UN Convention on Disabled Persons Becomes Effective in Turkey

Turkey ratifies the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities and the government is formally under obligation as the relevant cabinet decision is officially published this Tuesday.

The convention had been signed on 3 December 2008 at the parliament. The ratification renders the convention a part of Turkey's national legislation.

The convention provides safeguards for the protection of disabled persons from discrimination, making services available to them and keeping them equal before law.

On another account, the government is yet to ratify the optional protocol to the convention, which would enable individuals and groups to directly apply to the relevant UN committee on allegations of breaches of the convention.

Initiative for Human Rights in Mental Health (RUSİHAK) had noted that the convention would require concrete improvements in several specific areas.

Among them are mental patients who are kept in closed institutions for long periods of time. Now, they will be integrated into the society. Another point is providing equal educational opportunities for mentally disabled children. Furthermore, the convention obliges the government to establish safeguarding mechanisms for disabled persons who are maltreated.(TK/AGÜ)