COSP3 - day 1

3 September 2010
5.15pm.The Chair has announced another 45 minute break to do the remaining elections. I’m not staying for this as I have a Manhattan-drinking date with Connie from Inclusion International and then a dinner to discuss Article 19 of the CRPD.
 
Summary of the day:
Some people – including MDAC’s Gabor Gombos – were elected to the UN Committee on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities.
There have been no substantive discussions on the floor of the plenary.
The afternoon session on Article 19 has been pushed back to tomorrow. 
It's labor day weekend so few people are going to turn up on Friday. 
Big celebration in the MDAC camp that Gabor has been elected! Woop woop :-) 

Tune in tomorrow for more informational blogness! 
 
4.30pm. We’re back! 45 minutes turned into 90. In this round there were 86 ballots and one was void. So 85 States voted and the required majority was 43.
 
Hungary 47,  Serbia 45, [so the Hungary and Serbia candidates are on the Committee as they got more than 43 votes each], Algeria 39, Guatemala 37, Ecuador 35, Argentina 32, El Salvador 28, Philippines 26, Peru 26, Oman 25, South Africa 22, Guinea 21, Zambia 17, Saudi Arabia 16, Sudan 11. Congratulations to Gabor!
 
3.00pm. I hope you had a nice lunch. I had a humus bagel and attended a side session on the right to live in the community. The chair opens the session and tells us that the second round voting will begin. In the morning six candidates were elected, and now another six will be elected, out of the seventeen remaining candidates. Ballot papers are distributed. The Chair tells State delegates to mark an X next to up to six names. The chair texts someone on his BlackBerry while the States deploy their exes. Conference officers (people from three States Parties to the CRPD) collect the ballots. Long silence…
 
1.00pm. Results of the third round in the first batch of six seats 86, abstentions 1. 85 States voting. Majority required 43. Results of the third round: Tunisia 45, Algeria 40. So Tunisia is in. That’s it for the first batch of six seats. Back at 3pm.
 
12:38am. Results of the second round in the first batch of six seats. 88 votes were cast, 1 was invalid, therefore 87 votes valid. Required majority is 44. Results are: Kenya 56, Germany 53, Korea 50, Mexico 49 and Algeria 39, Tunisia 39, Hungary 38, Serbia 35, Guatamala 34, Argentina 26. This means that the candidates from Kenya, Germany, Korea and Mexico take up seats numbers 2, 3, 4 and 5 of the first batch of 6. Now there’s a third round North African standoff between Algeria and Tunisia. The Chair says that the team will try to count the votes in a record ten minutes!
 
11.05am. Second round ballots for the first batch of six seats are in. Meeting suspended for results to be tallied. Reconvene in 30 mins. The tension is mounting. Governmental delegates jump up and there is more chatter this time than the last break. I wonder why they can't do this electronically? Or at least do it in a fun way, with telecasts from capitals, like Eurovision. Anyway, back soon... 
 
10.50am. There are 88 ballots, 2 invalid which means that 86 States voting. Therefore the required majority is 44. (Doesn't it takes some talent for professional diplomats mess up a ballot!?). Here are the votes: Ronald McCallum from Australia (the current Chair) 48 votes, the candidate from Kenya 43, Korea 40, Germany 35, Algeria 41, Tunisia 28, Guatamala 27, Mexico 26, Serbia 26, Hungary (Gabor!) 25, Argentina 22, Denmark 21, Ecuador 20, El Salvador 18, Saudi Arabia 12, Uganda 11, Peru 11, Philippines 11, Guinea 10, South Africa 10, Zambia 10, Sudan 5. This means that Mr McCallum is the only person who is elected. Now there will be a second round, with the top ten candidates (which includes Gabor). Voting has begun now.

10.45am.Ballots are in. Meeting suspended for 45 mins for them to count the ballots!

10.40am. Ballot papers are being collected. I should say at this stage that I am here with an MDAC battalion: Kathryn, Ngila, Eyong and Sanyi are here. And of course our colleague Gabor is one of the candidates, having been nominated by his country, Hungary. Go, Gabor, go! 
 
10.30am. The president of COSP outlines the procedure, which you can find here. Today States Parties are electing six vacancies which expire on 31 December 2010. They will also elect another six due to the increase in the number of members from 12 to 18, triggered by the sixtieth ratification of the CRPD. The president reminds delegates of Art. 34 of the CRPD. The elections will be carried out by secret ballot. Only States Parties (those that have ratified) are eligible to vote. There are 23 candidates for the 12 seats to be filled. The candidates are listed in two documents: this one and this one. They are handing out ballots and have instructed States Parties to vote for six candidates. Six only. 6. Yes, SIX! This has been emphasised at least five, no, SIX, times!
 
10am.Welcome to the UN headquarters in New York. Things are already hotting up, quite literally as it is set to be 36 degrees celcius, or as they say here, 97. The UN is undergoing reconstruction so this year’s meeting is in the ‘North Lawn Building’. I will be updating this page throughout the day, so please hit refresh. New posts will appear at the top.
 
The Third Conference of States Parties (COSP) of the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD). This is the annual meeting of governments which have ratified or acceded to the CRPD. Countries which have signed but not ratified are allowed to attend, but not to vote. There are also several hundreds of representatives from non-governmental organisations (NGOs) here. COSP is opened by a video recording by High Commissioner for Human Rights Navi Pillay. She says she hopes that people with disabilities will also be elected to UN treaty bodies.