Decent Work for Persons with Disabilities – Roundtable in Moscow.
On February 18, a roundtable meeting entitled Social Partnership for Improving Work Conditions and Employment of Persons with Disabilities was held in Moscow. It was organized by the UN Office in Russia, the International Labour Organization and the UN Information Centre, in partnership with the non-governmental Social Partnership Centre and the regional public organization Kiselev League of Assistance to Persons with Disabilities.
18 May 2007
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The roundtable became a follow-up to a series of events devoted to Russia’s ratification and implementation of the UN Convention on Rights of Persons with Disabilities.
Taking part in the meeting were specialists of the relevant ministries and agencies, parliamentarians, members of the Public Chamber, non-governmental organizations, including associations of persons with disabilities, and UN experts.
The event was opened by Marco Borsotti, UN Permanent Representative in Russia.
The roundtable highlighted problems of the ratification of the UN Convention on Rights of Persons with Disabilities from the point of view of their inclusion. First of all, this concerns the creation of adequate employment opportunities and decent working conditions for people with disabilities, including youth.
High on the meeting’s agenda were the situation of persons with disabilities on the labour market and the creation of conditions for education and employment of young people with disabilities.
The Russian version of ILO’s new book, The right of persons with disabilities to decent work, represented by the Director of the ILO Subregional Office for Eastern Europe and Central Asia, reflects these themes.
“Our new book provides a road map for efforts to improve employment. This book describes the relevant international legal instruments, it reviews a menu of policy measures to facilitate work and employment, tells some success stories from international experience, and identifies key issues for action,” Elaine Fultz said.
“One of the central points of our new book is that hiring persons with disabilities makes economic sense. This is especially true as national populations are aging, and the size of labour force is starting to shrink,” she said.
“Our new book makes a strong case that ratification of the new UN Convention on Rights of Persons with Disabilities can provide a new impetus for eliminating discrimination on the basis of disability and in positively promoting inclusion. The principles of the new convention are in line with the relevant ILO standards, including Convention No. 159 on Vocational Rehabilitation and Employment of disabled persons. Drawing on Convention No. 159, the UN convention emphasizes consultation with stakeholders as a key element in disability policy making. Thus, ratification of this convention can help to give a voice to persons with disabilities and their advocates,” the ILO Subregional Office director concluded.
“We should make our utmost to ratify the Convention to create maximally favourable living conditions for persons with disabilities in our country and all over the world,” Iriada Leonova, Social Partnership Centre director, said.
State Duma parliamentarian Oleg Smolin stressed that “persons with disabilities are a part of Russia’s human potential and the country should be interested in persons with disabilities.”
“The signing of the Convention is an important step forward, but we have to strive for long to implement the Convention,” he said.
Roundtable participants adopted a final document, where they expressed readiness to deeper cooperation in ensuring social protection and decent employment of persons with disabilities. They called on Russia’s government and parliament to find an opportunity for signing and ratifying the Convention on Rights of Persons with Disabilities and for finalizing work towards the ratification of the revised European Social Charter.
They called on all parties involved to initiate the drafting of a national plan of actions to improve living standards of persons with disabilities based on the relevant plans of actions adopted by the UN, the Council of Europe and the EU.
Taking part in the meeting were specialists of the relevant ministries and agencies, parliamentarians, members of the Public Chamber, non-governmental organizations, including associations of persons with disabilities, and UN experts.
The event was opened by Marco Borsotti, UN Permanent Representative in Russia.
The roundtable highlighted problems of the ratification of the UN Convention on Rights of Persons with Disabilities from the point of view of their inclusion. First of all, this concerns the creation of adequate employment opportunities and decent working conditions for people with disabilities, including youth.
High on the meeting’s agenda were the situation of persons with disabilities on the labour market and the creation of conditions for education and employment of young people with disabilities.
The Russian version of ILO’s new book, The right of persons with disabilities to decent work, represented by the Director of the ILO Subregional Office for Eastern Europe and Central Asia, reflects these themes.
“Our new book provides a road map for efforts to improve employment. This book describes the relevant international legal instruments, it reviews a menu of policy measures to facilitate work and employment, tells some success stories from international experience, and identifies key issues for action,” Elaine Fultz said.
“One of the central points of our new book is that hiring persons with disabilities makes economic sense. This is especially true as national populations are aging, and the size of labour force is starting to shrink,” she said.
“Our new book makes a strong case that ratification of the new UN Convention on Rights of Persons with Disabilities can provide a new impetus for eliminating discrimination on the basis of disability and in positively promoting inclusion. The principles of the new convention are in line with the relevant ILO standards, including Convention No. 159 on Vocational Rehabilitation and Employment of disabled persons. Drawing on Convention No. 159, the UN convention emphasizes consultation with stakeholders as a key element in disability policy making. Thus, ratification of this convention can help to give a voice to persons with disabilities and their advocates,” the ILO Subregional Office director concluded.
“We should make our utmost to ratify the Convention to create maximally favourable living conditions for persons with disabilities in our country and all over the world,” Iriada Leonova, Social Partnership Centre director, said.
State Duma parliamentarian Oleg Smolin stressed that “persons with disabilities are a part of Russia’s human potential and the country should be interested in persons with disabilities.”
“The signing of the Convention is an important step forward, but we have to strive for long to implement the Convention,” he said.
Roundtable participants adopted a final document, where they expressed readiness to deeper cooperation in ensuring social protection and decent employment of persons with disabilities. They called on Russia’s government and parliament to find an opportunity for signing and ratifying the Convention on Rights of Persons with Disabilities and for finalizing work towards the ratification of the revised European Social Charter.
They called on all parties involved to initiate the drafting of a national plan of actions to improve living standards of persons with disabilities based on the relevant plans of actions adopted by the UN, the Council of Europe and the EU.