On Friday, November 11, a roundtable discussion hosted by the Center for the Study of Law and Society convened to discuss promoting the rights of persons with disabilities. The United Nations has been elaborating an international convention on the human rights of persons with disabilities and the next session will be held in January 2006. As part of preparation for the future implementation of the envisaged convention, the roundtable discussion was organized by the United Nations Focal Point on Disability. The panel took place in close cooperation with internationally reputed Bay Area disability and human rights organizations, such as the World Institute on Disability, The Disability Rights Education and Defense Fund, the Human Rights Advocate and renowned international experts in disability studies.
The panel addressed topics including the role of international and national law in promoting the human rights of persons with disabilities; law as a tool for social change and the implications for person with disabilities in both developed and developing countries; and lessons from the disability rights movement at local, national and international levels.