COMMITTEE ON THE RIGHTS OF PERSONS WITH DISABILITIES CONCLUDES TENTH SESSION

The Committee on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities this afternoon concluded its tenth session, and adopted its concluding observations and recommendations on the reports of Austria, Australia and El Salvador.

Closing the session, Maria Soledad Cisternas Reyes, Committee Chairperson, summarized the work accomplished by the Committee during the week, which included a review of the reports of Austria, Australia and El Salvador, and the adoption of lists of issues on the initial reports of Azerbaijan, Costa Rica and Sweden, which would be examined in future sessions.

The Chairperson said that during the session the Committee had held constructive dialogues, had adopted concluding observations, issued opinions with respect to individual communications under the Optional Protocol, and produced initial drafts on comments on Articles 12 and 9 of the Convention. Furthermore, the Working Groups on women with disabilities and on the participation of civil society had also had productive meetings. The Committee had prepared a declaration that was loyal to the principles of transparency and democracy, to be published soon. In addition, the Committee was actively involved in the treaty body strengthening procedures as well as playing an active role in several other programmes and initiatives. The Chairperson paid tribute to all of the Committee Members, who worked hard and took their responsibilities very seriously. She said that all Experts had learnt a great deal from the Committee’s deliberations and discussions. One of the issues the Committee should consider next was how to approach its work during the inter-sessional periods.

The following non-governmental organizations also took the floor during the closing meeting,: International Disability Alliance, Disability Council International, and the National Observatory on the condition of persons with disabilities.

The tenth session was opened with an address by Craig Mokhiber, Chief of the Development and Economic and Social Issues Branch at the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights. Maria Soledad Cisternas Reyes, Chairperson of the Committee, presented an update on activities recently undertaken by the Committee. During the session, the Committee also held a meeting with States parties to the Convention in which it discussed the process of strengthening the treaty bodies, the accessibility of the Committee and the promotion of the Convention by States Parties.

The concluding observations and recommendations on the reports of Austria, Australia and El Salvador will be available on the Committee’s webpage from earlier next week.

The eleventh session of the Committee will be held from 31 March to 11 April 2014 at the Palais Wilson in Geneva, when the Committee will consider the reports of Azerbaijan, Costa Rica and Sweden.


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CRPD13/012E