Committee on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities concludes fourteenth session

ROUNDUP

4 September 2015

The Committee on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities today concluded its fourteenth session after adopting its concluding observations and recommendations on the reports of Kenya, Ukraine, Gabon, Mauritius, Brazil, Qatar and the European Union on how they implement the provisions of the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities.

Maria Soledad Cisternas Reyes, Committee Chairperson, thanked the members for their hard work and cooperation.

In addition to adopting the concluding observations and recommendations on the reports reviewed, the Committee also adopted a statement on the World Humanitarian Summit and Guidelines on the Right to Liberty and Security of Persons with Disabilities. During the session, the Committee considered matters concerning its inquiry procedure pursuant to articles 6 and 7 of the Optional Protocol to the Convention, and discussed the draft General Comment on Article 24 on inclusive education.

On the treaty body strengthening process, the Committee endorsed the Guidelines against Intimidation and Reprisals (the San José Guidelines) and the Common Consultation Process in the Adoption of General Comments, which was included in its methods of work.

The International Disability Alliance noted that the Committee had created a precedent with its review of the European Union’s report, setting a strong model for other human rights treaty bodies to follow. The critical importance of Article 19 was emphasized. The Committee’s online viewership had reached record numbers. The Disability Council International said that the adopted recommendations would help relevant States make progress and bring their legislation and practice in line with United Nations norms. The 2016 World Humanitarian Summit should, inter alia, ensure that in emergency situations nobody, including persons with disabilities, will be left behind.

Most of the concluding observations and recommendations for the parties considered are available on the Committee’s webpage, whereas the rest will be available by the end of the day on 7 September. Detailed summaries of the public meetings of the Committee are available here.

The fifteenth session of the Committee will mark the tenth anniversary of the Convention.
It will be held from 29 March to 21 April 2016, during which the Committee will consider the reports of Chile, Lithuania, Portugal, Serbia, Slovakia, Thailand and Uganda.

More information on the Committee on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities can be found at http://www.ohchr.org/en/treaty-bodies/crpd

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For use of the information media; not an official record