What to Ask Federal Election Candidates about the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons With Disabilities (CRPD)

Short Term

Will Your Party:

Commit to delivering on the intent of CRPD by:

1. Designing a National Action Plan to provide the vision and framework for successful implementation of the CRPD? An action plan would identify necessary mechanisms for collaboration, benchmarks for monitoring and reporting, and strategies for priority areas for action the disability community has identified, including:

• Access to disability supports,
• Poverty alleviation,
• Labour force participation,
• Accessibility and inclusion.

2. Naming the Canadian Human Rights Commission to monitor implementation of the CRPD?

3. Designing a robust participation strategy to ensure Canada meets its CRPD obligations to consult with and actively involve persons with disabilities through their representative organizations in implementing the CRPD?

Long Term

Will your Party:

1. Establish a clear timeframe and process to review Canada’s position on Article 12 and the Optional Protocol. This is necessary because Canada included a reservation on Article 12 with its ratification and has not yet signed or ratified the Optional Protocol.

Inform Candidates about the CRPD

• The CRPD is a new international treaty that envisions a new world where people with disabilities have the full rights set out in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. The CRPD echoes the guarantees of the Charter of Rights and Freedoms, of human rights laws and numerous policies and programs, and presents a consensus understanding of the aspirations of people with disabilities. On its web site CCD has a new brief explaining the community’s expectations regarding Canadian implementation of the CRPD.

Election 2011Fact Sheet 4