Committee on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities Concludes Thirty-Second Session and Holds Panel Discussion in Celebration of World Down Syndrome Day
The Committee on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities this afternoon concluded its thirty-second session after adopting concluding observations on the reports of Canada, the Dominican Republic, the European Union, Palau, Tuvalu and Viet Nam. The Committee also held a panel discussion on strengthening support systems and advancing the rights of persons with Down syndrome in celebration of World Down Syndrome Day.
Opening the panel discussion, Miyeon Kim, Committee Chair, said it was a privilege for the Committee to host for the first time a celebration activity on World Down Syndrome Day, 21 March 2025. The theme of this year’s Day was improvement of support systems. Strengthening these systems would allow people with Down syndrome and their families to thrive and fully participate in society.
Jean-Marie Le Méné, President, Jérôme Lejeune Foundation, said in an opening statement that international conventions alone could not protect the rights of persons with Down syndrome; support systems were also needed. States and civil society organizations needed to support persons with Down syndrome in the fields of education, transport, culture and health, among others.
In the panel discussion, speakers discussed measures that needed to be taken by States and other stakeholders to ensure that persons with Down syndrome could exercise their rights, including rights to health, work, education, culture, sports and transport, and realise their potential. Several persons with Down syndrome also provided testimonies regarding their interactions with support systems.
Speaking in the panel discussion were Committee Experts Rehab Mohammed Boresli (Kuwait) and Markus Schefer (Switzerland); François-Xavier Bellamy (Member of the European Parliament); Michel Veuthey (Order of Malta); Messias Goncalves and Alex Duarte (Down Syndrome Brazil); Giordy Peña (Peru); Mia Johansen (Norway); and Alexandre Ott (Switzerland).
Closing the panel, Ms. Kim said discussions had highlighted the need to strengthen support systems to promote the rights of persons with Down syndrome. Improving support systems was not just necessary; it was a matter of justice and equality. The international community needed to build on today’s discussions and work towards a future where all persons with Down syndrome were supported to thrive.
The Committee then heard statements marking the closing of its thirty-second session. Laverne Jacobs, Committee Rapporteur, said that during the session, the Committee had, in addition to adopting concluding observations on the State party reports reviewed, considered three individual communications submitted for its consideration under the Optional Protocol to the Convention. It had found violations of the Convention in two of them and found that the facts before it did not disclose a violation in the other. A summary of the Views and decisions of the Committee could be found in the Committee’s report on its thirty-second session.
Ms. Jacobs reported that the Committee had adopted a statement on migrant women and girls with disabilities and a statement on the provision of sign language interpretation to the Committee and support to deaf members of the Committee.
She also said that, with 192 States parties, the Convention was the second most ratified human rights treaty, but the high rate of ratification was not matched by meeting time and resources allocated to the Committee. She called upon Member States and all competent United Nations bodies to rectify the situation by increasing the meeting time and resources allocated to the Committee with a third session of at least three weeks’ meeting time.
In closing, Ms. Jacobs announced that the Committee had adopted the report on its thirty-second session, and its biennial report to the General Assembly and the Economic and Social Council.
International Disability Alliance gave a statement congratulating the Committee on its work during the session, while noting issues related to the provision of sign language interpretation services, and expressing its desire to continue working with the Committee in future sessions.
In her closing remarks, Ms. Kim said that, during the session, the Committee had engaged with six States parties to the Convention in very constructive and interactive dialogues. She said a highlight of the session was the day of general discussion on the right of persons with disabilities to participation in political and public life. She closed by thanking all Committee members, members of the Secretariat, civil society representatives and other persons who had participated in the thirty-second session.
Summaries of the public meetings of the Committee can be found here, while webcasts of the public meetings can be found here. The programme of work of the Committee’s thirty-second session and other documents related to the session can be found here.
Subject to the availability of funding, the Committee’s thirty-third session is provisionally scheduled to be held in Geneva from 11 to 29 August 2025. The countries scheduled for review are the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, Finland, Kiribati, Maldives, Mali, and the State of Palestine.
World Down Syndrome Day Celebration
Opening Statements
MIYEON KIM, Committee Chair, said it was a privilege for the Committee to host for the first time a celebration activity on World Down Syndrome Day, 21 March 2025. The theme of this year’s Day was improvement of support systems - a call for better support to ensure the rights and inclusion of people with Down syndrome. Many persons with Down syndrome faced barriers to education, healthcare and employment. Persons with Down syndrome were urging Governments to create support systems that respected human rights, met individual needs, and offered choice, control and dignity. Strengthening these systems would allow people with Down syndrome and their families to thrive and fully participate in society.
