GOP Acts Out The Terrible Two's Here Everyday But Now...

It's Spilling Over Into The International Arena

View Down With Tyranny Blog Here: http://downwithtyranny.blogspot.com/2012/12/gop-acts-out-terrible-twos-here.html

Today on my Daily Kos Blog I was asked the question: thinkingblue - help me understand ...

I am not sure how these treaties work. Does the US have to approve this treaty for it to be effective? Or does each country sign if they agree to abide by the treaty, independent of what other counties do? If some number of member nations agree does that have any bearing on countries that don't sign? If the ADA is already in effect in the US does this treaty have a real impact on the disabled in the US if we sign, or not?

A very good question deserving a good answer, so I did a search and came up with these sites: thinkingblue

RatifyNow FAQ

"Before this convention, (treaty) disability was often regarded as a disease or illness, but now we have realized that disability is an interaction between a certain condition and society. Society must help to eliminate disabilities through accessibility, non-discrimination and protecting and enforcing the same rights to everyone.“ - Vice chair of the Ad Hoc Committee

What is a human rights convention?

A convention, or treaty, is a legally binding document between 2 or more countries. A human rights convention is a treaty that deals specifically with human rights. The International convention on the Rights of People with Disabilities is a “thematic treaty”, meaning that it defines the human rights of a particular demographic (in this case, the human rights of people with disabilities).

Is "signing" a convention the same thing as "ratifying" it?

No. A country that signs the Convention becomes a signatory, and a country that ratifies the convention becomes a States Party. Becoming a signatory qualifies the state (nation) to proceed toward ratification, and establishes an obligation to refrain from any acts that violate the principles of the Convention. Becoming a states party (ratifying nation) means that the country agrees to be legally bound by the treaty. If a nation both signs and ratifies at the same time, it is said to "ascend".

What happens if a country decides not to sign or ratify a convention?

First, a convention must be "adopted," which means it becomes open for countries to sign. It is then up to each country to decide whether it chooses to sign or ratify the convention. Like most conventions, the CRPD requires that at least 20 countries ratify it before it can "enter into force." To "enter into force" means a treaty becomes active, and the ratifying countries are required to implement it.

Once the Convention becomes international law, the core concept of equal rights for people with disability will become the norm. As has occurred with other treaties, this new recognition of basic human rights will begin to be incorporated into the national laws of nations which don’t ratify the Convention. This will benefit people with disabilities who live in those nations, and may spur additional nations to opt for ratification in the coming years as their laws begin to include the rights guaranteed under the Convention.

We have many other international human rights treaties. Why aren’t those enough to protect the rights of people with disabilities, too?

Unfortunately most of the existing human rights treaties don’t mention people with disabilities. Also, when governments monitor other treaties to ensure that they are properly implemented, they often do not report information about how these treaties affect people with disabilities. Furthermore, the few older human rights instruments that do mention people with disabilities do not address their right to participate fully in society. Over time, the international disability community came to realize that governments needed guidance in applying human rights to people with disabilities.

In the United States, we already have the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). So why do we also need to sign and ratify the CRPD?

Although the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) has been very important to the daily lives of many Americans with disabilities, it does not, and cannot, fully cover all the basic human rights to which people with disabilities are entitled. The CRPD would supplement the power of the ADA to ensure that people with disabilities have stronger access to all the same human rights to which all people are entitled. Also, if the United States signs and ratifies the CRPD, it would help send a strong message to other countries that we, too, support human rights for people with disabilities. This may help inspire more countries to ratify the CRPD so that more people with disabilities around the world can enjoy its protections. MORE HERE: http://www.ratifynow.org/ratifynow-faq/