No one can be subjected to torture or to cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment. In particular, no one can undergo, without his own free consent, medical or scientific experiments.
States Parties shall take all appropriate legislative, administrative, judicial or other measures to prevent persons with disabilities, on an equal basis with others, from being subjected to torture, cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment.

Article 16
Right to not be subjected to exploitation, violence and ill-treatment

States Parties shall take all appropriate legislative, administrative, social, educational and other measures to protect persons with disabilities, inside and outside their home, against all forms of exploitation, violence and abuse, including gender aspects.
States Parties shall also take all appropriate measures to prevent any form of exploitation, violence and ill-treatment, ensuring, in particular persons with disabilities, their families and caregivers, appropriate forms of appropriate assistance and support for gender and age, also by providing educational information and services on how to avoid, recognize and report cases of exploitation, violence and abuse. States Parties shall ensure that protection services take account of age, gender and disability.

In order to prevent the occurrence of all forms of exploitation, violence and abuse, States Parties shall ensure that all structures and programs for persons with disabilities are effectively controlled by independent authorities.

States Parties shall take all appropriate measures to facilitate the physical, cognitive and psychological recovery, rehabilitation and social reintegration of persons with disabilities who are victims of any form of exploitation, violence or ill-treatment, in particular providing for protection services. Recovery and reintegration must take place in an environment that promotes the health, well-being, self-esteem, dignity and autonomy of the person and takes into account the specific needs related to gender and age.

States Parties must adopt effective legislation and policies, including legislation and policies specific to women and children, to ensure that cases of exploitation, violence and abuse against people with disabilities are identified, investigated and, where appropriate, prosecuted.

Article 17
Protection of the integrity of the person

Every person with disabilities has the right to respect for his physical and mental integrity on the basis of equality with others.

Article 18
Freedom of movement and citizenship

States Parties recognize persons with disabilities, on an equal basis with others, the right to freedom of movement, freedom of choice for their residence and the right to citizenship, including by ensuring that persons with disabilities:
(a) have the right to acquire and change citizenship and are not deprived of citizenship arbitrarily or because of their disability;

(b) are not private due to disability, the ability to obtain, hold and use documentation related to their citizenship or other identification documentation, or to use relevant procedures, such as immigration procedures, which are necessary to facilitate the exercise of the right to freedom of movement;

(c) are free to leave any country, including his own;

(d) are not deprived, arbitrarily or because of their disability, of the right to enter their country.

Children with disabilities must be registered immediately after birth and are entitled right from birth to a name, the right to acquire citizenship, and, as far as possible, the right to know their parents and be raised by them.
Article 19
Independent living and inclusion in society

States Parties to the present Convention recognize the right of all persons with disabilities to live in society, with the same freedom of choice as other persons, and take effective and adequate measures to facilitate the full enjoyment by persons with disabilities of this right and their full integration and participation in society, including by ensuring that:

(a) persons with disabilities have the opportunity to choose, on an equal basis with others, their place of residence and where and with whom they live and are not obliged to live in a particular arrangement;

(b) persons with disabilities have access to a range of home or residential services and other social support services, including personal assistance necessary to enable them to live in society and to integrate with and prevent them from being isolated or victims of segregation;

(c) services and social facilities for the entire population are made available, on an equal basis with others, to persons with disabilities and are adapted to their needs.

Article 20
Personal mobility

States Parties shall take effective measures to guarantee persons with disabilities personal mobility with the greatest possible autonomy, providing in particular for:

(a) facilitate the personal mobility of people with disabilities in the ways and times of their choice and at affordable costs;

(b) facilitate access by persons with disabilities to mobility aids, equipment and accessories, support technologies, to forms of assistance by people or animals and quality mediation services, in particular by making them available at cost accessible;

(c) provide persons with disabilities and specialized personnel who work with them training on mobility techniques;

(d) encourage manufacturers of mobility aids, equipment and accessories and supporting technologies to take into account all aspects of the mobility of people with disabilities.

Article 21
Freedom of expression and opinion and access to information

States Parties shall take all appropriate measures to ensure that persons with disabilities can exercise their right to freedom of expression and opinion, including the freedom to request, receive and communicate information and ideas on the basis of equality with others and through each means of communication of their choice, as defined in Article 2 of the present Convention, providing in particular to:

(a) make information for the general public available to people with disabilities in accessible forms and through technologies adapted to the different types of disability, promptly and without additional costs;

(b) accept and facilitate in the official activities the appeal by persons with disabilities, sign language, Braille, augmentative and alternative communications and any other means, method and accessible communication system of their choice;

(c) require private entities that offer services to the general public, including through the Internet, to provide information and services with systems accessible and usable by persons with disabilities;

(d) encourage the mass media, including information providers via the internet, to make their services accessible to people with disabilities;

(e) recognize and promote the use of sign language.

