Committee on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities to hold sixth session from 19 to 23 September 2011

BACKGROUND RELEASE

15 September 2011

Committee to consider the initial ieport of Spain

The sixth session of the Committee on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities will be held at the Palais des Nations in Geneva from 19 to 23 September 2011, during which the Committee will consider the initial report of Spain on how that State party implements the provisions of the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities. Spain’s report is the second to be reviewed by the Committee since the Convention entered into force in May 2008.

On Monday, 19 September in the morning, the Committee will adopt its agenda and programme of work.

On Tuesday, 20 September, the Committee will begin consideration of the initial report of Spain (CRPD/C/ESP/1). The review will last for two meetings, concluding on Tuesday afternoon. The Committee will issue its concluding observations, including recommendations on the report of Spain at the end of the session on 23 September.

During the session the Committee will review the progress of work of the various task forces. To date, the Committee has decided to establish task forces on accessibility under article 9 and legal capacity under article 12. Another task force on access to public transportation and airline policies was also established and will report to the Committee. The Committee will also discuss any proposals for future days of general discussion as may be presented by Committee members.

The Committee will engage on a number of topics including cooperation with other United Nations bodies, specialized agencies and other competent bodies in which it will discuss how existing cooperation with various relevant bodies could be further strengthened to enhance the promotion and protection of the rights of persons with disabilities. The Committee will also hold closed meetings in which it will adopt lists of issues on State party reports that will be examined in future sessions. According to the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, States parties are required to submit their initial reports to the Committee two years after the entry into force of the Convention for them. The 3 May 2010 marked two years since the Convention had entered into force for the first 20 states to ratify it. The Convention has been ratified by 103 States, while 62 countries have ratified the Optional Protocol to the Convention. Currently, there are 15 initial reports awaiting review by the Committee.

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 Protocol 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

At present the Convention has 103 States parties. They are: Algeria, Argentina, Armenia, Australia, Austria, Azerbaijan, Bangladesh, Belgium, Belize, Bolivia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Brazil, Burkina Faso, Canada, Chile, China, Colombia, Cook Islands, Costa Rica, Croatia, Cuba, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Egypt, El Salvador, Ethiopia, the European Union, France, Gabon, Germany, Guatemala, Guinea, Haiti, Honduras, Hungary, India, Iran, Italy, Jamaica, Jordan, Kenya, Lao People's Democratic Republic, Latvia, Lesotho, Lithuania, Malawi, Malaysia, Maldives, Mali, Mauritius, Mexico, Mongolia, Montenegro, Morocco, Namibia, Nepal, New Zealand, Nicaragua, Niger, Nigeria, Oman, Pakistan, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, Philippines, Portugal, Qatar, Republic of Korea, Republic of Moldova, Romania, Rwanda, San Marino, Saudi Arabia, Senegal, Serbia, Seychelles, Sierra Leone, Slovakia, Slovenia, South Africa, Spain, St. Vincent and the Grenadines, Sudan, Sweden, Syrian Arab Republic, Tanzania, Thailand, Togo, Tunisia, Turkey, Turkmenistan, Uganda, Ukraine, United Arab Emirates, United Kingdom, Uruguay, Vanuatu, Yemen and Zambia.

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 shall be eligible for re-election once.

The current membership of the Committee is as follows: Ms. Amna Ali Al-Suwaidi (Qatar); Mr. Mohammed Al-Tarawneh (Jordan); Mr. Monsur Ahmed Chowdhury (Bangladesh); Ms. María Soledad Cisternas Reyes (Chile); Ms. Theresia Degener (Germany); Mr. Gábor Gombos (Hungary); Ms. Fatiha Hadj-Salah (Algeria); Mr. Hyung Shik Kim (Republic of Korea); Mr. Lotfi Ben Lallahom (Tunisia); Mr. Stig Langvad (Denmark); Ms. Edah Wangechi Maina (Kenya); Mr. Ronald McCallum (Australia); Ms. Ana Peláez Narváez (Spain); Ms. Silvia Judith Quan-Chang (Guatemala); Mr. Carlos Rios Espinosa (Mexico); Mr. Damjan Tatic (Serbia); Mr. Germán Xavier Torres Correa (Ecuador); Ms. Jia Yang (China).

Mr. McCallum is Committee Chairperson; Ms. Cisternas Reyes, Ms. Maina and Ms. Yang are Vice-Chairpersons; and Ms. Degener is Rapporteur.

Further information is available on the website of the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights at http://www.ohchr.org/EN/HRBodies/CRPD/Pages/CRPDIndex.aspx

Programme of Work

Monday, 19 September

10 a.m. Adoption of agenda and programme of work/Submission of Reports
Cooperation with other United Nations bodies, specialized agencies, disabled persons' organizations and other competent bodies.

3 p.m. Private meeting

Tuesday, 20 September

10 a.m. Spain: consideration of initial report (CRPD/C/ESP/1)

3 p.m. Spain: (continued)

Friday, 23 September

10 a.m. Private meeting

3 p.m. Adoption of the report of the 5th session and closure.

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