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GENEVA / HRC DISABILITIES
STORY: GENEVA / HRC DISABLILITIES
TRT: 3:05
SOURCE: OHCHR
RESTRICTIONS: NONE
LANGUAGE: ENGLISH / NATS
DATELINE: 1 MARCH 2012, GENEVA, SWITZERLAND / RECENT
RECENT – CH UNTV
1. Wide shot, exterior, Palais de Nations
OHCHR - 1 MARCH 2012, GENEVA, SWITZERLAND
2. Wide shot Human Rights Council
3. Med shot, panel
4. Wide shot, conference room
5. Med shot, Theresia Degner typing with her feet on computer
6. SOUNDBITE (English) Theresa Degner, Commissioner Committee on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities:
“The right to political participation lies at the heart of democracy, it means taking part in decision making and public issues, it means true citizenship and equality.”
7. Cutaway, panel
8. SOUNDBITE (English) Navi Pillay, High Commissioner for Human Rights, United Nations:
“In broader terms, article 29 requires States to take appropriate steps to promote an enabling environment in which persons with disabilities can effectively and fully participate in the conduct of public affairs, without discrimination and on an equal basis with others. Such steps include the elimination of all legal, physical and communication barriers that prevent persons with disabilities to exercise their right to participate in the political and public life of their countries. “
9. Med shot, panel
10. SOUNDBITE (English) Shantha Rau Barriga of Human Rights Watch:
“Ensuring the right to equal political participation for people with disabilities requires not only legal reform, in many countries around the world, but even more challenging the convention requires us all to shift our thinking about people with disabilities as equal citizens deserving dignity and autonomy to make their own decisions.”
11. Various shots, Signmark sign rapping
12. SOUNDBITE (Sign Language with English) Marko Vuoriheimo (SignMark):
“Never to give in, never to give up, never do that. The most important thing for them is to find out what their human rights and what they need to do to get their human rights so through that, their world can change, the situation can develop into a better world. Giving up, that’s the wrong thing to do, never do that.”
13. Med shot, Signmark sign rapping
A United Nations (UN) Human Rights panel on participation of persons with disabilities in political life today (1 March) heard a call to ensure that the rights of political participation of people with disabilities requires legal reform but also a shift in the thinking about people with disabilities as equal citizens who can make their own decisions.
Theresia Degner a Commissioner in the Committee of Persons with Disabilities, said that participation lies “at the heart of democracy” and that taking part in decision making and public issues means true citizenship and equality.
Degner, who herself was born with no arms, observed that many countries deny persons declared legally incapacitated the right to vote and stand for elections, charging that these laws are violations of human rights.
UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Navi Pillay listed the elimination of legal, physical and communication barriers as some of the ways to promote the participation of people with disabilities.
Shantha Rau Barriga of Human Rights Watch said that persons with disabilities should have the same rights and equal recognition under the law.
And to attest to the role of persons with disabilities, the Human Rights Council event had a rare performance by Finnish rap artist known as Signmark, who is deaf.
Signmark, whose real name is Marko Vuoriheimo, said often persons with disabilities are often categorised and discriminated against, but he called on persons with disabilities not to give up.
“Never give in, never give up, never to that. The most important thing is to know what your human rights are so through that the world can change.”
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