1. PERSONS WITH DISABILITIES: HOLDERS OF RIGHTS Ana Evelyn Jacir de Lovo Secretariat for Legal Affairs

2. LEGAL FRAMEWORK OF THE INTER-AMERICAN SYSTEM INTER-AMERICAN CONVENTION ON THE ELIMINATION OF ALL FORMS OF DISCRIMINATION AGAINST PERSONS WITH DISABILITIES CIADDIS ADOPTED IN 1999 AG/RES. 1608 (XXIX-O/99) PROGRAM OF ACTION FOR THE DECADE OF THE AMERICAS FOR THE RIGHTS AND DIGNITY OF PERSONS WITH DISABILITIES PAD ADOPTED IN 2006 AG/RES. 2339 (XXXVII-O/07)

3. THE INTER-AMERICAN CONVENTION ON THE ELIMINATION OF ALL FORMS OF DISCRIMINATION AGAINST PERSONS WITH DISABILITIES 21 SIGNATORY STATES Argentina Bolivia Brazil Chile Colombia Costa Rica Dominica* Ecuador El Salvador Guatemala Haiti Honduras Jamaica * Mexico Nicaragua Panama Paraguay Peru Dominican Republic Uruguay Venezuela

4. PROGRAM OF ACTION FOR THE DECADE OF THE AMERICAS FOR THE RIGHTS AND DIGNITY OF PERSONS WITH DISABILITIES 91 Activities across 9 Action Areas Promoting Social Awareness Health Education Employment Accessibility Political Participation Participation in Cultural, Artistic, Sports, and Recreational Activities Welfare and Social Assistance International Cooperation

5. EXPERTS FOLLOW-UP MECHANISM FORUM TO FOLLOW UP ON CIADDIS: CEDDIS FORUM TO FOLLOW UP ON THE PAD: CONADIS/SENADIS Each State Party designates one representative. This is a forum to monitor progress in the implementation of the Convention and to exchange experiences among the States Parties. Its duties include adopting guidelines for the presentation of the reports on measures the States Parties have taken to implement the Convention. Countries measure progress in the implementation of the PAD in the framework of the Meetings of Directors of Institutions and Formulators of Public Policy for Persons with Disabilities.

6. PROGRAM OF ACTION FOR THE DECADE OF THE AMERICAS FOR THE RIGHTS AND DIGNITY OF PERSONS WITH DISABILITIES POLITICAL PARTICIPATION To ensure the full and active participation and inclusion of persons with disabilities in public and political life, including in the formulation and adoption of government policies designed to protect and promote their rights on an equal basis with all other persons.

7. PROGRAM OF ACTION FOR THE DECADE OF THE AMERICAS FOR THE RIGHTS AND DIGNITY OF PERSONS WITH DISABILITIES POLITICAL PARTICIPATION ACTIONS ADOPTED 1. Ensure that persons with disabilities exercise their rights and duties as citizens and enjoy fundamental freedoms, by facilitating their registration and identification. 2. Guarantee full participation by persons with disabilities in the voting process as voters or candidates, on an equal basis with other people, providing the necessary means of access, including the option of voting with the assistance of the person of one’s choice, and adapting electoral systems to that end.

8. PROGRAM OF ACTION FOR THE DECADE OF THE AMERICAS FOR THE RIGHTS AND DIGNITY OF PERSONS WITH DISABILITIES POLITICAL PARTICIPATION ACTIONS ADOPTED 3. Promote participation by persons with disabilities in public office in their countries. 4. Consider the contributions and views of persons or organizations of persons with disabilities in the design, implementation, and monitoring of government policies in this area, especially those that directly affect them. 5. Promote coordination among the various associations of persons with disabilities so as to strengthen their participation in public policy debates at every level and consolidate the defense of their interests.

9. PROGRAM OF ACTION FOR THE DECADE OF THE AMERICAS FOR THE RIGHTS AND DIGNITY OF PERSONS WITH DISABILITIES POLITICAL PARTICIPATION ACTIONS ADOPTED 6. Promote training policies geared toward persons with disabilities in order to develop their leadership skills in public affairs. 7. Strengthen, institutionally and administratively, government agencies or mechanisms for the promotion and protection of the dignity and rights of persons with disabilities.

10. ROADMAP FOR REALIZING THE PAD OBJECTIVES ON PUBLIC PARTICIPATION Resolution AG/RES. 2731 (XLII-O/12) instructs the OAS Secretary General to make the greatest possible efforts to mainstream the disability perspective, from a rights standpoint, in all actions and decisions of the Organization. COOPERATION DECO + SLA/DISABILITY Promote partnerships between CONADIS and national electoral institutes that will translate into inclusive actions or programs: Campaigns on inclusive voting/ Protocols to ensure accessibility in the electoral process/ Checklist to monitor access conditions at polling stations/ Statistics on persons with disabilities who run as candidates and on the voting population of persons with disabilities.

11. PERSONS WITH DISABILITIES: HOLDERS OF RIGHTS Ana Evelyn Jacir de Lovo Secretariat for Legal Affairs ejacir@oas.org