The president of the Irish Human Rights Commission (IHRC) has called on the Government to ratify the UN convention which gives greater rights to people with disabilities.
Ireland was one of the convention's first signatories but only four states have ratified it since its adoption by the UN General Assembly last December. A further 16 ratifications are required for the treaty to come into operation.
"I am pleased to say that Ireland was one of the first countries to sign this UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities and I would like to call on the Irish Government now to be among the first EU states to ratify it," said Dr Maurice Manning.
"We need to bring the convention home and begin the process of reform needed to bring our laws and policies into line with the best international standards."
The IHRC was involved in the negotiation of the landmark UN treaty, which guarantees the rights and freedoms of people with disabilities in signatory countries. It requires states to enact laws and other measures to stipulate rights and get rid of legislation, customs and practices which discriminate against those with disabilities.
Dr Manning was speaking yesterday after a meeting of the European Co-ordination Committee of National Human Rights Institutions, which took place in Ireland for the first time. The committee issued a statement urging ratification of the convention by all governments which have signed it.
Among the other issues discussed at the meeting were asylum, migration, human trafficking and the prevention of torture. "Many human rights issues transcend borders and cannot be advanced without international co-operation," Dr Manning said.
"We see our international engagement on human rights as a real opportunity both to promote human rights and at the same time to ensure that our own domestic standards and priorities reflect evolving human rights norms."
The meeting was attended by members from Germany, Denmark and Greece. Representatives of the United Nations, the Council of Europe and the Office for Security and Co-operation in Europe were also present.
