Fuente: © European Union
http://europa.eu.int

EU: Informal Ministerial and conference on Disability

/noticias.info/ An informal meeting of EU Ministers responsible for disability policy will take place on 23 May in Kranjska Gora, Slovenia. It will be preceded by a ministerial conference on 22 May. The ministerial meeting will be chaired by Ms Marjeta Cotman, Slovenian Minister of Labour, Family and Social Affairs. The European Commission will be represented by Vladimír Špidla, Commissioner for Employment, Social Affairs and Equal Opportunities.

Conference on the UN Convention on Rights of Persons with Disabilities: 22 May

The conference aims to support and foster the ratification and implementation of the UN Convention by focusing on different Member States' experiences of the implementation process.

The event will also address the main common challenges for Member States in this process, such as employment, accessibility and independent living. The event is organised by the Slovenian Presidency and is supported by the Commission.

The Convention and its Optional Protocol entered into force on 3 May 2008. 26 Member States have signed the Convention and 16 have signed the Optional Protocol. The European Community has signed the Convention.

Informal meeting of Ministers for Disability: 23 May

The ministerial follows the conference and will continue the theme of effectively putting the UN Convention into practice across the EU. The Commission is committed on the one hand to implementing the Convention in matters falling under Community competence, and on the other to supporting implementation by the Member States in a consistent and coherent manner.

Ministers will, in particular, discuss how to:

* reinforce the processes for implementing the UN Convention;
* ensure coherent implementation across the EU (by identifying common challenges and their solutions as well as applying mutual learning);
* apply the findings of the High Level Working Group report on Disability;
* maintain and develop EU leadership on the UN Convention by encouraging a timely ratification by all Member States.

Finally, Ministers will also discuss the new priorities of the European Disability Action Plan beyond 2010, following the corresponding invitation in the Council resolution.
Links to Convention and its Optional Protocol:
Convention: http://www.un.org/disabilities/default.asp?id=259
Optional Protocol: http://www.un.org/disabilities/default.asp?id=311
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