Article 22
Respect for private life

No person with disabilities, regardless of place of residence or accommodation, may be subjected to arbitrary or illegal interference in his private life, his family, his home, his correspondence, or other types of communication, or unlawful injuries to his honor or his reputation. People with disabilities have the right to be protected by law against such interference or injury.
States Parties shall protect the confidential nature of personal information, those relating to the health and rehabilitation of persons with disabilities, on the basis of equality with others.

Article 23
Respect of domicile and family

States Parties shall take effective and appropriate measures to eliminate discrimination against persons with disabilities in all matters relating to marriage, family, fatherhood and personal relationships, on an equal basis with others, so as to ensure that:
(a) the right of every person with disabilities, who is of marriageable age, to marry and to found a family on the basis of the full and free consent of the contractors is recognized;

(b) recognize the right of persons with disabilities to freely and responsibly decide on the number of children and the interval between births and to have appropriate access according to age, to information on family breeding and planning, and the means necessary to exercise these rights are provided;

(c) persons with disabilities, including minors, retain their fertility on an equal basis with others.

States Parties must guarantee the rights and responsibilities of persons with disabilities with regard to the protection, care, custody and adoption of minors or similar institutions, where such institutions are provided for in national legislation; in any case, the superior interest of the minor remains the pre-eminent consideration. States Parties shall provide appropriate assistance to persons with disabilities in the exercise of their responsibilities as parents.
States Parties must ensure that children with disabilities have equal rights with regard to family life. In order to realize these rights and to prevent the concealment, abandonment, lack of care and segregation of minors with disabilities, the States Parties undertake to provide information, services and timely and complete support to minors with disabilities and to their families.

States Parties shall ensure that a minor is not separated from his / her parents against his will, unless the competent authorities, subject to judicial review, decide, in accordance with applicable law and procedures, that such separation is necessary in the best interests of the minor. In no case must a child be separated from his / her parents by reason of their disability or that of one or both parents.

States Parties undertake, if the closest family members are not in a position to take care of a child with disabilities, not to neglect any effort to ensure alternative accommodation within the extended family and, where this is not possible, to the community interior in a family context.

Article 24
Education

States Parties recognize the right to education of persons with disabilities. In order to achieve this right without discrimination and on the basis of equal opportunities, States Parties shall guarantee an inclusive education system at all levels and lifelong learning, aimed at:
(a) the full development of human potential, a sense of dignity and self-esteem and a strengthening of respect for human rights, fundamental freedoms and human diversity;

(b) the development by persons with disabilities of their personality, talents and creativity, as well as their physical and mental abilities, up to their maximum potential;

(c) to put people with disabilities in a position to effectively participate in a free society.

In implementing this right, States Parties must ensure that:
(a) persons with disabilities are not excluded from the general education system by reason of disability and that children with disabilities are not excluded on the grounds of disability from free and compulsory free primary education or secondary education;

(b) persons with disabilities can access on an equal basis with others, within the communities in which they live, primary education, quality and free education and secondary education;

(c) reasonable accommodation is provided according to each person’s needs;

(d) persons with disabilities receive the necessary support, within the general educational system, in order to facilitate their effective education;

(e) effective personalized support measures are provided in environments that optimize school progress and socialization, in line with the goal of full integration.

States Parties shall offer persons with disabilities the opportunity to acquire the necessary practical and social skills in order to facilitate their full and equal participation in the education system and in the life of the community. To this end, States Parties shall take appropriate measures, in particular with a view to:
(a) facilitate the learning of Braille, alternative writing, augmentative and alternative ways, means, forms and communication systems, guidance and mobility skills and facilitate peer support and through a mentor;

(b) to facilitate the learning of sign language and the promotion of the linguistic identity of the deaf community;

(c) ensure that blind, deaf or deafblind people, and in particular minors, receive an education imparted in the most appropriate languages, methods and means of communication for each person and in environments that optimize school progress and socialization .

In order to facilitate the exercise of this right, States Parties shall take appropriate measures to empower teachers, including teachers with disabilities, who are qualified in sign language or Braille and to train managers and staff working for all. the levels of the educational system. This training should include awareness of disability and the use of appropriate augmentative and alternative modes, means, forms and communication systems, and teaching techniques and materials suitable for people with disabilities.
States Parties shall ensure that persons with disabilities can have access to upper secondary education, vocational training, adult education and lifelong learning without discrimination and on an equal basis with others. To this end, States Parties shall ensure that reasonable accommodation is provided to persons with disabilities.

