Today, the CRPD Committee opened its 31st session (August 12th to September 5th). Over the next three weeks, the Committee will conduct the State reviews of Burkina Faso, Benin, the Netherlands, Belarus, Ghana, Belgium, Denmark, Mauritius, and Ukraine. All public sessions will be webcast by UN Web TV. The Concluding Observations for these countries are tentatively scheduled to be published by September 5th.
At the opening session, the OHCHR Chief of the Groups-in-Focus Section, Mr. Andrea Ori, delivered a statement on behalf of the UN Secretary-General. He began by honoring Sir Robert Martin, the only member of the CRPD Committee with a learning disability, who passed away on April 30th while exercising his mandate. Mr. Ori acknowledged Sir Robert Martin's significant contributions to the rights of persons with disabilities. Moving on to institutional developments, Mr. Ori highlighted that despite the liquidity crisis, the OHCHR managed to ensure the realization of all UN Treaty Bodies' sessions this year.
The session then focused on the remembrance of Sir Robert Martin, with a statement by the Ambassador of New Zealand to the United Nations in Geneva, H.E. Mrs. Anna Louise (Lucy) Duncan. On behalf of the CRPD Committee, Ms. Amalia Gamio delivered a statement to honor the memory of Sir Robert Martin, recalling, among other things, his words to a State delegation during a past constructive dialogue: "Imagine your life in your country if you were a person with a disability." Ms. Gamio later remembered the pride and joy Sir Robert Martin shared with fellow members when the CRPD Committee adopted the Guidelines on Deinstitutionalization, including in emergencies: from spending years in institutions to being part of the UN CRPD Committee at that special juncture.
Refocusing on recent activities, the Chairperson of the Committee, Ms. Gertrude Fefoame, described the many activities in which she engaged during the intersessional period. In connection with the UN Treaty Body Strengthening, Ms. Fefoame participated in the UN Treaty Bodies Chairpersons' Meeting in June in New York. She referred to the encouragement given to States to approve the predictable calendar for Treaty Bodies' reviews when adopting the General Assembly resolution on UN Treaty Bodies in December this year.
IDA's Senior Human Rights Advisor, Mr. Juan Ignacio Pérez Bello, delivered a statement on behalf of the International Disability Alliance (IDA) and its President, Mr. Nawaf Kabbara. Among other things, Mr. Pérez Bello stressed that "IDA appreciates the Committee's efforts—under its mandate—to consider all the relevant conflicts, situations of occupation, and other crisis situations around the world, striving towards equitable consideration. This includes the Committee's late May statement on persons with disabilities subjected to the unbearable consequences of the ongoing hostilities and violence in the Occupied Palestinian Territory." Looking ahead to December this year, Mr. Pérez Bello emphasized that, "IDA urges UN Member States, especially at the GA's Fifth Committee and the Advisory Committee on Administrative and Budgetary Questions, not only to favor the predictable calendar of States reviews' but also to augment the regular budget for the CRPD Committee's activities and devise solutions to address the backlog of State reviews."
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Find the Programme of work of the 31st CRPD Committee session here.
All documents related to the session, including public alternative reports by organizations of persons with disabilities are available here.
All public sessions will be webcasted by UN Web TV.