The right to participate, with rights to win: the International Paralympic Games.

• Author: Farkas, Amy

On 17 September 2004 in Athens, Greece, 3,837 athletes from 136 nations were present to participate in the opening ceremonies of the XII Paralympic Games. As the second largest worldwide sporting event, the Paralympics provide Olympic-level sporting opportunities for athletes with disabilities from around the world. On the same day, the International Paralympic Committee (IPC), in collaboration with Rehabilitation International (RI, which also stands for rights and inclusion), hosted the first International Paralympic Symposium on Disability Rights. The event, aimed to give support to the draft UN convention to promote and protect the rights and dignity of persons with disabilities, advocated for the human rights of both Paralympic athletes and citizens with disabilities at large. These rights include, but are not limited to, the rights to play, to sports and recreation, and to full participation in society. It is vital that persons with disabilities and organizations working with them are educated and get involved in their own communities to support the work of the United Nations towards a disability convention.

The Paralympic Games were logically chosen as the site for launching the support of the IPC towards the draft UN convention. As the UN Secretary-General explains, "the Paralympic Games are a powerful demonstration of the vitality and achievements of persons with a disability worldwide". The athletes exemplify a human spirit that inspires and excites the world. They show the energy that sport has to offer in changing perceptions, and because sport is a common global language, the Paralympics have the opportunity to unite all. In September, the IPC adopted a position statement on human rights that serves to reinforce its core belief that every individual should enjoy access and opportunities to leisure, recreation and sporting activities. This right should be granted and guarded by the legal and administrative systems of responsible Governments and communities. The IPC believes both sport and human rights are for all.

While improvements have been made in some countries for persons with disabilities, the fact remains that without an international human rights convention, the rights of these members of society cannot be effectively guaranteed. As the largest minority group in the world, they have not received the same rights assurances that other minorities have achieved and they continue to face discrimination in numerous ways. A UN...