A/HRC/13/29 barriers”.2 On this basis, article 1 states that the purpose of the Convention is “to promote, protect and ensure the full and equal enjoyment of all human rights and fundamental freedoms by all persons with disabilities, and to promote respect for their inherent dignity”.3 8. The Convention reaffirms that persons with disabilities enjoy the same human rights as everyone else in the civil, cultural, economic, political and social spheres. In order to ensure an environment conducive to the fulfilment of the rights of persons with disabilities, the Convention also includes articles on awareness-raising, accessibility, situations of risk and humanitarian emergencies, access to justice, personal mobility, habilitation and rehabilitation, as well as statistics and data collection.4 9. At the time of the of submission of the present report, 76 States had ratified the Convention and 48 the Optional Protocol, while 143 and 87 States respectively were signatories to the 2 instruments.5 The Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities is the first human rights treaty that is open for confirmation or accession by regional integration organizations. The European Community is a signatory to the Convention. III. Implementation and monitoring of the Convention 10. In accordance with article 4 of the Convention, States that ratify the Convention agree to promote and ensure the full respect of all human rights and fundamental freedoms for all persons with disabilities, without discrimination of any kind. For this, States Parties are required to “adopt all appropriate legislative, administrative and other measures for the implementation of the rights recognized in the present Convention”.6 Implementation is therefore the process whereby States parties take action to ensure the realization of all rights contained in a given treaty within their jurisdiction.7 11. In all human rights treaties, the implementation obligation is closely linked to a monitoring component. The monitoring of human rights treaties is needed to assess whether measures to implement the treaty are adopted and applied, but also to evaluate their results and therefore provide feedback for implementation. Monitoring mechanisms foster accountability and, over the long term, strengthen the capacity of parties to treaties to fulfil their commitments and obligations. 12. The Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities provides for monitoring of the implementation of the Convention both at the international and national level. 2 3 4 5 6 7 4 Para. (e) of the preamble to the Convention. For an overview of the Convention, see From Exclusion to Equality: Realizing the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (HR/PUB/07/6), Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR), published jointly with the United Nations Department for Economic and Social Affairs (DESA) and the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU). Available at http://www.ohchr.org/EN/ PublicationsResources/Pages/TrainingEducation.aspx. OHCHR, Monitoring the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities: Guidance for human rights monitors, forthcoming (2010). Information on the status of the Convention and its Optional Protocol is available at http://www2.ohchr.org/english/issues/disability/index.htm and http://www.un.org/disabilities/. Art. 4, para. 1 (a). For a comprehensive review of legal measures required for the implementation of the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, refer to Thematic study by the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights on enhancing awareness and understanding of the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (A/HRC/10/48), available at http://www2.ohchr.org/english/bodies/hrcouncil/docs/10session/A.HRC.10.48.pdf. GE.09-17748