Article 25
Health

States Parties recognize that persons with disabilities have the right to enjoy the best possible state of health, without discrimination based on disability. States Parties shall take all appropriate measures to guarantee them access to health services taking into account specific gender differences, including rehabilitation services. In particular, the States Parties must:

(a) to provide disabled persons with free or affordable health services, which cover the same variety and are of the same quality as health services and programs provided to other persons, including health services in the sphere of sexual and reproductive health, and public health for the population;

(b) provide the persons with disabilities with the health services they need because of their disability, including early diagnosis and emergency response services, and services designed to minimize and prevent further disability, particularly between minors and the elderly;

(c) provide these health services to persons with disabilities as close as possible to their communities, including rural areas;

(d) require healthcare specialists to provide care workers with the same quality as those provided to others, in particular obtaining the free and informed consent of the person with disabilities involved, including, inter alia, knowledge of human rights, dignity, autonomy, and the needs of people with disabilities through training and the adoption of ethical rules in the field of public and private health;

(e) prohibit in the insurance sector discrimination against persons with disabilities, who must be able to obtain sickness insurance under fair and reasonable conditions and, in countries where national legislation permits, insurance against life;

(f) prevent the discriminatory refusal of medical care or provision of health care or food or food and liquids due to disability.

Article 26
Enabling and rehabilitation

States Parties shall take effective and adequate measures, in particular through the use of forms of mutual support, in order to allow persons with disabilities to obtain and maintain maximum autonomy, full physical, mental, social and professional faculties, and full integration and participation in all areas of life. To this end, States Parties shall organize, strengthen and develop comprehensive services and programs for habilitation and rehabilitation, in particular in the areas of health, employment, education and social services, so that these services and programs :
(a) start in the earliest possible stages and be based on a multidisciplinary assessment of each person’s needs and abilities;

(b) facilitate participation and integration in the community and in all aspects of society, are voluntarily placed at the disposal of persons with disabilities in the closest possible places to their communities, including rural areas.

States Parties shall promote the development of initial and continuing training for professionals and staff working in habilitation and rehabilitation services.
States Parties shall promote the provision, knowledge and use of support technologies and tools, designed and implemented for persons with disabilities, to facilitate their qualification and rehabilitation.

Article 27
Work and employment

States Parties recognize the right to work of persons with disabilities, on the basis of equality with others; in particular the right to be able to maintain through a work freely chosen or accepted in a labor market and in an open work environment, which favors the inclusion and accessibility of people with disabilities. States Parties must guarantee and facilitate the exercise of the right to work, including those who have suffered a disability during their employment, taking appropriate initiatives – including through legislative measures – in particular in order to:
(a) prohibit discrimination based on disability for everything related to work in all forms of employment, in particular as regards the conditions of recruitment, employment and employment, continuity of employment, career progression and conditions safety and hygiene at work;

(b) protect the right of persons with disabilities, on an equal basis with others, to benefit from fair and favorable working conditions, including equal opportunities and equal remuneration for work of equal value, safe working conditions and healthy, protection against harassment and dispute settlement procedures;

(c) ensure that persons with disabilities are able to exercise their workers’ and trade union rights on an equal basis with others;

(d) enable people with disabilities to have effective access to technical and vocational guidance programs, employment services and vocational and continuing training;

(e) to promote employment opportunities and career advancement for people with disabilities in the labor market, such as assistance in research, in obtaining and maintaining a job, and in reintegration into it;

(f) promote opportunities for self-employment, entrepreneurship, the organization of cooperatives and the launching of own business activities;

(g) recruiting people with disabilities in the public sector;

(h) to promote the use of persons with disabilities in the private sector through appropriate policies and measures that may include anti-discrimination programs, incentives and other measures;

(i) to ensure that reasonable accommodation in the workplace is provided to persons with disabilities;

(j) to promote the acquisition, by persons with disabilities, of work experience in the labor market;

(k) promote vocational guidance and rehabilitation programs, job retention and work reintegration for people with disabilities.

