04/05/2009 (Agence Europe) - In Strasbourg on Friday 24 April, the European Parliament adopted reports by Rumiana Jeleva (EPP-ED, Bulgaria) on (1) the proposal for a Council decision on the conclusion, by the European Community, of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (396 votes to 2, with 9 abstentions); (2) the optional protocol to the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (388 votes to none, with 8 abstentions); (3) a resolution on the above-mentioned United Nations Convention (320 votes to 2, with 7 abstentions). With these votes, Parliament has indicated that it considers it important to adopt the Convention if the rights of people with disability are to be recognised, and to promote respect for their intrinsic dignity. It calls on all member states to ratify the Convention speedily and to implement the provisions it contains even before ratification is complete. (G.B./transl.rt)