IDA Disability Rights Bulletin (April 2014)

Contents

Global News.............................................................................................................1New York News........................................................................................................1Geneva News...........................................................................................................2 Treaty Bodies........................................................................................................2 Universal Periodic Review.....................................................................................5Upcoming Meetings.................................................................................................5 Treaty Bodies........................................................................................................5About IDA Disability Rights Bulletin.........................................................................6

Global News

CRPD ratifications reach 145

The ratifications of the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD) by the State of Palestine on 2 April 2014 and Switzerland on 15 April 2014 bring a total of 145 States Parties to the CRPD, while the Optional Protocol (OP) has 80 ratifications.The number of signatures to the CRPD is 158 while the OP has 92 signatures.List of signatories and States Parties

New York News

Joint Event of the General Assembly and the Economic and Social Council

On 9-10 April, the President of the General Assembly and the President of the Economic and Social Council held a joint event entitled: “The role of partnerships in the implementation of the Post-2015 Development Agenda”. In advance of the event, IDA and the International Disability and Development Consortium (IDDC) provided written inputs to the office of the PGA emphasising the inclusion of persons with disabilities and their representative organisations in the new global partnership in light of Article 32 of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD). IDA and IDDC recommended that the new partnership should be constructed as a platform for multi-stakeholder policy dialogues to impact national implementation of the post-2015. Further, it was highlighted that the creation of multi-stakeholder forums should be composed of governments, civil society and the private sector. These forums would serve as an advisory and monitoring body to: (1) concentrate on gaps in implementation and (2) provide technical expertise for implementation of the new goals, in particular for marginalised groups, such as persons with disabilities.Related Documents:

PGA - inputs on the role of partnerships in the implementation of the Post-2015 Development Agenda

President of the General Assembly Thematic Debate

On 24 – 25 April, the President of the General Assembly (PGA) held a Thematic Debate titled “Ensuring Stable and Peaceful Societies”. In advance of the event, IDA and the International Disability and Development Consortium (IDDC) provided written inputs to the office of the PGA highlighting the importance of the creation of participatory governance,

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which enables the representation of all citizens, especially the most marginalised, such as persons with disabilities, women, indigenous populations and older people. Related Documents:

PGA - Ensuring Stable and Peaceful Societies IDA and IDDC Inputs

Geneva News

Treaty Bodies

The 11 th session of the Committee on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD Committee) took place from 31 March to 11 April. Interactive dialogues were held with Sweden, Azerbaijan and Costa Rica. The Committee met in closed sessions to adopt the Concluding Observations on Sweden, Azerbaijan and Costa Rica, as well as the list of issues on Mexico.

The Committee conducted public readings of the General Comments on Articles 12 and 9 respectively and proceeded to adopt its first ever general comments- General Comment no 1 on Article 12 (equal recognition before the law), and General Comment no 2 on Article 9 (accessibility). The Committee decided to establish an online database on the implementation of supported decision-making under Article 12. With respect to the upcoming General Comment on Article 6 (women and girls with disabilities), the Committee adopted a draft outline of the General Comment.

In addition, the Committee adopted its views with respect to two individual communications, Liliane Gröninger v Germany (no 2/2010) and X v Argentina (no 8/2012), as well as its Guidelines for the participation of disabled persons’ organisations and civil society organisations in the work of the Committee.

All public sessions, including the opening, reviews of Sweden, Azerbaijan and Costa Rica and the public readings of the General Comments on Articles 12 and 9 were webcast live by IDA and have been archived for subsequent viewing.

In addition, the following public side events were also webcast live and archived for subsequent viewing:

Side event on World Autism Awareness Day organised by Autistic Minority International

Side event on legal capacity organised by the World Network of Users and Survivors of Psychiatry (WNUSP)

Side event on advancing the rights of indigenous persons with disabilities co-organised by IDA, Disability Rights Advocacy Fund and the UN Voluntary Fund for Indigenous Peoples (English & Spanish audio)

Following the 11th session, the Committee held its 1 st pre-session week from 14-17 April during which it adopted list of issues on Germany, Korea, Belgium, Denmark, New Zealand and Ecuador.

