IDA’s report on the situation of persons with disabilities in Ukraine has been published. The report documents many violations of human rights and humanitarian law occurring in Ukraine and is based on interviews with persons with disabilities and representatives of Organizations of Persons with Disabilities (OPDs). The human rights violations are all too common in conflict-settings across the world and highlight the need for strengthened protection of persons with disabilities at all phases of armed conflict, in accordance with Article 11 of the CRPD and UN Security Council resolution 2475. The United Nations, Committee on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, Organizations of Persons with Disabilities and others have published detailed reports on the situation of persons with disabilities in Ukraine during the conflict as well as since the 2014 occupation.
This report focuses on the voices of persons with disabilities themselves, through extensive personal testimony from persons with disabilities and some of their representative organizations with the aim of encouraging more disability- inclusive rights protection and humanitarian response. The critical role of organizations of persons with disabilities in the context of armed conflict is highlighted throughout. The report could be used to support international mechanisms covering violations of international humanitarian law and human rights law, such as the Human Right Council’s Independent International Commission of Inquiry on Ukraine. Read the full report here.