MOUTIAA GOUAIDA, One of Us, and moderator, said the session was dedicated to fostering the inclusion for persons with Down syndrome, with experts sharing their views on means of advancing the rights of persons with Down syndrome.
JEAN-MARIE LE MÉNÉ, President, Jérôme Lejeune Foundation, said it was an honour to open the meeting. The theme of the Day, “Improve our support systems”, was a call to ensure that the rights of persons with Down syndrome were respected. International conventions alone could not protect the rights of persons with Down syndrome; support systems were also needed. There needed to be support in the fields of education, transport, culture and health. Proclaiming the right to health was ineffective if persons with Down syndrome were unable to pay health bills. These persons needed support from States and civil society organizations. The right to health was the foundation to other rights. It needed to be ensured from the beginning to the end of the lives of persons with Down syndrome. Speakers from all over the world would today share their views on inclusion and advancement of the rights of persons with Down syndrome.
Panel Discussion
PEARL LUTHY, Down Syndrome International, said persons with Down syndrome had the right to support that met their needs and gave them choice, control and dignity. They needed support to live and be included in their communities, and their families needed help in this endeavour, as they often were the first line of support for persons with Down syndrome. Many persons with Down syndrome did not receive the help they needed; they were forced to live in institutions and did not have the support needed to live in their communities. States needed to strengthen support systems to ensure that persons with Down syndrome could live independently. They needed to support the provision of quality housing and good quality public transport systems.
ELÉONORE LALOUX, Municipal Councillor in Arras, France and advocate with Down syndrome, described the support she had received in her childhood from doctors and her parents, who helped her to become autonomous and to interact with her peers. She said her parents had fought to keep her in a regular school environment, despite a ruling from the French Government that she should be placed in a special school. After graduating high school, she started living alone, found work, and became a Municipal Councillor in Arras in 2020. She had support staff who helped her to prepare messages that she wished to convey to the Eras City Council. The city was now pursuing projects promoting inclusion for persons with disabilities and developing tools promoting accessibility. Ms. Laloux said she had helped conduct sporting and cultural activities that promoted the inclusion of persons with disabilities and aimed to mobilise society.
REHAB MOHAMMED BORESLI, Committee Expert, said the Committee provided guidance to Member States on assessing the needs of persons with Down syndrome. The Convention called on States to ensure non-discrimination and equality, to enhance equality before the law, and to address barriers such as lack of awareness and stigma. States needed to be aware of age, gender and social factors that compounded discrimination of persons with disabilities. Health systems needed to be designed to promote access for persons with Down syndrome, utilising accessible communication systems. Health care providers needed to be trained to respect persons with disabilities and health systems needed to provide sound diagnosis and ensure access to early diagnosis.
States needed to launch awareness raising campaigns that addressed stigma against persons with Down syndrome. They needed to draft adequate health policies and initiatives. Data on access to health for persons with Down syndrome needed to be collected to identify and address inequalities. Persons with Down syndrome needed to be involved in decision-making on policies related to health and other areas affecting them. Through these measures, Member States could promote the rights and inclusion of persons with Down syndrome.
GIORDY PEÑA, person with Down syndrome from Peru, said persons with Down syndrome needed support from their families and their State. They needed better access to necessary treatments, which were often expensive, and they needed to be included in quality, inclusive education to support their access to decent work in future life. States needed to promote the recruitment of persons with Down syndrome. Persons with Down syndrome also needed to be able to access reserved seating on public transport. Some States paid low benefits to persons with Down syndrome; all such persons needed access to sufficient benefits. Information needed to be provided to persons with Down syndrome in an easy-to-read format. The speaker expressed hope that States would take the necessary measures to ensure that persons with Down syndrome could lead a better life.
MIA JOHANSEN, person with Down syndrome from Norway, said she and other children had received good language training from kindergarten, learning to speak, read and write. Not every child with Down syndrome had the same opportunity to develop their linguistic abilities. Ms. Johansen said she had studied health care in high school, and after graduating, had gained a job in childcare. Making a difference in society was important for her. Many persons with disabilities did not have the chance to develop their abilities. Many municipalities wanted persons with disabilities to live in the same building so that support could be provided more efficiently and at lower costs. It was not right for others to decide where persons with disabilities lived. Schemes needed to be developed that allowed persons with disabilities to grow and live independently.