11 th session and 1 st pre-session related documents and information:

CRPD Committee 11th session and 1 st pre-session websites Programme of work of 11th session Concluding Observations on Sweden, Azerbaijan and Costa Rica List of issues on Mexico, Germany, Korea, Belgium, Denmark, New Zealand and

Ecuador

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General Comment no 1 on Article 12 & General Comment no 2 on Article 9, and Committee press release on the General Comments

Draft outline on General Comment on Article 6 (women and girls with disabilities) Decisions on individual communications: Liliane Gröninger v Germany (no 2/2010)

& X v Argentina (no 8/2012), and Committee press release on X v Argentina Guidelines for the participation of disabled persons’ organisations and civil society

organisations in the work of the Committee

IDA summaries Opening of 11th session Reviews of Sweden, Azerbaijan and Costa Rica (English & Spanish) Public reading on General Comment no 1 on Article 12 Public reading General Comment no 2 on Article 9 Side events on: autism; legal capacity; and indigenous persons Committee’s views in Liliane Gröninger v Germany (no 2/2010) and X v Argentina

(no 8/2012) Closing including decisions taken during the 11th session

DPO submissions Submission of Equally Unique (Swedish Federation Human Rights for Persons

with Disabilities) in response to the list of issues Submission of the Swedish Disability Federation in response to the list of issues Submission of the Union of DPOs of Azerbaijan in response to the list of issues Submission of the Coalition of Costa Rican DPOs on the list of issues on Costa

Rica Submission by Coalición México por los Derechos de las Personas con

Discapacidad (COAMEX) for the list of issues on Mexico Alternative report of the Germany CRPD Alliance (BRK Allianz) and submission on

the list of issues on Germany Alternative report by ESH (Enthinderungsselbsthilfe von Autisten für Autisten (und

Angehörige) Submission by the Korean DPO and NGO Coalition for the UN CRPD Parallel

Report Shadow report by the Gelijke Rechten voor Iedere Persoon met een handicap

(GRIP) on Belgium Alternative Report of the Belgian Disability Forum Danish DPO Coalition Report New Zealand DPOs submission on the list of issues

Webcast archives Opening of 11th session

o English o Spanish & International Sign

Review of Sweden o English o French & International Sign

Review of Azerbaijan o Russian o English & International Sign

Review of Costa Rica o Spanish o English, International Sign and Costa Rican national sign language

Reading of General Comment on Article 12o English

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o Spanish & International Sign Reading of General Comment on Article 9

o English o Spanish & International Sign

Side event on autism organised by Autistic Minority International Side event on legal capacity organised by the World Network of Users and

Survivors of Psychiatry Side event on advancing the rights of indigenous persons with disabilities

o English o Spanish

12 th and future sessions:

The 12 th session will take place from 15 September to 3 October 2014 during which the Committee will review Mexico, Korea, Belgium, Denmark, New Zealand and Ecuador, and adopt the list of issues on Croatia and Czech Republic. A pre-sessional week will be held from 6-10 October during which the list of issues will be adopted on Dominican Republic, Turkmenistan (TBC), UK (TBC) and Mongolia (TBC)- see the Committee’s information note on the 12 th session ;

The 13th session will take place from 13-24 April 2015, followed by the 3rd pre-sessional working group from 27 -30 April 2015. At the 13th session, the Committee will hold a day of general discussion on Article 19 and Article 24 in view of elaborating General Comments on these two provisions;

The 14th session will take place from 14 September- 2 October 2015, followed by the 4th pre-sessional working group from 5-9 October 2015.

Country rapporteurs have been designated for upcoming country reviews as follows:

Croatia- Theresia Degener Czech Republic- Damjan Tatic UK- Stig Langvad Turkmenistan- Laszlo Lovaszy Dominican Republic- Silvia Quan Mongolia- Hyung Shik Kim Cook Islands- Diane Mulligan Kenya- Martin Babu Mwesigwa Brazil- Theresia Degener Mauritius- Safak Pavey

The Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (CESCR Committee) is meeting for its 52 nd session from 28 April – 23 May 2014 to review the reports of Armenia, China, China (HK), China (Macau), Czech Republic, El Salvador, Indonesia, Lithuania, Monaco, Serbia, Ukraine and Uzbekistan. Some of the public sessions are being webcast live at www.treatybodywebcast.org

The Committee against Torture (CAT Committee) is meeting for its 52nd session from 28 April – 23 May 2014 to review the reports of Cyprus, Holy See, Lithuania, Montenegro, Sierra Leone, Thailand, Uruguay and Guinea. It will also adopt lists of issues on Burundi and Venezuela as well as lists of issues priori to reporting on Canada, Czech Republic, Mexico, Norway, Peru and Russia. The public sessions are being webcast live at www.treatybodywebcast.org

Universal Periodic Review

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The 19th session of the Universal Periodic Review took place from 28 April to 9 May 2014 in Geneva. The countries that were reviewed include Norway, Albania, Democratic Republic of Congo, Côte d’Ivoire, Portugal, Bhutan, Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, Brunei Darussalam, Costa Rica, Equatorial Guinea, Ethiopia, Qatar, and Nicaragua. Click here for DPO report of Albania and here for report from Costa Rica. For more information, visit the OHCHR web page on the Universal Periodic Review.

