NEW YORK, New York – Minister of Social Services and Community Development Melanie Griffin signed the protocol ratifying the U.N. Convention of the Rights of Persons With Disabilities on behalf of the Government and the people of the Commonwealth of The Bahamas on Monday, September 28, 2015.

She also acceded to two optional protocols associated with the Convention on the Rights of The Child.

Ratification of the U.N. Convention on the Rights of Persons With Disabilities is a culmination of three years of advocacy: The Bahamas signed onto the Convention in September 2013; passed national legislation in December 2014; and implemented the legislation earlier this year. Mrs. Griffin has said ratification of the Convention on the Rights of Persons With Disabilities is a significant achievement for the community of persons with disabilities, and The Bahamas as a country, as it declares that the nation supports persons with disabilities and will make provisions for equal opportunities and rights for those persons.

The two optional protocols associated with the Convention on the Rights of the Child was signed onto over 20 years ago and speak to children involved in armed conflict as well as child prostitution and child pornography.

Mrs. Griffin has said: “while we don’t have armed conflict involving children here, acceding to the protocol strengthens our position here in our country as well as the international community. The Office of the Attorney General has given consideration to them and indicated that there is no impediment to The Bahamas signing onto those two optional conventions."