Comments on legislation and policies

In this page, the Special Rapporteur on the rights of persons with disabilities shares all comments provided by the mandate to States and other actors on national laws, regulations and policies. The mandate regularly provides comments on the adequacy of normative and policy developments with international standards on the rights of persons with disabilities. 

See below a list of communications, amicus briefs and expert testimonies related to the rights of persons with disabilities sent by the Special Rapporteur and the responses received, where available.

Comments, amicus briefs and expert testimonies (by date)

• European Commission
  • 2 August 2023, “Towards Greater Coherence of International Law: Reflections on the adequacy of the European Commission’s proposal for a Regulation and Council Decision governing the Hague Convention on the Protection of Adults”, joint contribution by the Special Rapporteur on the rights of persons with disabilities, Gerard Quinn, and the Independent Expert on the enjoyment of all human rights by older persons, Claudia Mahler.
• Constitutional Court of Indonesia
  • 1 February 2023, judicial review of Article 433 of the Indonesia Civil Code on conservatorship, testimony by the Special Rapporteur on the rights of persons with disabilities Gerard Quinn (video / witness statement)
• Australia Royal Commission into Violence, Abuse, Neglect and Exploitation of People with Disability
  • 12 December 2022, Public hearing 31: Vision for an inclusive Australia, provision of evidence by the Special Rapporteur on the rights of persons with disabilities Gerard Quinn (video / transcript)
  • 12 December 2022, Witness statement by Gerard Quinn on 'Social Inclusion, Disability and Human Rights'
• Guidance on Mental Health, Human Rights, and Legislation published jointly by WHO and OHCHR
  • 12 October 2022 – Observations on the Draft Guidance by the Special Rapporteur on Persons with Disabilities
  • 9 October 2023 - Remarks by the Special Rapporteur at the online launch event of the guidance (English only)
• Constitutional Court of Colombia
  • 6 May 2022, Amicus Curie Brief presented by the Special Rapporteur on the rights of persons with disabilities, Gerard Quinn, and the Independent Expert on the enjoyment of all human rights by older persons, Claudia Mahler, in the case T-8.424.592 on triage protocols during the COVID-19 Pandemic (English / Español)
• Hague Conference on Private International Law (HCCH)
  • 8 July 2021 - “Toward Greater Coherence of International Law: Reflections on the Hague Convention (2000) on the International Protection of Adults”, joint statement by the Special Rapporteur on the rights of persons with disabilities, Gerard Quinn, and the Independent Expert on the enjoyment of all human rights by older persons, Claudia Mahler
• European Union
  • 21 April 2021 - Joint contribution to the European Commission’s consultation on the Green Paper on Ageing – Fostering solidarity and responsibility between generations
• European Court of Human Rights
  • 1 March 2021, remarks by the Special Rapporteur and the Committee on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities in relation to the judgment of the European Court of Human Rights on Strøbye and Rosenlind v. Denmark
• Canada Senate - Standing Committee on legal and constitutionals affairs
  • 1 February 2021, public meeting on Bill C-7, An Act to amend the Criminal Code (medical assistance in dying) | Statement by the Special Rapporteur, Gerard Quinn (video)
• Ireland Parliament (Oireachtas) Joint Committee on Disability Matters
  • 18 November 2020, public hearing on Ireland’s progress on the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD)statement by the UN Special Rapporteur on the rights of persons with disabilities, Gerard Quinn (video ¦ transcript)
• Australia Royal Commission into Violence, Abuse, Neglect and Exploitation of People with Disability
  • 19 August 2020, Public hearing – provision of evidence by the Special Rapporteur on the rights of persons with disabilities, Catalina Devandas Aguilar (video | transcript)
  • 10 August 2020, Witness statement of Catalina Devandas Aguilar in the context of the Commission’s inquiry into the impact of COVID-19 for persons with disabilities
• European Court of Human Rights
  • 17 October 2017, Third-party intervention in the case of Stefan-Moshe Stoian and Luminita Stoian against Romania (Application no 289/14)
• Brazil
  • 1 November 2016, Denial of abortion services and the prohibition of torture and cruel, inhuman and degrading treatment (joint submission by five special procedures mandate-holders)