Charter for the Third Millenium

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List Of Presentations Of The RI Charter For The Third Millennium:

19 November 1999: Presentation to International Working Group on Disability and Development by RI Secretary General; group includes staff of UN, UNICEF, UNESCO, ILO, USAID, World Bank, Human Rights Watch, DANIDA, International Disability Consortium, Finn-Aid.

1 December 1999: At a function in Washington DC marking the UN Day of Disabled Persons, RI Secretary General distributed 300 copies of the Charter and a Backgrounder to representatives of many US government agencies, disability Not-For Profit organisations, and individuals, as well as CNN, ABC, and the Washington Post.

1 December 1999: The Charter and Background information emphasising the call for a Convention on Rights of People with Disabilities were distributed by mail to Presidents and Secretaries General of all the UN "Panel of Experts" organisations.

2 December 1999: 100 Kits with the Charter and background information emphasising the call for a Convention on Rights of People with Disabilities were distributed, by special arrangement, at the International Day of Disabled Persons preparatory celebration hosted by We Media at the UN.

3 December 1999: 60 Similar kits were distributed at the Luncheon hosted by the Open Congregation. The lunch included presentation to RI of an Award commemorating establishment of the Symbol of Access, as one of the milestones of the 20th Century for people with disabilities.

3 December 1999: President Arthur O'Reilly and Deputy Vice President Bert Massie presented the Charter and discussed strategies towards a Convention with Mrs Mary Robinson, UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, in Geneva.

3 December 1999: Dr Sam Niwa presented the Charter to the Malaysian Minister of National Unity and Social Development at the Ceremony of Malaysian Disabled Persons Day, followed by TV interview of both, plus other media.

3 December 1999: Dr Thakur V. Hari Prasad, RI National Secretary for India, on the occasion of the International Day of Disabled Persons, presented the Charter to the Prime Minister of India, Mr Atal Bihari Vajpayee.

3 December 1999: Dia Internacional de la Discapacidad; Senora Ana Mari Urrutia, the RI National Secretary for Chile and Director of Teleton Rehabilitation Infantil presented the Charter to the Chilean Minister of Education, Don Jose Pablo Arellano.

4 December 1999: Tambo Camara launched the Charter in Mauritania, along with the African Decade of Disabled Persons, at an official ceremony chaired by Madame the Minister of Health and Social Affairs, with the Minister of National Education,and the Commissioner of Human Rights, the Struggle against Poverty, and of Inclusion, plus national disability organisations, parents, and civil society supporters.

6 December 1999: President Arthur O'Reilly presented to Ambassador Anne Anderson, current Chairperson of the UN Commission On Human Rights, in Geneva.

6 December 1999: Presentation at Chapel of St Mary Undercroft, Palace of Westminster, at the Houses of Parliament, London, to the Houses of Lords and Commons,represented by the Lord Chancellor, Michael Martin MP as representative of the Speakers of the Houses, Former Prime Minister Sir Edward Heath, by RI President Dr Arthur O'Reilly, Bert Massie, Lord Morris.

6 December 1999: Presentation to H.E. Chief Emeka Anyaoku, Commonwealth Secretary General (as representative of the Queen), at Marlborough House, London, by Dr Arthur O'Reilly, Lord Morris, Prince Ra'ad bin Zeid, Dr Anatoly I. Ossadchikh, (Deputy Minister of Labour & Social Development of the Russian Federation); also to Lord Snowden, Mrs Margaret Hodge M.P.,UK Minister for Employment and Equal Opportunities, Mrs Betty Williams M.P., and New Zealand High Commissioner Paul East.

7 December 1999: Dr B T Naidoo, RI Vice President for Africa, presented the Charter to South African State President Thabo Mbeki at function celebrating IDDP, arranged by South African Federal Council on Disability, with all disability NGO's plus representatives of government and corporate sectors.

December 1999: Mrs Munira Al-Muttawa, RI National Secretary for Kuwait, presented the Charter to the Kuwait Minister of Social Affairs.

9-10 December 1999: Presented at opening ceremony of Symposium held by Korean Society for Rehabilitation of Persons with Disabilities attended by 450 rehabilitation workers, professors, college students, and government officials, including Minister of Health and Welfare. Translated and published in Korean.

12 December 1999: Mrs Anson Chan, Chief Secretary, Hong Kong Special Autonomous Region, received the Charter at the Hong Kong celebration of International Day Of Disabled Persons

16 December 1999: Mrs Mary Carella Canellopoulos, RI Vice President for Europe, presented the Charter to H.E. President Constantine Stephanopoulos of The Hellenic Republic (Greece).

December 1999: Dr Norbert Heintz, RI National Secretary, presented the Charter to the Minister in charge of people with disabilities in Luxembourg. (advice from Mrs Mary Carella Canellopoulos)

16 December 1999: Clinton Rapley, Social Development Div, UN, received the Charter at International Symposium on Norms and Standards in the Area of Disability, Hong Kong.

