The 11th 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and Costa Rica and the public readings of the General Comments on Articles 12 and 9 were webcast live by IDA and have been archived for subsequent viewing.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 1st pre-session week from 14-17 April during which it adopted list of issues on Germany, Korea, Belgium, Denmark, New Zealand and Ecuador.
11th session and 1st pre-session related documents and information:
CRPD Committee
- 11th session and 1st 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
- 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 12
o English
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
12th and future sessions:
- The 12th 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 12th 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
