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The United Nations Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) has prepared a questionnaire on the new UN Disability Convention with a view to strengthening and improving the quality of the relationship between OHCHR and persons with disabilities and their representative organisations. OHCHR has prepared this questionnaire in the context of the recent adoption of the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities and the Optional Protocol. The Convention upholds participation as both a principle and a stand alone right. Moreover, States Parties to the new Convention have an obligation to consult with and actively involve persons with disabilities and their representative organisations in decision-making processes concerning issues relating to persons with disabilities. It is in this spirit that OHCHR has prepared this questionnaire as a first step in strengthening the participation of persons with disabilities in the UN human rights system. Importantly, a new Committee on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities will shortly be established under the Convention. The Committee, consisting of 18 independent experts, will monitor implementation of the Convention and will be supported by staff working at OHCHR. In this context, it will be important that persons with disabilities and their representative organisations understand and are able to access the international human rights system, its mechanisms and the OHCHR. To this end, the questionnaire has two principal objectives. 1. To enable OHCHR to have a more complete list of organisations and independent experts working in the field of human rights and disability 2. To promote awareness of OHCHR and the international human rights system to persons with disabilities and their representative organisations. OHCHR is also updating its civil society Handbook – Working with the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights: A Handbook for NGOs so as to include material on the new Convention and its Optional Protocol, as well as material relevant for persons with disabilities. OHCHR is therefore interested to hear your comments on the Handbook. The Handbook is available here. The Handbook is currently available in electronic version, in English and Arabic (in word and pdf). Please fill out and return the questionnaire by 31 August 2007 to the following email address: [email protected] or by fax, +41 22 928 90 10 addressed to Ms Adriana Zarraluqui. Further information