Mr President,
My delegation and I wish to thank the President of the Conference for convening the Ninth Session of the Conference of States Parties. 2016 is particularly important as we celebrate the 10th anniversary of the adoption of the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD).
It is befitting that the Conference of States Parties coincide with International Albinism Awareness Day on June 13th, which reflects our collective commitment to prevent attacks and discrimination against persons with albinism.
It is with both humility and pride that I share with you our achievements since South Africa ratified the Convention in 2007.
The past 10 years have been an exciting, albeit bumpy road in our quest to entrench the rights of persons with disabilities in our governance and delivery systems.
Our Initial Country Report to the CRPD, deposited with the UN in 2014, recorded significant progress made in promoting and protecting the rights of persons with disabilities. The report also highlighted weaknesses in the sustainability of interventions aimed at implementing the CRPD.
Mr President,
South Africa therefore realigned its focus towards addressing these weaknesses by, amongst others, embedding international treaty obligations in its governance and administrative systems to strengthen sustainability, accountability and recourse.
The following four measures speak to work done by South Africa since the Eighth Session. These are:
Firstly, South Africa concluded the first phase of developing a Disability Inequality Index as a product flowing from the work done on our national disability rights statistics, data, monitoring and evaluation framework.
We believe that this instrument, once tested and refined in consultation with the international community, will contribute towards measuring outcomes of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development;
Secondly, South Africa published preliminary results of a national study to determine the disability-related costs on household expenditure, and the implications thereof. This will impact on service delivery, budgeting models and taxation systems;
Thirdly, progress has been made with the domestication of the Convention.
In this regard, we acknowledge with appreciation the recognition of the 1997 Integrated National Disability Rights Strategy as an international benchmark.
South Africa finalised its White Paper on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities in 2015. The policy is accompanied by a detailed implementation matrix.
The matrix is aligned with the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and seamlessly embeds disability equitable development and service delivery in our governance and administrative systems.
Mr President,
South Africa’s policy is very clear that state and non-state actors be held accountable for discrimination against, exclusion and/or marginalisation of persons with disabilities. The policy also provides guidance for recourse mechanisms for rights-holders.
Following approval of the new policy, we are focused on concluding the extensive legislative audit we have embarked on. This will include the development of new legislation to conclude the domestication process and designation of the independent monitoring mechanism.
Fourthly, a strategic area of focus has been Information and Communication Technology (ICT) connectivity and its use in strengthening equitable development outcomes for persons with disabilities.
Mr President,
South Africa has a multi-stakeholder national disability rights machinery, which is inclusive of a Presidential Working Group on Disability. This forum is tasked with ensuring the effective coordination and monitoring of implementation of the national disability rights agenda at a technical level.
We wish to acknowledge with appreciation, the financial and technical expertise made available to the country through the UN Partnership to Promote the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (UNPRPD) Multi-Party Fund. South Africa recommits itself to share these benefits for the advancement of the international disability rights agenda.
We are aware that it is easy to focus only on the voices that are heard, to the detriment of sectors who do not have access to consultative platforms.
In recognition of the nexus and inter-sectionality between disability, age, gender, race, sexual orientation, socio-economic status and/or geographical location, amongst others.
South Africa remains committed to the realisation of all human rights and fundamental freedoms for all persons, including those with disabilities, as enshrined in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, the CRPD, as well as the Constitution of the Republic of South Africa.
We will leave no one behind!
I thank you.
Source: Department of Social Development