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A/AC.265/2006/6

Letter dated 2006/12/05 from the Permanent Representative of Finland to the United Nations addressed to the Chairman of the Committee

UN Document Symbol A/AC.265/2006/6
Convention Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities
Document Type Letter
Session Resumed 8th
Type Document
Description

1 p.

Subjects Persons with Disabilities

Extracted Text

United Nations A/AC.265/2006/6
General Assembly
Distr.: General
7 December 2006
Original: English
06-64769 (E) 111206
*0664769*
Ad Hoc Committee on a Comprehensive and
Integral International Convention on the
Protection and Promotion of the Rights and
Dignity of Persons with Disabilities
Resumed eighth session
New York, 5 December 2006
Letter dated 5 December 2006 from the Permanent Representative
of Finland to the United Nations addressed to the Chairman of
the Committee
I have the honour of writing to you on behalf of the European Union and the
delegations of Andorra, Armenia, Australia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria,
Canada, Croatia. Iceland, Israel, Moldova, Monaco, Norway, Romania, San Marino,
Serbia, Switzerland, the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia and the United
States of America.
The above-mentioned delegations reaffirm that they are prepared to join
consensus in accepting the changes to the Arabic translation of the text of the draft
Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities and the draft Optional
Protocol, based on the understanding that the changes are technical in nature, as we
have been assured, and do not create a conflict with article 50 of the present draft
convention, which states that the Arabic, Chinese, English, French, Russian and
Spanish texts shall be equally authentic, or with article 33, paragraph 3, of the
Vienna Convention on the Law of Treaties, which states that “The terms of the
treaty are presumed to have the same meaning in each authentic text”.
According to article 12, paragraph 2, of the draft Convention, “States Parties
shall recognize that persons with disabilities enjoy legal capacity on an equal basis
with others in all aspects of life”. It is our understanding that the concept “legal
capacity” has the same meaning in all language versions.
It is on the basis of this understanding that we are ready to join the consensus.
We would also request the inclusion of this letter in the report of this session.
(Signed) Kirsti Lintonen
Representative of the Presidency of the European Union
Permanent Representative of Finland to the United Nations