On 8 June 1999, in Guatemala City, the Inter-American Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Persons with Disabilities is opened for signature — the OAS instrument adopted the day before by the General Assembly.

The text requires states to facilitate the full integration of persons with disabilities through legislation, social initiatives and educational programmes, and to combat discrimination in all its forms.

Depositary: OAS General Secretariat; languages: English, French, Portuguese, Spanish. Entry into force: 14 September 2001 after the sixth ratification.

By the 2010s about 19 states were parties. The Convention precedes and complements the 2006 UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities at the regional level.

For the Americas, 8 June 1999 marks the first hemispheric treaty expressly devoted to non-discrimination on grounds of disability.

The official text appears in OAS treaties (A-65).

The Inter-American Convention of 8 June 1999 remains the OAS regional framework against discrimination of persons with disabilities.

Image: Guatemala; Wikimedia Commons. Cropped to 16:9.

Source consulted: Inter-American Convention on the Elimination of all Forms of Discrimination Against Persons with Disabilities. Treaty text: Inter-American Convention on Disability Discrimination (OAS A-65).