The 25th regular session of the Human Rights Council (HRC) took place in Geneva from 3 to 28 March 2014.
More information on this session
Resolutions:
During the session, a resolution was adopted on the right of persons with disabilities to education (article 24 CRPD). The resolution calls for States to address exclusion, violence and other barriers, to take a student-centered approach, to increase emphasis on teacher and interpreter training, and for States not yet Party to the CRPD to transition to an inclusive education system. It requests OHCHR to do a study on article 19 of the CRPD. The resolution requests UN offices to implement accessibility. Click here for an unofficial version of the resolution. The official version will be available in due course on the website of the 25th session.
Annual Panel on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities:
During the session, there was an annual panel on the rights of persons with disabilities, focusing on the right of persons with disabilities to education (19 March from 12:00 to 3:00 pm). This panel focused on a study by the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) on article 24 (Education) of the CRPD (A/HRC/25/29). The study was called for by Human Rights Council resolution A/HRC/RES/22/3 in March 2013. Click here for the webcast (with International Sign and captioning in English), and here for a report on the interactive panel discussion.
A panel on civil society space also took place during the session, and was made accessible to persons with disabilities. See IDA statement, delivered by Down Syndrome International board member, Patricia de Almeida.
Several side events on the rights of persons with disabilities were held during the session. On the 5th of March, the Permanent Mission of Finland, IDA, and partners, held a side event honouring UN Human Rights Award recipient Liisa Kauppinen, and focusing on inclusive education. See report on the 5 March side event. On the 14th of March, IDA member WNUSP held a side event entitled Torture in Psychiatry. For more information, contact WNUSP. On the 20th of March, the Permanent Mission of Austria, IDA, the Zero Project and partners held a side event sharing developments and good practices on accessibility. See report on the 20 March side event.
Related Documents:
Universal Periodic Review:
Also during the session, the outcomes of the Universal Periodic Review of were adopted for fifteen countries. Click here for a table showing the status of UPR17 recommendations on the rights of persons with disabilities.
