On 14 July 2016, the  UN Declaration on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities will come into  force in the Netherlands. The declaration is an international human rights treaty of the United Nations intended to protect the rights and dignity of persons with disabilities. Parties to the Convention are required to promote, protect, and ensure the full enjoyment of human rights by persons with disabilities and ensure that they enjoy full equality under the law.

For a long time, the Netherlands had been one of the few countries in Europe that signed, but did not ratify the UN Declaration. From this day onwards people with disabilities who feel discriminated in their access to goods and services, can turn to the College of Human Rights, an independent supervisory body for the protection of human rights in the Netherlands.

The road to ratification of the UN Declaration in the Netherlands has been a long one. But IederIn, the Dutch umbrella organization for people with a physical disability, mental disability or chronic illness, finally succeeded to receive the necessary support. On 14 July 2016 you are invited to celebrate this great succes with our stakeholder by sending a selfie, tweet or support message.