Stevie
Wonder Says
Overcome
Lobbyists for
US To Ratify
Disabilities
Convention
By
Matthew
Russell Lee
UNITED
NATIONS,
September 23
-- When Stevie
Wonder spoke
at the UN on
disabilities
and
development on
Monday, it
was a feel
good moment.
Inner City
Press asked
Wonder about
the United
States not
having
ratified the
Disabilities
Convention:
what are the
stumbling
blocks?
Wonder
said he didn't
know the ins
and outs of
the stumbling
blocks, but
they will be
overcome. We
can't let the
lobbyists win,
he said.
Inner
City Press
also asked
about
accessibility
at the UN
itself. In
July,
Kenya's
Ambassador
said the UN
has "no
inkling" how
to be
accessible to
the disabled.
When Inner
City Press
pursued it,
word
was that
Secretary
General Ban
Ki-moon is
working on a
Bulletin on
Accessibility.
But where is
it?
In
the front row
at Monday's
press
conference was
UN official Daniela
Bas, who last
week told
Inner City
Press she
couldn't speak
for Ban
on the matter
of the
Bulletin on
Accessibility.
So who can?
On
the panel with
Stevie Wonder
was
Philippines
Ambassador
Libran
Cabactulan. He
previously
tried to
become Ban's
High
Representative
on
Disarmament,
but was passed
over for
Angela Kane of
Germany, who
needed another
high post
after leaving
the Department
of Management.
If
Cabactulan had
gotten that
post, it would
be him
negotiating
with
the Assad
government of
Syria for
access to
investigate
chemical
weapons. Be
careful what
you wish for?
Watch this
site.
Footnote:
DPI's
chief
moderated the
press
conference,
gracefully.
While he gave
the first
question to
UNCA, he gave
the second to
Inner City
Press,
which thanked
all three
including
Maria Soledad
Cisternas
Reyes,
Chair of the
Committee of
Rights of
Person with
Disabilities
on
behalf of the
new Free
UN Coalition
for Access,
@FUNCA_info.
Given much history,
limitations
and rights of
free speech
and
association,
when UNCA gets
or takes the
first
questions,
FUNCA will
too. And
Monday it was
appreciated.
, 
