Expert meeting on deprivation of liberty of persons with disabilities

OHCHR held an expert meeting on the deprivation of liberty of persons with disabilities on 8-9 September 2015.

The objectives of the meeting were to:

• identify gaps and challenges posed by the non-discriminatory approach to the deprivation of liberty within existing law
• identify possible future actions to address existing gaps and challenges (research, development of protocols, law reform, etc.).
• Explore concrete alternative solutions to existing disability-specific forms of deprivation of liberty that respect an individual�s dignity, will and preferences.

The expert meeting gathered 15 participants, including members of the Committee on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, independent experts, scholars and representatives of organizations of persons with disabilities. It combined interactive presentations by seven of the participants with different methodologies for knowledge management and debate.

• Agenda of the Expert Meeting

A background note on the right to liberty and security of persons with disabilities was distributed to the participants prior to the meeting which included relevant information related CRPD standards under Article 14 of the CRPD.

Meeting outcomes:

• Background Note updated with inputs from the expert meeting
• Conclusions and recommendations of the expert meeting