By IDA

 - August 24, 2022

The Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD) recognizes that persons with disabilities are diverse. IDA continues to promote this approach of the Convention, advocating for human rights standards that recognize the intersection between disability and other layers of identity such as age, sex, gender, ethnicity, race among others.

On 23rd August, IDA delivered a statement at the Day of General Discussion on racial discrimination and the right to health (DGD) organized by the Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination. The DGD brought together representatives of the Office of High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR), the World Health Organization (WHO), State Parties and civil society organizations from different parts of the world. The DGD is an important step towards a General Recommendation on racial discrimination and the right to health, which should recognize the intersectionality between disability and race.

Several stakeholders engaged throughout the conversations. Interestingly, the disability perspective was present from the outset. In her opening remarks, the OHCHR representative emphasized the importance of providing mental health services to persons with psychosocial disabilities calling on ‘States Parties to guarantee access to community services by persons with psychosocial disabilities’.

In its remarks, IDA recalled that health care inequalities adversely impact women with disabilities from racial minoritiesand that persons with psychosocial disabilities from racial minorities are overrepresented among those forcibly institutionalized in inpatient care. IDA made several recommendations urging the CERD Committee to explicitly recognize the intersectionality between disability and race in health outcomes and health-care services.

Prior to the DGD, IDA compiled a detailed submission highlighting the importance of reinforcing CRPD standards related to discrimination on the basis of disability, including intersectional discrimination and denial of reasonable accommodation, torture, deprivation of liberty, equality before the law, the right to health and the principle of free, prior, and informed consent by all persons with disabilities.

For more details of the session, please see link.