Fourth Day
A revised, "indicative" proposed Programme of work was introduced by the
Chair dated Aug 1, 2002. The matter of NGO participation was resolved following
informal consultations held in closed session.
Procedural Issues
In response to the sense of "urgency" that it perceived from other delegations,
India indicated its concern that the drafting process not be hurried, and
that "due process" be followed to facilitate the drafting of an effective
convention, giving time for communication with home capitals. This position
was supported by the Czech Republic. Denmark, on behalf of the EU and associated
countries, reiterated that organizational questions be settled prior to
discussion of substantive issues. Chile indicated that it would be willing
to settle preliminary procedural questions in order to move quickly to the
discussion of substantive issues. This was echoed by Sierra Leone, South
Africa, and Mexico. Surinam considered it important to move forward with
a discussion of substantive issues (as set forth in a draft Programme of
Work distributed by the Chair), in order to assure people with disabilities
of the Committee's "honest" commitment to the protection of the rights of
people with disabilities.
Content and Time table of Committee Work
The Programme of Work proposed by the Chairperson yesterday at the end of
the session was distributed in a revised form, dated August 1, 2002. The
revisions were: removing the sub-topics specifying the types of rights to
be discussed, and changing the reference to "Third Generation Rights" to
"Other Rights". This partly but not entirely addressed the US request that
any reference to such rights, which it does not recognize, be removed from
an agenda.
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