The Tribune

SOCIAL Services and Community Development Minister Melanie Griffin signed the protocol ratifying the UN Convention of the Rights of Persons With Disabilities on behalf of the Bahamas on Monday.

She also acceded to two optional protocols associated with the Convention on the Rights of The Child.

Ratification of the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons With Disabilities is a culmination of three years of advocacy. The Bahamas signed onto the convention in September 2013; passed national legislation in December 2014; and implemented the legislation earlier this year.

Mrs Griffin has said ratification of the Convention on the Rights of Persons With Disabilities is a significant achievement for the disabled community and the country as a whole, as it declares that the nation supports persons with disabilities and will make provisions for equal opportunities and rights for those persons.

The two optional protocols associated with the Convention on the Rights of the Child were signed onto over 20 years ago and speak to children involved in armed conflict as well as child prostitution and child pornography.

“While we don’t have armed conflict involving children here, acceding to the protocol strengthens our position here in our country as well as the international community. The Office of the Attorney General has given consideration to them and indicated that there is no impediment to the Bahamas signing onto those two optional conventions,” Mrs Griffin said.