New Zealand promotes the rights of persons with intellectual disabilities with candidate to the CRPD

Tomorrow (Tuesday 14 June, 10am New York time) the UN Member States will elect 9 committee members to serve on the Committee for the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD) at the ninth Conference of States Parties to the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities.

New Zealand’s candidate for the CRPD is Mr Robert Martin. If Mr Martin is elected, he will be the first committee member to serve with an intellectual disability.

“I believe it’s time to make the Committee on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities truly inclusive of all peoples with disabilities” says Mr Martin.

The rights of persons with disabilities is a human rights priority area for New Zealand.

Minister for Disability Issues, Hon Nicky Wagner, will lead New Zealand’s delegation at the Conference of States Parties. “The Committee on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities should comprise of members with all kinds of disabilities, reflecting the principle of inclusiveness. Robert would bring an important perspective that has been missing from the Committee” Ms Wagner says.

The CRPD monitors the implementation of the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, which promotes the human rights of persons with disabilities.

Mr Martin’s CV is attached. Audio and video of the election will be available through UNTV. Details in the attached.

http://img.scoop.co.nz/media/pdfs/1606/NZ_Robert_Martin_CV.PDF

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