March 11, 2011
Manitoba to Host First Conference of Ministers Responsible for Persons with Disabilities
Manitoba will host the first conference of provincial and territorial ministers responsible for persons with disabilities and ministers responsible for human rights March 14 and 15, Labour and Immigration Minister Jennifer Howard, minister responsible for persons with disabilities and status of women, and Justice Minister Andrew Swan announced today.
“People with disabilities have the same rights as every other Canadian but they face greater challenges accessing the services and facilities that most of us take for granted,” Howard said. “It’s our job as ministers to help remove the roadblocks and ensure that people with disabilities have every opportunity to reach their full potential.”
The UN General Assembly adopted the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities in December 2006. Canada ratified the convention on March 11, 2010, with support from the Manitoba government.
The convention guarantees that people with disabilities have the same basic human rights as other people in international law including the right to life, the right to education and the right to freedom from torture or unlawful confinement.
“The purpose of meeting face to face with ministers from other provinces and territories is to share information and discuss next steps to implement the UN convention,” Swan said, on today’s first anniversary of Canada’s ratification.
The World Health Organization estimates there are 650 million people with disabilities across the world, while in Canada there are more than four million people with disabilities, or 14.3 per cent of the population.
Following the 2010 Council of the Federation meeting, hosted by Premier Greg Selinger, the premiers agreed Manitoba should host a conference of ministers responsible for persons with disabilities and human rights this year.
The conference will take place at the Fairmont Hotel in Winnipeg. There will be opportunities to dialogue with members of the disability community, presentations about the convention and an opportunity for ministers to share ideas on ways to support the convention.
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