اللجنة المعنية بحقوق الأشخاص ذوي الإعاقة تعقد دورتها الحادبة عشرة في الفترة من 31 آذار/مارس إلى 11 نيسان/أبريل 2014

 Committee on the Rights of Persons   
  with Disabilities    
BACKGROUND RELEASE 

26 March 2014

Committee to Consider the Reports of Azerbaijan, Costa Rica and Sweden 
 
The Committee on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities will hold its eleventh session from 31 March to 11 April at the Palais Wilson in Geneva, during which the Committee will consider the reports of Azerbaijan, Costa Rica and Sweden on how these States parties implement the provisions of the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities.

On Monday, 31 March, in the morning, a representative of the Secretary-General will open the meeting.  The Committee will then adopt its agenda and programme of work, discuss the submission of reports, and consider other organizational matters.  Following that, the Committee will be updated on the reports received from States parties under article 35 of the Convention.  The Committee will also discuss how to strengthen cooperation with United Nations bodies, specialized agencies and non-governmental organizations.
 
In the first week of the session, the Committee will consider the country reports (in order of review) of Sweden, Azerbaijan and Costa Rica.  In the second week of the session the Committee will meet mostly in private, apart from Tuesday 8 April when it will hold a full-day meeting to discuss its draft general comment on Article 12 of the Convention, on legal capacity; and on Wednesday 9 April when it will hold a full-day meeting to discuss its draft general comment on Article 9 of the Convention, on accessibility.

During private meetings the Committee will adopt a list of issues for the initial report of Mexico, which will be examined in a future session.  Complaints submitted under the Optional Protocol to the Convention and the conduct of inquiries will also be considered by the Committee.
 
Documents and other information relating to the session can be found on the Committee’s webpage.
 
Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities

Adopted on 13 December 2006 by the General Assembly, the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities entered into force on 3 May 2008.

The purpose of the Convention is to promote, protect and ensure the full and equal enjoyment of all human rights and fundamental freedoms by all persons with disabilities, and to promote respect for their inherent dignity.  Persons with disabilities include those who have long-term physical, mental, intellectual or sensory impairments which in interaction with various barriers may hinder their full and effective participation in society on an equal basis with others.

States parties undertake to ensure and promote the full realization of all human rights and fundamental freedoms for all persons with disabilities without discrimination of any kind on the basis of disability.  States Parties recognize that all persons are equal before and under the law and are entitled without any discrimination to the equal protection and equal benefit of the law.  Specific measures which are necessary to accelerate or achieve de facto equality of persons with disabilities shall not be considered discrimination under the terms of the present Convention.

States parties reaffirm that every human being has the inherent right to life and have committed themselves to take all necessary measures to ensure its effective enjoyment by persons with disabilities on an equal basis with others.  States Parties reaffirm that persons with disabilities have the right to recognition everywhere as persons before the law.  States Parties recognize that persons with disabilities enjoy legal capacity on an equal basis with others in all aspects of life.

Each State party is obliged to submit to the Committee, through the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights, a comprehensive report on measures taken to give effect to its obligations under the present Convention and on the progress made in that regard, within two years after the entry into force of the present Convention for the State Party concerned.  Thereafter, States parties shall submit subsequent reports at least every four years and further whenever the Committee so requests.

States Parties to the Convention

The Convention has been signed by 158 States.  To date 140 States and 1 regional organization have ratified the instrument.  They are: Afghanistan, Albania, Algeria, Argentina, Armenia, Australia, Austria, Azerbaijan, Bahrain, Bangladesh, Barbados, Belgium, Belize, Benin, Bolivia (Plurinational State of), Bosnia and Herzegovina, Brazil, Bulgaria, Burkina Faso, Cambodia, Canada, Cape Verde, Chile, China, Colombia, Côte d'Ivoire, Cook Islands, Costa Rica, Croatia, Cuba, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Djibouti, Dominica, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Egypt, El Salvador, Estonia, Ethiopia, European Union, France, Gabon, Germany, Ghana, Greece, Guatemala, Guinea, Haiti, Honduras, Hungary, India, Indonesia, Iran (Islamic Republic of), Iraq, Israel, Italy, Japan, Jamaica, Jordan, Kenya, Kiribati, Kuwait (State of)  Lao People's Democratic Republic, Latvia, Lesotho, Liberia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malawi, Malaysia, Maldives, Mali, Malta, Mauritania, Mauritius, Mexico, Mongolia, Montenegro, Morocco, Mozambique, Myanmar, Namibia, Nauru, Nepal, New Zealand, Nicaragua, Niger, Nigeria, Norway, Oman, Pakistan, Palau, Papua New Guinea, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, Philippines, Poland, Portugal, Qatar, Republic of Korea, Republic of Moldova, Romania, Russian Federation, Rwanda, San Marino, Saudi Arabia, Senegal, Serbia, Seychelles, Sierra Leone, Singapore, Slovakia, Slovenia, South Africa, Spain, St. Vincent and the Grenadines, Sudan, Swaziland, Sweden, Syrian Arab Republic, Thailand, The former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, Togo, Tunisia, Turkey, Turkmenistan, Tuvalu, Uganda, Ukraine, United Arab Emirates, United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, United Republic of Tanzania, Uruguay, Vanuatu, Venezuela (Bolivarian Republic of) Yemen,  Zambia and Zimbabwe.

The Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities is the first human rights convention to provide for ratification by regional integration organizations, such as the European Union.  The European Union ratified the Convention in December 2010.

Committee Membership

The members of the Committee are elected for a term of four years and are eligible for re-election once.

Mr. Mohammed Al-Tarawneh (Jordan), Mr. Monthian Buntan (Thailand), Ms. Maria Soledad Cisteras Reyes (Chile), Ms. Theresia Degener (Germany), Mr. Hyung Shik Kim (Republic of Korea), Mr. Lofti Ben Lallahom (Tunisia), Mr. Stig Langvad (Denmark), Mr. László Gábor Lovaszy (Hungary), Ms. Edah Wangechi Maina (Kenya), Mr. Ronald McCallum (Australia), Ms. Diane Mulligan (United Kingdom), Mr. Martin Babu Mwesigwa (Uganda), Ms. Safak Pavey (Turkey), Ms. Ana Pelaez Narvaez (Spain), Ms. Silvia Judith Quan-Chang (Guatemala), Mr. Carlos Rios Espinosa (Mexico), Mr. Damjan Tatic (Serbia), and Mr. Germán Xavier Torres Correa (Ecuador).

Ms. Cisternas Reyes is Chairperson.  The Vice Chairpersons are Ms. Degener, Mr. McCallum and Mr. Rios Espinosa.  Mr. Mwesigwa is the Rapporteur.

Programme of Work
 
 
Monday 31 March

10 a.m.        Opening of the session.  Adoption of the agenda.  Organizational matters: adoption of the programme of work.  Cooperation with other United Nations bodies, specialized agencies, organizations of persons with disabilities and other competent bodies
 
3 p.m.          Consideration of report of Sweden
 
Tuesday 1 April
 
10 a.m.         Consideration of report of Sweden
         
3 p.m.           Consideration of report of Azerbaijan
 
Wednesday 2 April
 
10 a.m.         Consideration of report of Azerbaijan
         
3 p.m.           Consideration of report of Costa Rica
         
Thursday 3 April
 
10 a.m.         Consideration of report of Costa Rica
         
3 p.m.           Closed meeting
 
Friday 4 April
 
10 a.m.         Closed meeting
         
3 p.m.           Closed meeting
 
Monday 7 April
 
10 a.m.         Closed meeting
         
3 p.m.           Closed meeting
 
Tuesday 8 April
 
10 a.m.         First reading of draft general comment on Article 12 (legal capacity).
         
3 p.m.           First reading of draft general comment on Article 12 (legal capacity).
 
Wednesday 9 April
 
10 a.m.         First reading of draft general comment on Article 9 (accessibility).
         
3 p.m.           First reading of draft general comment on Article 9 (accessibility).
 
Thursday 10 April
 
10 a.m.         Closed meeting.
 
3 p.m.           Closed meeting.

Friday 11 April
 
10 a.m.         Closed meeting.
         
5.30 p.m.      Public closing of the session.
 
 
For more information about the Committee on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities:
http://www.ohchr.org/EN/HRBodies/CRPD/Pages/CRPDIndex.aspx
 
For more information and media requests, please contact Liz Throssell (+41 (0) 22 917 9434/ ethrossell@ohchr.org
 
To arrange an interview with a Committee member, please contact Jorge Araya (+41 22 917 9106 /jaraya@ohchr.org)
 
 
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For use of the information media; not an official record