Geneva, 7 September 2020
On September the 4th, the CRPD Committee closed its 23rd session. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, this session was held online and did not include reviews of States’ parties to the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities.
Main highlights
During this session, the Committee:
- Adopted views on 7 individual communications under the Optional Protocol to the CRPD; as well as a follow-up report on views on previous individual communications;
- Took note of contributions by organisations of persons with disabilities and national human rights institutions highlighting violations of the human rights of persons with disabilities, in particular of those residing in institutions, in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic response;
- Advanced in its collaborative work for the informal joint working group on the impact of COVID-19 on the work of Treaty Bodies;
- Advanced in its collaborative work with the Committee on the Rights of the Child and the Committee on the Elimination of all Forms of Discrimination against Women;
- Establish a working group on deinstitutionalization of persons with disabilities;
- Advanced in its work to develop a general comment on Article 27 of the CRPD (work and employment);
- Recognize the work of the Special Rapporteur on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, Ms. Catalina Devandas Aguilar, whose mandate came to an end.
- Inform about to the “International Principles and Guidelines on Access to Justice for Persons with Disabilities”, adopted jointly by the Special Rapporteur on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, the Committee on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities and Special Envoy of the Secretary-General on Disability and Accessibility.
Next session and Pre-Sessional Working Group
The Committee has also informed that its 24th session will be on March 8th to 26th, 2021, subject to confirmation. The countries to be reviewed are Bangladesh, Djibouti, Estonia, France, Jamaica and Venezuela.
The 15th Pre-Sessional Working Group will take place, subject to confirmation, on March 29th to April 1st, 2021. The countries involved will be identified later on.
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