States Parties shall ensure that persons with disabilities are not held in slavery or in servitude and are protected, on an equal basis with others, from forced or forced labor.
Article 28
Appropriate levels of life and social protection

States Parties recognize the right to a standard of living suitable for persons with disabilities and their families, including adequate conditions of food, clothing and shelter, and the continuous improvement of their living conditions, and take appropriate measures to protect and promote exercise of this right without any discrimination based on disability.
States Parties recognize the right of persons with disabilities to social protection and enjoyment of this right without any discrimination based on disability, and take appropriate measures to protect and promote the exercise of this right, including measures to:

(a) to guarantee equal access to clean water services to people with disabilities, and to ensure access to services, equipment and other types of assistance for the needs arising from disability, which are appropriate and at affordable costs;

(b) guarantee access for people with disabilities, in particular for women and children with disabilities as well as for older people with disabilities, for social protection programs and for poverty reduction programs;

(c) guarantee access to public aid for disabled persons and their families living in poverty situations to support disability-related expenses, including appropriate training, support and guidance, economic aid or forms of assistance; taking charge;

(d) ensure access for persons with disabilities to social housing programs;

(e) to guarantee equal access to pension programs and treatments to people with disabilities.

Article 29
Participation in political and public life

States Parties shall guarantee to the persons with disabilities the enjoyment of political rights and the possibility of exercising them on an equal basis with others, and undertake to:

(a) to ensure that persons with disabilities can effectively and fully participate in political and public life on the basis of equality with others, directly or through freely chosen representatives, including the right and the possibility for persons with disabilities to vote and be elected , Moreover:

(i) ensuring that electoral procedures, structures and materials are appropriate, accessible and easy to understand and use;

(ii) protecting the right of persons with disabilities to vote by secret ballot, without intimidation, in elections and popular referendums, and to stand for election, to effectively exercise electoral mandates and perform all public functions at all levels of government, facilitating, where appropriate, the use of new and supportive technologies;

(iii) ensuring the free expression of the will of persons with disabilities as voters and for this purpose, where necessary, at their request, authorizing them to be assisted by a person of their choice to vote.

(b) actively promote an environment in which people with disabilities can effectively and fully participate in the conduct of public affairs, without discrimination and on the basis of equality with others, and encourage their participation in public life, in particular through:

(i) participation in non-governmental associations and organizations engaged in the public and political life of the country and in the activities and administration of political parties;

(ii) the establishment of organizations of persons with disabilities and their membership in order to represent them at international, national, regional and local levels.

Article 30
Participation in cultural and recreational life, recreation and sport

States Parties recognize the right of persons with disabilities to participate on the basis of equality with others in cultural life and take all appropriate measures to ensure that persons with disabilities:
(a) have access to cultural products in accessible formats;

(b) have access to television programs, films, theatrical performances and other cultural activities, in accessible formats;

(c) have access to places of cultural activity, such as theaters, museums, cinemas, libraries and tourist services, and, as far as possible, have access to monuments and sites important for national culture.

States Parties shall take appropriate measures to enable persons with disabilities to develop and realize their creative, artistic and intellectual potential, not only for their own benefit, but also for the enrichment of society.
States Parties shall take all appropriate measures, in accordance with international law, to ensure that rules protecting intellectual property rights do not constitute an unreasonable and discriminatory barrier to access by persons with disabilities to cultural products.

Persons with disabilities have the right, on the basis of equality with others, to recognize and support their specific cultural and linguistic identity, including sign language and culture of the deaf.

In order to enable persons with disabilities to participate on an equal basis with others in recreational activities, recreation and sport, States Parties shall take appropriate measures to:

(a) to encourage and promote the widest possible participation of persons with disabilities in mainstream sports activities at all levels;

(b) to ensure that persons with disabilities have the possibility to organize, develop and participate in specific sports and recreational activities for persons with disabilities and, to this end, to encourage the provision on the basis of equality with others of adequate means of education, training and resources;

(c) to ensure that persons with disabilities have access to places hosting sporting, recreational and tourist activities;

(d) ensure that minors with disabilities can participate, on an equal basis with other minors, in recreational activities, recreation, leisure and sport, including the activities provided for by the school system;

(e) to ensure that persons with disabilities have access to the services provided by those engaged in the organization of leisure, tourism, leisure and sports activities.

Article 31
Statistics and data collection

States Parties undertake to collect appropriate information, including statistical data and research results, to enable them to formulate and implement policies for the purpose of implementing this Convention. The process of collecting and storing this information must:
(a) be consistent with statutory safeguards, including data protection legislation, to ensure confidentiality and respect for the private and family life of people with disabilities;

(b) be consistent with internationally accepted standards for the protection of human rights and fundamental freedoms and ethical principles governing the collection and use of statistics.

The information collected in accordance with this Article must be appropriately disaggregated, and must be used to assess the fulfillment of the obligations of States Parties to the present Convention and to identify and remove the barriers that persons with disabilities face in the exercise of own rights.
States Parties assume responsibility for the dissemination of these statistics and guarantee their accessibility to both persons with disabilities and to others.