17 December 1999: UN Secretary General Kofi Annan was scheduled to receive the Charter but due to Security Council discussions he was unable to attend. The Charter was presented to Mrs Gillian Sorensen, Assistant Secretary-General for External Relations, Mr Nitin Desai, Under Secretary-General for Economic and Social Affairs, Mr Nikhil Sedh, Special Assistant to the Under Secretary-General, and Ms Carolyn McAskie, Officer in Charge of the Office for Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs. Delegation from RI was led by Past President Fen Seton and included Treasurer George Wilson, Arab Regional Vice President Dr Essa Al-Sadi, Dr Zeid of the Jordanian Mission to the UN representing his father, and the RI Secretary General .

24 December 1999: Dr Thakur V. Hari Prasad, RI National Secretary for India, presented the Charter to the President of India.

10-11 February 2000: RI Vice President Lex Frieden and Secretary General speak strongly in support of a Convention on Rights, quoting the Charter as the policy basis, at UN Panel of Experts meeting in New York, coinciding with meeting of UN Commission on Social Development. The call is supported strongly by other Panel Members and by Chinese Delegation on the floor in the Commission meeting.

28 February 2000: Dr O'Reilly and Lord Morris presented to the President of Ireland, Mary McAleese, and discussed strategies towards a Convention.

2 March 2000: Tonu Karu, RI National Secretary for Estonia, presented the Charter to the President of Estonia, Lennart Meri, at a meeting with disabled peoplein Kadriorg, Estonia.

11 March 2000: Chinese Foreign Minister, H.E. Tang Jiaxuan, received the Charter from Lord Morris and Dr O'Reilly, during the Beijing Summit of world disability NGO's in Beijing, 10-12 March 2000. The Minister committed China to support of the call for a Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities. The Summit produced the Beijing Declaration which united all the NGO's in a call for a Convention on Rights, which China undertook to distribute at the UN.

22 March 2000: Dr O'Reilly accompanied by members of the Executive Committee and the Secretary General presented to the South African Minister for Disabilities, Essop Pahad, at the Office of President Mbeki in Pretoria.

May 2000: RI National Secretary for Slovenia Cveto Ursic reported presentation of Slovenian language version to the Commission for people with disabilities, National Parliament; the Governmental Bureau for people with disabilities, the Ministry of Labour, Families and Social Affairs; the Ministries of Education and Health; the National Council of organisations of people with disabilities; and various people with disabilities organisations and professional institutions, with excerpts published in national newspapers.

27June 2000: RI Secretary General emphasises Charter and RI's call for a Convention in speech to Ad Hoc Committee of the Whole at UN Palais des Nations, Geneva, as part of Copenhagen Plus 5, the follow-up to the 1995 World Summit on Social Development.

29 June 2000: RI Secretary General again emphasises Charter and RI's call for a Convention in Round-Table discussion of "Strategies to Increase Participation", hosted by ILO as part of Geneva 2000 Forum organised alonside follow-up Summit on Social Development.

5 July 2000: A presentation led by Lord Morris and Lord Ricks, with George Wilson and Bert Massie, to British Prime Minister Tony Blair.

5 July also: RI President Dr Arthur O'Reilly and Secretary General presented the Charter to Lebanese President Emile Lahoud, Prime Minister Dr Salim El Hoss, and other senior politicians and officials. All expressed strong support for RI's call for establishment of a UN Convention on the Rights of People with Disabilities, noting how well the concept fits with disability rights legislation passed by the Lebanese Parliament just three months ago.

14 July 2000: Debate in the House of Lords, the upper house of the British Parliament. Speeches by a series of lords covered the Charter, the British Government's response to it, the government's policies on disability and disability rights, and the need for international action on disability issues.

October 2000: RI Immediate Past President Dr Arthur O'Reilly presented a framed copy of the RI Charter to HRH Prince Sultan bin Salman, of Saudi Arabia, in Saudi Arabia, in the presence of Lord Morris of Manchester and George Wilson.

Much was said about the role and achievements of RI, with many points quoted from the RI "Charter for the '80's" as well as the "Charter for the Third Millennium". Warm acknowledgement was given by all to Alf Morris, now Lord Morris of Manchester, who had convened the RI World Planning Group for both RI Charter documents, almost 20 years apart. Between these, an earlier British Labour government had included Lord Morris as Britain's and the world's first Minister for Disabilities.

Further presentations are planned to Russian, and Australian Heads of State during September and October.

(October 24, 2000)

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Translations of the Charter are available in: Arabic, Chinese, French, Greek, Indonesian, Japanese, Korean, Lebanese, Portuguese, Slovenian, Spanish from ri@riglobal.org.