Let
me begin by commending the work of Traci,
Paul-Claude Berubé, and their entire
team at CAILC for bringing us all together
here this morning. Their energy is testament
to the vibrancy and passion of Canada’s
disability movement.
This in
my mind is why we’re here today and
what the UN International Day of Disabled
Persons is all about: we’re celebrating
the fact that the disability movement
is growing stronger and more determined
each year. And as Paul-Claude just described,
by identifying “Independent Living
and Sustainable Livelihoods” as our
theme, we’re specifically focussing
on the role disabled people play in achieving
their full participation and equality
in all aspects of life.
Nowhere
was this message more evident than in
Sapporo, Japan, at Disabled Peoples’
International 6th World Assembly, held
in October. Personally, this was one of
the most inspiring and indeed, humbling,
events of its kind that I have ever attended.
Picture
it if you will: over 3000 people with
diverse abilities, from 109 countries;
supported by 3400 volunteers; all there
to fight for the human rights of peoples
with disabilities.
Let me
briefly recount the story of one Cambodian
delegate I met, a childhood survivor of
polio. Growing up, the little education
she could obtain meant travelling four
kilometres each day to and from school
in a wheelchair – if she was fortunate
to have one that wasn’t broken. Today,
she works as a secretary part-time, while
attending night school to become a grade
school teacher. She also leads a national
organization for people with disabilities
in Cambodia – a country until recently
ravaged by conflict, beset with an enormous
number of uncleared anti-personal landmines.
I cite
this example because it encapsulates the
scale of the challenges we collectively
face regarding the state of the world’s
disabled community: over 80% of the world’s
600 million people with disabilities live
in developing countries like Cambodia.
According to the United Nations, only
1-2% of children with disabilities in
the developing world go to school. When
we further consider that for every death
in armed conflict, largely in the developing
world, three people are left disabled
– the magnitude of the situation
becomes painfully evident. So much so,
that according to some experts, by 2025,
25% of the world’s population might
well be people with disabilities.
It comes
as no surprise then that the delegates’
statement in Sapporo was so unequivocal:
disabled peoples demanded a binding international
convention to protect their human rights.
They demanded their rights as full citizens
of the global community.
It is my
hope that the universal need for self-reliance
among peoples with disabilities will soon
be enshrined in a UN Convention on the
Rights of Disabled Peoples. Although several
years off, this convention seems to be
on its way to becoming a reality. In August,
the first steps were taken at an ad-hoc
meeting at the United Nations. Soon thereafter,
in a resolution adopted by the General
Assembly, the Secretary General undertook
to seek the views of member-states, UN
agencies, and civil society on a proposed
convention. What he finds out will hopefully
form the basis of a second ad-hoc meeting
scheduled for June 2003. Rest assured,
Canada will continue to actively participate
in this process, in partnership with civil
society and yourselves.
The passion
and energy of the global disability movement,
so evident in Sapporo, has changed the
way people view and respond to disability.
In your tireless work and dedication,
you are all playing a tremendous part
in bringing this transformation about.
Today,
we’re very lucky to have with us
one person who is helping drive this transformation
in our government: the Honourable Jane
Stewart.
As Minister
of Human Resources Development, she is
responsible for a portfolio that has a
tremendous impact on Canadians at every
stage of their lives. Each year, under
her leadership, HRDC provides programs
and services that directly influence the
lives of Canadians with disabilities.
Her vision
is clear: all partners must work together
to ensure the full inclusion of persons
with disabilities.
Please
join me in warmly welcoming Minister Jane
Stewart.
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