Article 32
International cooperation

States Parties recognize the importance of international cooperation and its promotion, in support of efforts at national level to achieve the aims and objectives of the present Convention, and take appropriate and effective measures in this regard, in mutual relations and in internally and, where appropriate, in partnership with relevant international and regional organizations and civil society, in particular with organizations of persons with disabilities. In particular, they may take measures to:
(a) to ensure that international cooperation, including international development programs, includes people with disabilities and is accessible to them;

(b) to facilitate and support the development of skills, including through the exchange and sharing of information, experiences, training programs and best practices;

(c) to facilitate cooperation in research and access to scientific and technical knowledge;

(d) provide, where appropriate, technical and economic assistance, including through facilitating the purchase and sharing of access and assistance technologies and by transferring technology.

The provisions of this article shall not affect the obligation of each State Party to fulfill its obligations under this Convention.
Article 33
Application at national level and monitoring

States Parties shall designate, in accordance with their system of governance, one or more contact points for matters relating to the implementation of this Convention, and shall propose to create or identify within their administration a coordinating structure responsible for facilitating the actions related to the implementation of this Convention in the different sectors and at different levels.
States Parties, in accordance with their legal and administrative systems, maintain, strengthen, designate or establish an internal structure, including one or more independent mechanisms, where appropriate, to promote, protect and monitor the implementation of this Convention. In designating or establishing such a mechanism, States Parties shall take into account the principles concerning the status and functioning of national institutions for the protection and promotion of human rights.

Civil society, particularly people with disabilities and their representative organizations, is associated and fully involved in the monitoring process.
Article 34
Committee on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities

A Committee on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (hereinafter referred to as the “Committee”) is set up, which performs the functions indicated below.

The Committee shall consist of twelve experts from the entry into force of the present Convention. On the date of the deposit of sixty ratifications or accessions to the present Convention, six members will be added to the Committee, which will reach the maximum composition of eighteen members.

The members of the Committee sit in a personal capacity and are personalities of high moral authority and of recognized competence and experience in the field covered by the present Convention. In the designation of its candidates, States Parties are invited to take due account of the provisions set out in Article 4, paragraph 3 of the present Convention.

The members of the Committee are elected by States Parties, taking into account the principles of fair geographical distribution, the representation of different forms of civilization and the main legal systems, the balanced representation of gender and the participation of experts with disabilities.

The members of the Committee are elected by secret ballot on a list of persons designated by the States Parties among their own citizens at the meetings of the Conference of States Parties. At these meetings, where the quorum is made up of two thirds of the States Parties, the candidates who obtained the highest number of votes and the absolute majority of votes of the representatives of the States Parties present and voting are elected members of the Committee.

The first election takes place within six months of the entry into force of this Convention. At least four months before the date of each election, the Secretary-General of the United Nations Organization shall invite States Parties in writing to propose their candidates within two months. Subsequently the Secretary General prepares a list in alphabetical order of the candidates so designated, indicating the States Parties that have proposed them, and communicates it to the States Parties to the present Convention.

The members of the Committee are elected for four years. They can be re-elected only once. However, the mandate of six of the members elected at the first election will expire at the end of two years; immediately after the first election, the names of the six members shall be chosen by lot by the President of the meeting referred to in paragraph 5 of this article.

The election of the six additional members of the Committee will be held on the occasion of the ordinary elections, in accordance with the provisions of this article.

In the event of the death or resignation of a member of the Committee or if, for any other reason, the latter declares that he is no longer able to perform his duties, the State Party that proposed the nomination appoints another expert possessing the qualifications and requirements established by the relevant provisions of this article, to fill the vacancy until the expiry of the corresponding mandate.

The Committee adopts its own rules of procedure.

The Secretary-General of the United Nations shall make available to the Committee the personnel and structures necessary for the effective implementation of the functions assigned to him under the present Convention, and convene the first meeting.

The members of the Committee receive, with the approval of the General Assembly of the United Nations, emoluments from the resources of the United Nations in terms and conditions established by the General Assembly, taking into consideration the importance of the functions of the Committee.

Members of the Committee shall benefit from the facilities, privileges and immunities accorded to experts on mission on behalf of the United Nations Organization as set out in the relevant sections of the UN Convention on Privileges and Immunities.

Article 35
Reports of States Parties

Each State Party shall submit to the Committee, through the Secretary-General of the United Nations, a detailed report on the measures taken to fulfill its obligations under this Convention and on the progress achieved in this regard, within two years of the entry into force of the present Convention for the State Party concerned.
Subsequently, the States Parties shall submit complementary reports at least every four years and every other report requested by the Committee.

