SAFOD

Southern Africa Federation of the Disabled

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Economic, Social, and Cultural Rights

Institutes an affirmative action to legally remove social disadvantages and put in place protective legal provisions for people with disabilities. Raises the legal literacy and advocacy skills amongst the leadership of disabled people. Promotes equal opportunities legislation.

The Full Range of Civil, Political, Economic, Social, and Cultural Rights

Following a resolution in 2001 by the Government of Mexico, the UN General Assembly in Resolution 56/88 called for the establishment of an Ad Hoc Committee to determine whether or not there was a need for a separate Convention to protect the human rights of persons with disabilities.
 The 2002 Ad Hoc Committee meeting agreed that the UN should proceed with the development of a Convention. In December 2002, the UN accepted the Ad Hoc Committee’s recommendation. The Ad Hoc Committee works on a proposal for a comprehensive and integral International Convention on Protection and Promotion of the Rights and Dignity of Persons with Disabilities.
 The Panel explored three models of an international convention:

1.       Holistic rights-Model after the Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC).

2.       Non-discrimination Model after the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW) and the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination (CERD).

3.       Hybrid Model, combining non-discrimination and equality with separate statements of existing rights guarantees, tailored to specific situations of persons with disabilities. The committee established a Working Group with the aim of preparing and presenting a draft text. The group includes disability organizations.

SAFOD Director General, Alexander Phiri (centre) and delegates to the Human Rights Conference in Ondangwa, Namibia in 2003 - dressed in campaign t-shirts - are working on the final resolution.

SAFOD in the forefront of the struggle for human rights

In the struggle for human rights for disabled people SAFOD was always in the forefront. In July 1998 SAFOD organized a Human Rights Conference in Gaborone, Botswana with the support of USAIDS.
Delegates of Disabled People’s Organizations from all ten member countries, from governments and Human Rights Organizations adopted the Tlokweng Human Rights Agenda No 1.

-          Principles and UN Standard Rules should be incorporated into national legislation;

-          National Governments, DPO and NGO should consult with each other on the protection of the human rights of disabled people;

-          Self-representation of people with disabilities should be promoted in all structures and governments.

In July 1999 the 2nd SAFOD Human Rights Conference in Windhoek, Namibia demanded for “freedom from any form of oppression”. Disabled people are no longer satisfied with care-giving and indirect representation on their affairs.
From year 2000 SAFOD directed its Human Rights Project on the introduction of a SADC Protocol on the Human Rights of Disabled People.
In 2002 SAFOD joint the international initiative for a UN Convention on Human Rights for disabled people.