International Disability Alliance

The advocacy work of IDA includes, when needed, the preparation of position papers which are prepared in consultation among its members and agreed by consensus. We have also included in this list resource documents not prepared by IDA.

CRPD in general:

• In 2008, IDA produced a position paper which sets out, among others, the superseding nature of the CRPD.
• September 2008: IDA prepared a very detailed contribution to the OHCHR thematic study on legal measures for the implementation of the CRPD.
• September 2009: IDA presented a number of concrete proposals at the second Conference of States Parties to the CRPD, including the creation of an UN Fund to promote the CRPD.

Understanding The UN Convention On The Rights Of Persons With Disabilities: a Handbook on the Human Rights of Persons with disabilities, September 2009. (Author: Marianne Schulze. Edited by: Handicap International).

National implementation and monitoring of the CRPD (Article 33):

• September 2009: IDA submitted a contribution to the OHCHR on national implementation and monitoring of the CRPD with special attention to article 33 of the CRPD.
• Human Rights Council 13th Session (March 2010): IDA made a statement on national implementation and monitoring frameworks of the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities. English and Spanish.

Article 12 on Legal Capacity:

• In 2008, the Legal Capacity Task Force undertook an innovative effort to recognize the aspirations of people with disabilities in decision making. To learn more about the IDA’s work in implementing Article 12 on Legal Capacity, please download the Principles of Implementation.
• Legal opinion on Article 12 signed by more than 30 distinguished international legal experts.
• IDA has submitted in June 2010 a document on the functional capacity to the CRPD Committee: English / Spanish.

Mental Health:

• IDA, in co-operation with some of its member organisations, has submitted a document in October 2009 on recommendations for monitoring of psychiatric institutions.
• October 2010: WNUSP-IDA paper in response to the document recently released by the WHO: Mental health and development: targeting people with mental health conditions as a vulnerable group.
• For the thematic discussion held by the Sub-Committee for the Prevention of Torture (February 2012) on mental health and places of deprivation of liberty, a paper was prepared by the World Network of Users and Survivors of Psychiatry and endorsed by IDA. 

International Cooperation:

• November 2009: IDA contributed to the consultation undertaken by the OHCHR following Human Rights Council Resolution 10/6 on Enhancement of international cooperation in the field of human rights. IDA contribution.
• October 2010: IDA submitted a contribution to the OHCHR thematic study on article 32 of the CRPD, International Cooperation.

United Nations Development Assistance Framework (UNDAF):

• IDA Factsheet on Influencing CCA/UNDAF processes

Education:

• Human Rights Council 17th Session (June 2011): IDA made a statement on education.
• July 2011: IDA elaborated a position paper on education as part of efforts to ensure inclusion persons with disabilities in the Annual Ministerial Review of ECOSOC focused on education, 4-8 July 2011.

Participation in Political and Public Life:

• October 2011: IDA submitted a contribution to the OHCHR thematic study on article 29 of the CRPD, participation of persons with disabilities in political and public life.

Women and Girls with Disabilities:

• Human Rights Council 18th Session (Sept 2011): IDA made a statement on the rights of older women.
• IDA submission for the CEDAW Committee´s General Discussion on women in armed conflict and post-conflict situations (July 2011).

Standard Interpretation of the CRPD from a female perspective (Prepared by Dr. Sigrid Arnade and Sabine Haefner).
Women With Disabilities Australia (WWDA), July 2011 Policy Paper: ‘Assessing the situation of women with disabilities in Australia: A human rights approach’.

Violence Against Women with Disabilities:

• Human Rights Council 14th Session (June 2010): IDA made a statement on violence against women: IDA written statement (English); and IDA oral statement (English or Spanish).
• Human Rights Council 17th Session (June 2011): IDA made a statement on violence against women/freedom of expression.

INWWD: Document on Violence against Women with Disabilities: English, French, Spanish, Albanian and Chinese

Children with Disabilities:

• Human Rights Council 13rd Session (March 2010). IDA made an oral statement on the institutionalization of children: a root cause of violence against children.
• IDA Submission on the right of the child to the enjoyment of the highest attainable standard of health.
• IDA Submission on Child Rights and Business.