The Committee establishes the applicable guidelines regarding the content of the reports.

States Parties that have submitted a complete initial report to the Committee are not required, in their subsequent reports, to repeat information already provided. States Parties are invited to prepare their reports according to an open and transparent procedure and to take due account of the provisions of Article 4, paragraph 3 of the present Convention.

Reports may indicate the factors and difficulties that affect the fulfillment of obligations under this Convention.

Article 36
Examination of reports

Each report is examined by the Committee, which formulates on it the suggestions and recommendations of a general nature which it deems appropriate and transmits them to the State Party concerned. The State Party can respond by providing the Committee with all the information it deems useful. The Committee may request further information from States Parties in relation to the implementation of this Convention.
If a State Party is significantly late in presenting the report, the Committee may notify the State party concerned that it will be obliged to examine the application of this Convention in the State Party on the basis of reliable information available to it, unless the expected report is not delivered within three months of notification. The Committee invites the State Party concerned to participate in this examination. If the State Party responds by submitting its report, the provisions of paragraph 1 of this article will be applied.

The Secretary-General of the United Nations shall communicate the reports to all States Parties.

States Parties make their reports widely available to the public in their respective countries and facilitate access to the general suggestions and recommendations that follow these reports.

The Committee shall transmit, if it deems it necessary, to the specialized agencies, to the United Nations Funds and Programs, and to the other competent bodies, the reports of the States Parties which contain a request or indicate the need for an opinion or technical assistance, accompanied , where appropriate, by comments and suggestions from the Committee concerning this request or requirement.

Article 37
Cooperation between States Parties and the Committee

States Parties shall collaborate with the Committee and assist its members in the fulfillment of their mandate.
In its relations with States Parties, the Committee shall give all necessary attention to the means and means of increasing national capacities for the purpose of implementing this Convention, in particular through international cooperation.

Article 38
Committee report with other bodies

To promote the effective application of this Convention and to encourage international cooperation in the field covered by this Convention:

(a) the specialized agencies and other bodies of the United Nations have the right to be represented when examining the implementation of the provisions of the present Convention falling within their mandate. The Committee may invite the specialized institutions and any other body which it deems appropriate to provide expert advice on the implementation of the Convention in the areas falling within their respective mandates. The Committee may invite the specialized institutions and other bodies of the United Nations to submit reports on the application of the Convention in the areas that fall within their sphere of activity;

(b) the Committee, in the execution of its mandate, shall consult, as it deems appropriate, other bodies established by international human rights treaties, in order to ensure consistency of the respective guidelines on the drafting of reports, suggestions and recommendations and avoid duplication and overlap in the exercise of their respective functions.

Article 39
Report of the Committee

The Committee reports on its activities every two years to the General Assembly and the Economic and Social Council, and may make general suggestions and recommendations based on the examination of the reports and information received from the States Parties. These general suggestions and recommendations are included in the Committee’s report accompanied by the comments, where appropriate, of the States Parties.

Article 40
Conference of States Parties

The States Parties shall meet regularly in a Conference of States Parties to examine any matter concerning the application of this Convention.
The Conference of States Parties is convened by the Secretary-General of the United Nations Organization within six months of the entry into force of the present Convention. Subsequent meetings are convened by the Secretary-General of the United Nations Organization every two years or by decision of the Conference of States Parties.

Article 41
Depositary

The Secretary-General of the United Nations is the depositary of this Convention.

Article 42
Signature

This Convention shall be open for signature by all States and by regional integration organizations at the headquarters of the United Nations Organization in New York, as from 30 March 2007.

Article 43
Consent to be bound

This Convention is subject to ratification by the signatory States and to the formal confirmation of the signatory regional integration organizations. It is open to the accession of any regional integration State or Organization that has not signed the Convention itself.

Article 44
Regional integration organizations

“Regional integration organization” means any organization constituted by the sovereign States of a given region, to which the Member States have transferred responsibilities in respect of matters governed by this Convention. In their instruments of confirmation or formal adhesion, these organizations declare the extent of their competences in the sphere governed by this Convention. Subsequently, they shall notify the depositary of any substantial change in the extent of their competences.
References to “States Parties” in this Convention shall apply to such organizations within the limits of their competence.

For the purposes of paragraph 1 of article 45, and of paragraphs 2 and 3 of article 47 of the present Convention, the instruments deposited by a regional integration organization are not taken into account.

