Fourth Quarter 2001 Newsletter (Last Updated On: ) United Nations UN New York The NGO Committee on Mental Health presented a program on 13 December 2001 to mark the UN Human Rights Day and the Ten Year Anniversary of UN Resolution 46/119 – “The Protection of Persons with Mental Illness and the Improvement of Mental Health Care.” The panel was organized and chaired by Nancy Wallace, WFMH Main Representative at the UN and Past Chair of the NGO Committee. The three speakers were Tina Minkowitz, J.D., a member of the World Network of Users and Survivors of Psychiatry (“What does Disability Rights have to do with the MI Principles? A Perspective from the User/Survivor Movement”); Laura Prescott, President of Sister Witness International, Inc.(“Shattering the Silence: Protecting the Rights of Institutionalized Women across the Spectrum”); and Maribel Derjani-Bayeh, Social Affairs Officer in the Programme on Disability in the UN’s Department of Economic and Social Affairs (“Update on the General Assembly Resolution calling for an International Convention to Protect and Promote the Rights and Dignity of Persons with Disabilities”). Ms. Derjani-Bayeh reported on an important new development at the United Nations of special interest to NGOs concerned with disabilities. On Friday, 30 November, the UN General Assembly approved, by consensus, a Resolution put forward by the Government of Mexico calling for a comprehensive international convention to protect the rights and dignity of people with disabilities. An Ad Hoc Committee will be established by the General Assembly to consider proposals for the convention, taking into account recommendations of the UN Commission on Human Rights and the UN Commission on Social Development. The two Commissions will play a leading role in developing the content of the convention. In 2002 the consultative process of creating the convention is expected to occupy a central place in the work of UN bodies and NGOs concerned with disabilities and human rights, including the NGO Committee for Mental Health. Ms. Wallace is convening a new Working Group on Human Rights and Mental Health that will focus on this new UN initiative. UN World Assembly on Ageing The UN Second World Assembly on Ageing will take place on 8-12 April 2002 in Madrid. An NGO Forum will accompany the official government conference. The purpose of this meeting is to update the 1982 International Plan of Action on Ageing. The First World Assembly on Ageing took place in 1982 in Vienna. The revised Plan will take account of the population shift towards expansion in the numbers of older persons in many societies, and the changing needs of developing countries. Fourth Quarter 2001 Newsletter