On 22 and 23 May 2008, the annual EU ministerial conference on the rights of people with disabilities will take place in Kranjska Gora, Slovenia. The conference is organised by the Slovenian EU-Presidency. The national ministers responsible for persons with disabilities debate on the situation in local communities, employment and accessibility in the broadest sense. The central theme of the conference will be the implementation of the "UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities", that was signed by the EU Member States in 2007.

EASPD, the European umbrella organisation of Service providers for Persons with Disabilities, will also attend the conference. EASPD calls on the Member States and the European Commission to ratify the UN Convention without further delay. The European Union should set a standard worldwide and act as a model of good practice. Moreover, EASPD outlines strategic reasons for a quick ratification: the first 20 countries that ratify the Convention will be able to steer the work of the future UN Expert/Monitoring Group.

EASPD also appeals to the Member States to organise conferences in every country to discuss and monitor the correct implementation of the UN Convention. These conferences should be organized with the involvement all national ministries, because only this can guarantee real mainstreaming (one of the key concepts in the UN Convention). According to EASPD, such conferences can only be successful when set up in close cooperation with people with disabilities, service provider networks and other stakeholders involved. The conferences should aim at a comprehensive and coherent implementation strategy.

Employment of people with disabilities is a key issue in the UN Convention, but also in the European Commission Bi-annual Action Plan 2008-2009. Over the past ten years, there has been hardly any progress in that area. It is remarkable that, although European employment rates are generally rising, the number of employed persons with disability is static or even diminishing. Therefore, EASPD calls on the European Commission and the Member States to develop a multi-perspective strategic plan, taking into account the EASPD STAR recommendations (Stakeholder cooperation, Targeted actions, Availability and Research).