1. The UN Ad Hoc Committee
The process to draft a new human rights treaty for people with disabilities

2. Origins of the Process 19 Dec 2001 Mandate of AHC
GA Res 56/168 introduced by Mexico and supporters established the Ad Hoc Committee (AHC)
Mandate of AHC
"to consider proposals for a comprehensive and integral international convention to promote and protect the rights and dignity of persons with disabilities, based on the holistic approach in the work done in the fields of social development, human rights and non-discrimination and taking into account the recommendations of the Commission on Human Rights and the Commission for Social Development."

3. Who is Involved? Guiding principle of the process Who shows up?
Full inclusion of all relevant stakeholders
Who shows up?
UN member states
UN observers
Relevant UN bodies and organizations
Special Rapporteur on Disability
National human rights institutions
Non-governmental organizations
both ECOSOC and AHC accredited
Educational process for all!

5. AHC Sessions 7 sessions total AHC1 29 July – 9 Aug 2002
Discussed rationale for convention & survived attempts to kill the process
AHC June 2003
Decision to proceed with drafting convention
Discussions over process to proceed
Decision to establish Working Group

7. AHC Sessions contd. Working Group 5-16 January 2004 27 governments
12 NGOs
1 national human rights institution rep
Support from OHCHR
Discussions led by Coordinator (Amb. MacKay)
Produced Working Group Draft Text to form basis of negotiations

8. AHC Sessions contd. AHC3 24 May – 4 June 2004
Commenced first reading of WG text & decided to delay consideration of:
Definitions
Monitoring
Final Provisions

9. AHC Sessions contd. AHC4 23 August – 3 September 2004
AHC5 24 January – 4 February 2005
AHC6 1 – 12 August 2005
First meeting with Amb. MacKay as Chair
Chair issued “Chair’s Text” in October 2005, synthesizing amendments made to date
AHC7 16 January – 3 February 2006
Revised Working Text issued
AHC8 will be held 14 – 25 August 2006
Will not read through text but focus on specific issues

10. Treaty Content & Issues
Comprehensive content
Issues of contention:
Definition of disability
How to address sub-population groups
Education
Legal capacity – especially balancing supported decision-making models with protections against abuse

11. Treaty Content & Issues contd.
Data & statistics
Monitoring
International cooperation
How to address progressive realization & references to international development

12. Will it ever end?? Some had hoped to complete in September 2005
Potential to finish in 2006/07
But …
“Nothing is agreed until everything is agreed.”