Introduction speech for international conference
Answers
On 16 December 1992, the General Assembly of the United Nations appealed to Governments around the world to observe 3 December of each year as International Day of people with disabilities. This is a day to celebrate abilities of people with a disability all over the world. The aim of observing this day each year is to increase awareness, and understanding, of disability issues, and the gains to be derived from the integration of people with a disability in every aspect of life. The nomination and celebration of this day is an important tool in promoting the rights of people with a disability.
But an international day, on its own, is not going to redress the discrimination which Australians with disabilities face throughout our community. Whilst things have improved a lot during the last few decades, the view expressed by the first Disability Discrimination Commissioner Elizabeth Hastings that we swim in a sea of discrimination is still true. So, in my view, the international day should not only be a celebration, but an opportunity for us to pause and look both at what has been achieved, and what is still left to do. That will be the flavour of my speech today.
Internationally, the most important occurrence this year for people with disabilities was the passage by the United Nations General Assembly of the International Convention on the Rights of People with Disabilities. The Convention, which almost 120 countries have signed, and 8 have ratified, sets out fundamental rights and freedoms for people with disabilities around the world, in all areas of life. Whilst it won't, in a major way, advance the rights of people with disabilities in Australia (because our laws are already well advanced) the value of an international instrument such as this to people with disabilities around the world cannot be under-estimated.
I don't have time today to talk about all of the provisions of the Convention. But of particular relevance because the focus of this year's international day is decent employment for people with disabilities, is Article 27 of the Convention which deals with work and employment. The article recognises the right to work, in a labour market that is open, inclusive and accessible..
Your Majesty, Mr. President, Madame Minister of Health, Mr. Mayor of the City of Seville, Messrs. Chairmen, Drs. Israel Hanin and Abraham Fisher, Excellencies, Distinguished Guests, Dear colleagues, friends, ladies and gentlemen:
It is a great honor for me to welcome all of you to Seville. On behalf of the organizers of the 6th International Conference on Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s diseases I would like to express my most sincere gratitude for your presence in this Opening Ceremony as the gateway to the initiation to our Scientific Program.
We are specially thankful to Her Majesty who, amid her heavy burdens, duties and responsibilities, has traveled from Madrid to Seville to dignify and magnify our meeting here today. Many of the dignitaries who are also sharing their time with us in this event, have also changed previous commitments in their political and professional duties to find time to render stimulation and appreciation to the international scientific community represented here by scientists from 48 different countries from all over the world.
Two years ago, Israel Hanin and Abraham Fisher decided to choose Seville as the location to celebrate the 6th ADPD Conference, and they asked me to collaborate with them in this endeavor. I also want to thank both of you, Israel and Abraham, for putting your trust in this country and in this Spanish colleague to maintain or even improve the high standards of this Conference as demonstrated over the years for almost two decades. It was a very pleasant experience to work together with both of you and with Kenes International to make your idea a reality in this 6th ADPD Conference. The result is an attractive Scientific Program in which we wanted to include the best scientists in the world and current leaders in the fields of dementia and Parkinson’s disease. Most of them are here; and I also want to thank all of you, dear colleagues and fellow-scientists, because our success is the merit of having all of you here to show the results of your excellent daily work which is essential for the scientific progress in dementia and age-related neurodegenerative disorders, and to improve the quality of life of our patients, their caregivers, and their families. You are the real stars of this scientific event, and we, the organizers, are but the instruments to bring together the best minds involved in the research of these medical, multidisciplinary specialties. Therefore, thank you so much for being here despite the danger of the Irak war and the health threat posed by the severe acute respiratory syndrome.