The World Federation of the Deaf (WFD) is an international non-governmental organisation representing and promoting approximately 70 million deaf people’s human rights worldwide. The WFD is a federation of 133 nations; its mission is to promote the human rights of deaf people and full, quality and equal access to all spheres of life, including self determination, sign language, education, employment and community life. WFD has consultative status in the United Nations (UN), including the Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC); the UN Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO); the International Labour Organization (ILO); and the World Health Organization (WHO) and it has participatory status with the Council of Europe. The WFD is a member of the International Disability Alliance (IDA) The WFD secretariat is located in Helsinki, Finland.

The WFD is pleased to learn that Ms Christine Linnartz, a deaf candidate from Germany, is standing for election as a Member of the European Parliament (MEP) in the upcoming elections in May, 2014. She is current Vice President of the German Deaf Association, one of our full country members. WFD is pleased to recognise that Ms Linnartz has a wide experience and knowledge in disability and human rights issues and a proven record of consulting with the signing deaf community on all matters related to sign language and deaf people at the European Platform Level. The WFD looks forward to working with Ms Linnartz to ensure the full implementation of the UN Convention Rights on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities articles pertaining to sign language and deaf cultures.

The WFD therefore fully supports Ms Linnartz’s candidcacy for election to the European Parliament to represent the European Deaf Community and ensure that every deaf person has their human rights secured under the framework of the European Platform.