Abstract

The United States General Assembly adopted the International Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities and its optional Protocol on 13 December 2006. In accordance with the universal human rights principles and relevant norms evolved over six decades, the new Convention is expected to give definitive legal expressions, from the disability perspective, to the past experience of the United Nations in promoting the human rights of persons with disabilities in all aspects of social life and economic development. It is also expected that the future implementation of the international convention would provide an entry point for strengthening existing human rights and development frameworks at local, national, regional and international levels. It would be essential to work out strategies for publicizing and implementing the treaty at the local level to ensure its relevance and effectiveness for person with disabilities and their communities worldwide.