Angola – IMM situation

IMM name: National Council for Social Action [Conselho Nacional da Acção Social (CNAS)]

IMM type: Equality body

CRPD ratification date: 13 July 2001

IMM legal framework: Presidential Decree No. 137/16 of June 17

Angola ratified the CRPD on 13 July 2001. The National Council for Social Action is a social consultation and monitoring body for children, elderly people, people with disabilities, and other groups in vulnerable situations endowed with legal personality, financial and administrative autonomy.

The IMM is an equality body, and it includes measures to protect and promote the rights of the most vulnerable households who are unable to overcome on their own the difficulties caused by poverty, violation of their rights, exclusion, hunger, abandonment, shocks, and unforeseeable events. It is a collegial body composed of representatives and advisors of the ministerial departments, and representatives of civil society organizations of/for persons with disabilities, paralympic committee and religious institutions.

The IMM is also mandated with the following functions:

• Promoting the rights of persons with disabilities, including through education, outreach, the media, training, and capacity building
• Protecting the rights of persons with disabilities, including by receiving, investigating, and resolving complaints, or by mediating conflicts and monitoring activities and reporting
• Monitoring the implementation of the CRPD.

The IMM undertakes/has undertaken the following activities:

• Developing a plan to monitor the implementation of the CRPD by the State: Since its establishment, the mechanism has developed two action plans
• Offering legal and policy advice to ensure compliance with the CRPD and other relevant international human rights obligations of the State
• Initiating or undertaking research studies on the rights of persons with disabilities
• Receiving and considering complaints or reviewing the outcome of complaints received by the NHRI
• Promoting the rights of women and girls with disabilities in legislation and policies, including in the disability and gender-equality legislation and programmes
• Focusing on monitoring the rights of women and girls with disabilities and reporting
• Submitting alternative reports to the CRPD Committee and other relevant human rights treaty bodies or international human rights mechanisms
• Participating in the preparation of the State party’s periodic reports to the CRPD Committee
• Cooperating with other domestic mechanisms, as appropriate, such as the Parliament, the National Preventive Mechanism (NPM), National Human Rights Institutions (NHRI) and Equality Bodies, with the aim to reinforce human rights monitoring and reporting at the national level
• Liaising with the focal point(s) designated within government under Article 33(1) for matters relating to the Convention’s implementation
• Liaising with National Mechanisms for Reporting and Follow-Up on matters relating to the implementation of the CRPD.  

The IMM’s membership is composed of persons with disabilities and representatives of organisations of persons with disabilities. The monitoring activities in which persons with disabilities or their representatives’ organizations have been involved include:

• Monitoring of public policies and legislation concerning persons with disabilities
• Monitoring the situation of persons with disabilities in institutions such as residential care centres and other places of institutionalisation
• Participating in joint initiatives between the National Preventive Mechanism or the Independent Monitoring Mechanism to monitor places of detention, including prisons, police stations and mental health institutions.

Participation of persons with disabilities in the monitoring process:

Persons with disabilities attend the decision-making process of the Independent Monitoring Mechanism - they have a voice throughout the deliberations. Persons with disabilities as designated experts on disability are invited and/or hired to support specific programmes in the Independent Monitoring Mechanism. Persons with disabilities monitoring their rights may submit findings or allegations of human rights violations to the Independent Monitoring Mechanism. Persons with disabilities identifying themselves as self-advocates are invited to join specific monitoring activities by the Independent Monitoring Mechanism.

Note: If you wish to rectify or provide more information regarding your IMM, please contact ohchr-CRPDIMM@un.org