ALEXANDRE OTT, person with Down syndrome from Switzerland, said that he loved sports, participating in Special Olympics skiing, football and swimming events. He had also participated in the 2024 World Down Syndrome Conference in Brisbane, Australia. He had attended an inclusive school for eight years and had options after graduating from school.
A person with Down syndrome from Ecuador said that he loved his job working as a manager and entrepreneur. He was fighting for inclusion, calling on Governments to provide support for persons with Down syndrome. Governments needed to learn what support they should provide to persons with disabilities. There needed to be change and inclusion in society. Families provided vital support to persons with Down syndrome. Persons with Down syndrome had the opportunity to use their voices to call for change.
ALEX DUARTE, Down Syndrome Brazil, said that he promoted the needs of persons with Down syndrome in east Brazil. His family had believed in his potential and encouraged him to follow his dreams. Down Syndrome Brazil worked with persons with Down syndrome from childhood through to their integration into workforces. Mr. Duarte said he had worked to bolster the movement of persons with Down syndrome in north-east Brazil. His association promoted inclusion and visibility of young persons with Down syndrome. Nothing should be done about persons with Down syndrome without them. Public policies needed to support the recognition of persons with Down syndrome and their quality of life.
FRANÇOIS-XAVIER BELLAMY, Member of the European Parliament, expressed gratitude to the Committee for promoting the inclusion of persons with Down syndrome in society. The European Union sought to protect and recognise the fundamental rights of every person and the need to support all families. European Union legislation prohibited all eugenic measures. The world had a duty to fight such measures. Every human being was worthy of having a dignified life. Persons with Down syndrome had much to teach the world. The European Union needed to do everything necessary to support them and to promote respect for humanity.
MICHEL VEUTHEY, Order of Malta, said Order of Malta was concerned by the increased risk of persons with disabilities falling victim to trafficking in persons. It was working to ensure support for the vulnerable, including persons with Down syndrome. It had established 13 centres for social support for persons with Down syndrome across the world, including in Cuba, Lebanon and Poland. These national associations came together each year to discuss strengthening support systems, and an international holiday programme for persons with Down syndrome was also organised each year.
MARKUS SCHEFER, Committee Expert, said that the Committee tried to hold Member States to account to ensure that they fulfilled their obligations under the Convention. The Convention recognised the right of persons with disabilities to work, and States parties needed to realise this right. Every person with Down syndrome had the right to choose the work that they performed. The Convention prohibited segregated work and called for persons with Down syndrome to be allowed to work in integrated settings. Laws were needed to open workforces for persons with Down syndrome and provide them with reasonable accommodation. Persons with Down syndrome did not need guardians who decided for them, though they could need support persons to support them in making decisions. Persons with Down syndrome were not to be placed in institutions. They needed to be allowed to choose where they lived and who they lived with. The Convention also called on States parties to provide persons with Down syndrome with access to inclusive education.
Concluding Remarks
JEAN-MARIE LE MÉNÉ, President, Jérôme Lejeune Foundation, thanked the speakers for their commitment to ensuring that the human rights of persons with Down syndrome were enhanced through support systems. Support needed to be provided as soon as Down syndrome diagnosis were made. Diagnosis needed to be provided in a humane, balanced way that avoided stigma. Too often, Down syndrome was presented in a negative way that was stressful for parents. The world needed to be made more humane, not only for persons with Down syndrome but for all.
ANA LUCIA ARRELLANO, Board Member, Down Syndrome International, said she was the mother of a boy with Down syndrome. In the panel discussion, speakers had shared their experiences with important parts of the support system for persons with Down syndrome, which needed to work together. Down Syndrome International was campaigning for a rights-based approach to care and support. Care was often provided by family members, who were often unpaid. Women and girls were overrepresented as providers of care and support. Support systems needed to be designed to meet the needs of both providers and receivers of care and support. Persons with Down syndrome needed to be included at every step in designing support systems. Governments needed to improve support systems at every level and in every location. She closed by wishing all a happy World Down Syndrome Day.