Right to Sexual and Reproductive Health:

• Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (CESCR): Day of General Discussion 2010: IDA Submission on the right to sexual and reproductive health.

Harmful Practices:

• In response to a call out for papers by the CRC and CEDAW Committees which are elaborating a General Comment/Recommendation on harmful practices, IDA made a submission highlighting the harmful practices targeted at persons with disabilities, and in particular women and girls with disabilities. IDA Submission on harmful practices.
• IDA participated in formulating a briefing paper which was jointly presented by Women With Disabilities Australia (WWDA), Human rights Watch (HRW), the Open Society Foundations as part of the Global Campaign to Stop Torture in Health Care. The paper gives a background to the issue of forced sterilisation, outlines various international human rights standards that prohibit forced sterilisation, and offers several recommendations for improving laws, policies, and professional guidelines governing sterilisation practices. Sterilisation Disability Briefing Paper.

Amicus Curiae briefs to the European Court of Human Rights:

• Gauer et al v France: Together with the European Disability Forum, Interights, Mental Disability Advocacy Centre and the Centre for Reproductive Rights, IDA produced a joint amicus brief with respect to a case against France submitted to the European Court of Human Rights in August 2011.Gauer et al France (61521/08) involves five women with intellectual disabilities under guardanship or trusteeship, who were sterilised without their knowledge nor consent upon the decision of their guardian. Joint amicus brief.
• Mihailovs v Latvia: On 13 February 2012, together with the World Network of Users and Survivors of Psychiatry, the European Disability Forum and the European Network of (ex-) Users and Survivors of Psychiatry, IDA submitted joint written comments to the European Court of Human Rights in the case of Mihailovs v Latvia (Aplication no 35939/10) brought by a man with a psychosocial disability who was placed under guardanship and forcibly institutionalised and subjected to forced treatment and arbitrary detention for more than ten years. Written comments.

Millennium Development Goals (MDGs):

• IDA position paper on the MDGs: English

Social Protection:

• IDA position paper on the Social Protection Floor Recommendation

Human Rights Education and Training:

• In September 2009, IDA contributed to the consultation process on the draft declaration on human rights education and training. IDA contribution.
• Human Rights Council 16th Session (March 2011): IDA made a statement on human rights education and training.

The Right to Drinking Water and Sanitation:

• Human Rights Council 15th Session (Sept 2010): IDA made a statement on safe drinking water and sanitation.
• Human Rights Council 18th Session (Sept 2011): IDA made a statement on the right to water and sanitation.

Maternal Mortality:

• In November 2009, IDA contributed to the OHCHR consultation on maternal mortality. Document.

Leprosy:

• In November 2009, IDA contributed to the consultation following Human Rights Council Resolution 12/7 on Elimination of discrimination against persons affected by leprosy and their family members. Document.

The Right to Adequate Housing:

• Human Rights Council 16th Session (March 2011): IDA made a statement on the right to adequate housing.

Poverty:

• Human Rights Council 17th Session (June 2011): IDA made a statement on poverty.

Older Persons:

• Human Rights Council 18th Session (Sept 2011): IDA made a statement on the right to health of older persons.

Universal Periodic Review:

• Human Rights Council 16th Session (March 2011): IDA made a statement on the Universal Periodic Review.

Haiti:

• Human Rights Council 14th Session (June 2010): IDA made a statement on Haiti.

Accessibility:

• March 2012, Final IDA submission to CRPD Committee'​s call for papers on Article 9 of the CRPD (Accessibility). IDA submission
• October 2010, IDA submitted a contribution to the Committee on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities Day of General Discussion on "Accessibility".
• World Blind Union: Guidelines to powerpoint presentations. Document.

Documents produced by IDA on UN Treaty Bodies:

• Guidance document on parallel reporting:

     English Word* or PDF 
     Spanish Word* or PDF 
     French Word* or PDF
     Arabic Word*  

• IDA Factsheet on the List of Issues (Document produced by IDA on how to contribute to the list of issues of the UN Treaty Bodies).
• IDA Factsheet on the Optional Protocol to the CRPD (Document produced by IDA on how to lodge a communication to the Committee under the Optional Protocol)