UN Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues

The Thirteenth Session of the UN Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues is taking place from 12 – 23 May at the UN Headquarters in New York. For detailed information on the Forum, including background information and the Programme of Work, please see the website: http://undesadspd.org/IndigenousPeoples.aspx

Upcoming Meetings

Treaty Bodies

The Committee on the Rights of the Child (CRC Committee) will meet for its 66th

session from 26 May - 13 June 2014 to review the reports of India, Indonesia, Jordan, Kyrgyzstan, Saint Lucia. The public sessions will be webcast live at www.treatybodywebcast.orgOn 14 April 2014, the Optional Protocol to the Convention on the Rights of the Child on a communications procedure entered into force following its ratification by ten countries (Albania, Bolivia, Gabon, Germany, Montenegro, Portugal, Spain, Thailand, Slovakia, Costa Rica). The third Optional Protocol enables children and their representatives to submit complaints to the CRC Committee on violations of their rights under the CRC as well as under its two Optional Protocols (on the involvement of children in armed conflict and on the sale of children, child pornography and child prostitution). Related documents and information:

Submission on list of issues for India by DPI India

During the upcoming 58th session of the Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW Committee), the Committee will hold a half day of general discussion on girls'/women's right to education (Article 10 of CEDAW) on 7 July 2014 from 10am to 1pm at Palais des Nations. The event will be the debut of the Committee's elaboration of a General Recommendation on girls'/women's right to education in order to provide appropriate and authoritative guidance to States Parties to the CEDAW on the measures to be adopted with a view to ensuring full compliance with their obligations under Article 10 of the Convention to respect, protect and fulfil the right of women and girls to education. 

The Committee has posted a concept note which sets out the different aspects of the right to girls'/women's right to education and its correlation with other articles in the CEDAW. The concept note identifies women with disabilities as a disadvantaged group: "The move from identifying persons with disabilities as limited in their ability to exercise the right to education, towards acknowledging citizens with disabilities as equal citizens with an equal claim to the right to education, represents an important expansion that can be made in the proposed general recommendation." 

Written contributions on the theme of the general discussion should be sent electronically in Word format to Mr Lukas Machon at lmachon@ohchr.org indicating "General discussion

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on the right to education" in the subject.  Submissions should not exceed 10 pages and should be received by 20 June 2014 at the latest. Written contributions will not be translated and should therefore be submitted in English, French or Spanish, the working languages of the Secretariat.

Civil Society CRPD Forum and Conference of States Parties

The Seventh Session of the Conference of States Parties to the UN CRPD will be held at the UN Headquarters in New York from June 10 – 12. For detailed information on the Conference, including a draft agenda, please see the UN Enable website: http://www.un.org/disabilities/default.asp?navid=15&pid=1615. There is no over–arching theme this year; instead, the first day will comprise CRPD Committee elections and general statements, and the following two days will be arranged as follows:

Round Table 1: Incorporating Provisions of the UN CRPD in the Post-2015 Development Agenda (Morning Session, 11 June)

Round Table 2: National Implementation and Monitoring (Afternoon Session, 11 June)

Informal Panel: Youth with Disabilities (Morning Session, 12 June)

The Civil Society CRPD Forum will be held on Monday 9 June in advance of the Conference of States Parties to the UN CRPD. The Forum will run from 10am – 6pm at the UN Headquarters in New York, Conference Room 4 of the North Lawn Building.

CRPD Committee elections

The CRPD Committee elections will also take place at the Conference of States Parties for nine of the eighteen seats of the Committee on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities.

For the past elections, IDA disseminated a questionnaire to the CRPD Committee candidates in an effort to find out more about their experience and expertise in the field of disability rights. Their replies were posted online in order to assist States Parties to make informed votes at the elections based on the quality of the candidates.

IDA is engaging in the same process for the present elections and the questionnaire (available in English and Spanish) has been sent out to the candidates. Their responses are being posted on IDA’s website upon receipt.

Related documents and information: IDA guidance note on elections in English, Spanish and French Committee's website dedicated to the 2014 elections   IDA's website on the Conference of States Parties

An updated 2014 treaty body calendar setting out the countries coming up for review and for adoption of list of issues, with deadlines, is available here.

About the IDA Disability Rights Bulletin

This bulletin is intended for experts advocating for the rights of persons with disabilities in the UN system. It is prepared by the IDA Secretariat, which also provides support to the Geneva Group of States Friends of the CRPD and to the New York informal network on States Friends of the CRPD.

For more information about IDA and its member organisations, please visit:

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www.internationaldisabilityalliance.org.

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