Regional integration organizations may exercise their right to vote in matters falling within their competences, in the Conference of States Parties, with a number of votes equal to the number of their own Member States Parties to the present Convention. Such organizations do not exercise the right to vote if one of the Member States exercises its right, and vice versa.

Article 45
Entry into force

This Convention shall enter into force on the thirtieth day following the date of the deposit of the twentieth instrument of ratification or accession.
For each of the States or Regional Integration Organizations that will ratify or formally confirm the present Convention or adhere to it following the deposit of the twentieth instrument, the Convention shall enter into force on the thirtieth day following the date of deposit by the State or organization of the own instrument of ratification, of adhesion or of formal confirmation.

Article 46
Reservations

Reservations incompatible with the object and purpose of this Convention are not permitted.
Reserves can be withdrawn at any time.

Article 47
Amendments

Each State Party may propose an amendment to the present Convention and submit it to the Secretary-General of the United Nations. The Secretary General communicates the proposed amendments to the States Parties, asking them to make known whether they are in favor of convening a conference of States Parties in order to examine these proposals and to pronounce them on them. If, within four months from the date of such communication, at least one third of the States Parties vote in favor of convening such a conference, the Secretary-General shall convene the conference under the auspices of the United Nations Organization.
Any amendment adopted and approved in accordance with paragraph 1 of this article shall enter into force on the thirtieth day following the date on which the number of acceptance instruments deposited reaches two thirds of the number of States Parties at the date of adoption of the amendment . Subsequently, the amendment enters into force for each State Party on the thirtieth day following the deposit of its instrument of acceptance. The amendment is binding only for States Parties that have accepted it.

If the Conference of States Parties decides in these terms by consensus, an amendment adopted and approved in accordance with paragraph 1 of this article concerning exclusively Articles 34, 38, 39 and 40 shall enter into force for all States Parties on the thirtieth next day. on the date on which the number of acceptance instruments deposited reaches two thirds of the number of States Parties at the date of adoption of the amendment.

Article 48
Complaint

Any State Party may denounce the present Convention by written notification to the Secretary-General of the United Nations. The denunciation will take effect one year after the date of receipt of the notification by the Secretary General.

Article 49
Accessible formats

The text of this Convention is made available in accessible formats.

Article 50
Authentic texts

The texts in Arabic, Chinese, English, French, Russian and Spanish of this Convention are equally authentic.

In witness whereof the undersigned Plenipotentiaries, duly authorized by their respective Governments, have signed the present Convention.

OPTIONAL PROTOCOL TO THE CONVENTION ON THE RIGHTS OF PERSONS WITH DISABILITIES

The States Parties to the present Protocol have agreed as follows:
Article 1

Each State Party to this Protocol (“State Party”) recognizes the competence of the Committee on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (“Committee”) to receive and examine communications submitted by individuals or groups of individuals or representing individuals or groups of individuals subject to its jurisdiction claiming to be victims of violations of the provisions of the Convention by that State Party.
The Committee receives no communication concerning a State Party to the Convention that is not a party to this Protocol.

Article 2

The Committee declares a communication inadmissible when:

(a) the communication is anonymous;

(b) the communication constitutes an abuse of the right to present such communications or is incompatible with the provisions of the Convention;

(c) concerns an issue that has already been examined by the Committee or has been or is being examined by another international inquiry or settlement body;

(d) with reference to the same, all available national safeguards have not been exhausted, unless the appeal procedure exceeds reasonable deadlines or the applicant is unlikely to receive an effective remediation by such means;

(e) is manifestly unfounded or insufficiently motivated; or when

(f) the facts of the communication have occurred before the entry into force of this Protocol for the States Parties involved, unless those facts persist after that date.

Article 3

Without prejudice to the provisions of article 2 of the present Protocol, the Committee submits confidentially any communication submitted to the attention of the State Party concerned. The State concerned shall submit to the Committee, within six months, written explanations or statements that clarify the matter and indicate the measures that it might have taken to remedy the situation.

Article 4

After receiving a communication and before taking a decision on the merits, the Committee may at any time subject the urgent attention of the State Party concerned to the request of the State Party to take the necessary precautionary measures in order to prevent the victim or victims of the alleged violation are caused irreparable damage.
The Committee shall not prejudice its decision on admissibility or merit of the communication merely by exercising the right conferred on it by paragraph 1 of this article.

Article 5

The Committee shall examine in camera the communications addressed to it under this Protocol. After examining a communication, the Committee transmits its suggestions and possible recommendations to the State Party concerned and to the applicant.