MIYEON KIM, Committee Chair, extended thanks to all speakers. Discussions had highlighted the need to strengthen support systems to promote the rights of persons with Down syndrome. Improving support systems was not just necessary; it was a matter of justice and equality. The international community needed to build on today’s discussions and work towards a future where all persons with Down syndrome were supported to survive and thrive.
Statements on the Closing of the Session
LAVERNE JACOBS, Committee Rapporteur, said the Committee had, in addition to adopting concluding observations on the State party reports reviewed, considered three individual communications submitted for its consideration under the Optional Protocol to the Convention. It had found violations of the Convention in two of them, and found that the facts before it did not disclose a violation in the other. A summary of the views and decisions of the Committee could be found in the Committee’s report on its thirty-second session. The views and decisions would be transmitted to the parties as soon as possible and would subsequently be made public. The Committee had also considered matters related to inquiries pursuant to the Optional Protocol.
Ms. Jacobs said the Committee continued with the drafting process of general comment nine on article 11 of the Convention and had held a day of general discussion on the right of persons with disabilities to participate in political and public life, as a step towards the drafting of a general comment on article 29 of the Convention.
During the session, the Committee decided to hold the twenty-first meeting of its pre-sessional working group from 1 to 5 September 2025. It also decided to continue engaging with the United Nations Office at Geneva and the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, with a view to improving the provision of accessible conference services and reasonable accommodation to members of the Committee and participants with disabilities at its meetings.
Ms. Jacobs reported that the Committee had adopted a statement on migrant women and girls with disabilities and a statement on the provision of sign language interpretation to the Committee and the support to deaf members of the Committee. In the latter statement, the Committee called on the United Nations Office at Geneva to reverse the decision to discontinue national sign language interpretation at Committee meetings and ensure that at least two interpreters proficient in American Sign Language were available to support Committee Expert Hiroshi Tamon fully during meetings.
It further called on the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights to allocate additional resources, including extra-budgetary funds, to support Mr. Tamon’s interpretation needs; to establish or expand a voluntary fund on reasonable accommodation to ensure that all right holders covered under the Office’s reasonable accommodation policy could access necessary support; and to ensure that the Committee operated in a fully accessible and inclusive manner in line with the United Nations Disability Inclusion Strategy. It finally called on all these United Nations entities to take the necessary steps to end discriminatory measures affecting the rights of deaf persons and to restore the Committee’s ability to function effectively.
The Committee noted that, with 192 States parties, the Convention was the second most ratified human rights treaty. However, it was concerned that the high rate of ratification was not matched by meeting time and resources allocated to the Committee. It called upon Member States and all competent United Nations bodies to rectify the situation by increasing the meeting time and resources allocated to the Committee with a third session of at least three weeks’ meeting time, granting it sufficient meeting time and resources to address its increasing backlog of initial and periodic reports pending consideration. The Committee also called upon States parties with long overdue initial reports to submit them as expeditiously as possible. It decided to engage actively with States parties whose initial reports were more than 10 years overdue to build capacity for reporting.
In closing, Ms. Jacobs announced that the Committee had adopted the report on its thirty-second session, and its biennial report to the General Assembly and the Economic and Social Council.
International Disability Alliance welcomed the work of the Committee and all persons who helped to make the session possible. The Committee had made many decisions this session and had cooperated openly with organizations of persons with disabilities. The Alliance deeply regretted regressions in sign language interpretation in dialogues with States and the lack of sign language support for Committee Expert Hiroshi Tamon. It also regretted the incident related to the sign language provided remotely in the dialogue with the Dominican Republic. The Alliance hoped that the provision of sign language in the United Nations would improve in the future. It looked forward to continuing to work with the Committee in future sessions.
Closing Remarks
MIYEON KIM, Committee Chair, said that, during the session, the Committee had engaged with six States parties to the Convention in very constructive and interactive dialogues. She also welcomed the Committee’s engagement with organizations of persons with disabilities, national human rights institutions and independent monitoring mechanisms which participated in the session. She said a highlight of the session was the day of general discussion on the right of persons with disabilities to participation in political and public life, which featured interaction with persons with disabilities from different regions and constituencies. During the session, the Committee had also addressed important issues, such as the provision of sign language interpretation to its meetings and of reasonable accommodation to members of the Committee. Ms. Kim closed by thanking all Committee members, members of the Secretariat, civil society representatives and other persons who had participated in the thirty-second session.
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