Kuwait – IMM situation

IMM name: National Office for Human Rights

IMM type: National Human Rights Institution

CRPD ratification date: 14 February 2013

IMM legal framework: Law No. 76 of 2015 establishes the National Office for Human Rights and the establishment of a committee for people with disabilities within the Office, according to Article 2 of Resolution No. 2 of 2019

Kuwait ratified the CRPD on 14 February 2013. Law No. 76 of 2015 was adopted to establish the National Office for Human Rights and a committee for people with disabilities within the office, according to Article 2 of Resolution No. 2 of 2019. The IMM is a National Human Rights Institution and is constituted by the National Office for Human Rights.

The IMM is mandated with the following functions:

• Promoting the rights of persons with disabilities, including through education, outreach, the media, training, and capacity building: The existence of an executive body to follow up the implementation of education and awareness, which is the Public Authority for People with Disabilities
• Protecting the rights of persons with disabilities, including by receiving, investigating, and resolving complaints, or by mediating conflicts and monitoring activities and reporting. The National Office for Human Rights has a special committee for complaints and grievances to follow up on received complaints
• Monitoring the implementation of the CRPD through the Committee on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities in the National Bureau and civil society.

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
• Evaluating policy, legislative and administrative compliance with the CRPD
• 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 of the rights of women and girls with disabilities and reporting
• Undertaking investigations on the rights of persons with disabilities
• 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. It involves some people with disabilities and parents who have children with disabilities. The process of selecting and appointing members to the IMM is based on a criterion for the disability tool for their presence in organizations concerned with persons with disabilities, as well as based on experiences.

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.

Persons with disabilities monitoring their rights may submit findings or allegations of human rights violations to the Independent Monitoring Mechanism. In addition, 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