Article 6

If the Committee receives reliable information indicating serious or systematic violations of the rights set forth in this Convention by a State Party, the Committee urges that State Party to cooperate in examining the information and submitting its comments concerning the information in question.
On the basis of any comments made by the State Party concerned and any other reliable information available to it, the Committee may instruct one or more of its members to conduct an investigation and to report the results to the Committee without delay. Where this is justified and with the consent of the State Party, the investigation may include a visit to the territory of that State.

After having examined the results of the investigation, the Committee sends them to the State Party concerned, accompanied, where appropriate, by comments and recommendations.

The State Party concerned shall submit its observations to the Committee within six months of receipt of the results of the investigation and of the comments and recommendations transmitted by the Committee.

The investigation remains confidential and the cooperation of the State Party is solicited at every stage of the procedure.

Article 7

The Committee may invite the State Party concerned to include, in the report it is required to submit pursuant to Article 35 of the Convention, clarifications on the measures taken following an investigation conducted pursuant to Article 6 of the present Protocol.
At the end of the six-month period referred to in Article 6 (4), the Committee may, where appropriate, invite the State Party concerned to inform it about the measures taken following the investigation.

Article 8

Each State Party may, at the time of signature or ratification of the present Protocol or accession thereto, declare that it does not recognize the competence of the Committee provided for in Articles 6 and 7.

Article 9

The Secretary-General of the United Nations is the depositary of the present Protocol.

Article 10

The present Protocol is open for signature by the States and by the regional integration organizations signatories of the Convention, at the headquarters of the United Nations Organization in New York, with effect from 30 March 2007.

Article 11

This Protocol is subject to ratification by States signatories to this Protocol that have ratified or acceded to the Convention. The ratification must be formally confirmed by the regional integration organizations which have signed the present Protocol and have formally confirmed or acceded to the Convention. It is open to accession by any State or Organization of regional integration that has ratified, formally confirmed or acceded to the Convention and has not signed the Protocol itself.

Article 12

“Regional integration organization” means any organization constituted by the sovereign States of a given region, to which the Member States have transferred responsibilities regarding the matters governed by this Convention and by this Protocol. In their instruments of confirmation or formal adhesion, these organizations declare the extent of their competences in the sphere governed by this Convention and by the present Protocol. Subsequently, they shall notify the depositary of any substantial change in the extent of their competences.
References to “States Parties” in this Protocol apply to such organizations within the limits of their competence.

For the purposes of Article 13 (1) and Article 15 (2) of this Protocol, the instruments deposited by a Regional Integration Organization are not taken into account.

Regional integration organizations may exercise their right to vote in matters falling within their competences, in the meetings of the States Parties, with a number of votes equal to the number of their own Member States Parties to the present Protocol. Such organizations do not exercise the right to vote if one of the Member States exercises its right, and vice versa.

Article 13

Subject to the entry into force of the Convention, this Protocol shall enter into force on the thirtieth day following the date of deposit of the tenth instrument of ratification or accession.
For each of the States or Regional Integration Organizations that will ratify or formally confirm the present Protocol or adhere to it following the deposit of the tenth instrument, the Protocol shall enter into force on the thirtieth day following the date of filing by the State or the Organization of the own instrument of ratification, of adhesion or of formal confirmation.

Article 14

Reservations incompatible with the object and purpose of this Protocol are not permitted.
Reserves can be withdrawn at any time.

Article 15

Each State Party may propose an amendment to the present Protocol and submit it to the Secretary-General of the United Nations. The Secretary-General communicates the proposed amendments to the States Parties, asking them to make known whether they are in favor of the convening of a meeting of the States Parties in order to examine these proposals and pronounce them on them. If, within four months of the date of such communication, at least one third of the States Parties vote in favor of convening that meeting, the Secretary-General shall convene the meeting under the auspices of the United Nations.
Any amendment adopted and approved in accordance with paragraph 1 of this article shall enter into force on the thirtieth day following the date on which the number of acceptance instruments deposited reaches two thirds of the number of States Parties at the date of adoption of the amendment . Subsequently, the amendment enters into force for each State Party on the thirtieth day following the deposit of its instrument of acceptance. The amendment is binding only for those States Parties that have accepted it.

Article 16

Any State Party may denounce the present Protocol by written notification to the Secretary-General of the United Nations. The denunciation will take effect one year after the date of receipt of the notification by the Secretary General.

Article 17

The text of this Protocol is made available in accessible formats.

Article 18

The texts in Arabic, Chinese, English, French, Russian and Spanish of the present Protocol are equally authentic.

In witness whereof the undersigned Plenipotentiaries, duly authorized by their respective Governments, have signed the present Protocol.