Committee on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities

Concluding observations on the initial report of Honduras *

I.Introduction

1.The Committee on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities considered the initial report of Honduras (CRPD/C/HND/1) at its 314th and 315th meetings, held on 30 and 31 March 2017. At its 327th meeting, held on 10 April 2017, the Committee adopted the following concluding observations.

2.The Committee welcomes the initial report of the State party and its written replies (CRPD/C/HND/Q/1/Add.1) to the list of issues prepared by the Committee (CRPD/C/HND/Q/1). The Committee is grateful for the constructive dialogue it had with the State party’s delegation and notes with approval the State party’s commitment, as expressed by the delegation, to bring its legislation into line with the Convention.

II.Positive aspects

3.The Committee welcomes the State party’s ratification of the Marrakesh Treaty to Facilitate Access to Published Works for Persons Who Are Blind, Visually Impaired, or Otherwise Print Disabled.

4.The Committee takes note with satisfaction of the legislation and public policies that include provisions on the rights of persons with disabilities, notably:

(a)The Honduran Sign Language Act;

(b)The Act on Equity and Comprehensive Development for Persons with Disabilities (Decree No. 160 of 2005);

(c)The public policy on the exercise of the rights of persons with disabilities and their social inclusion in Honduras, which entered into force in 2013, and the strategic plan on the nine main policy areas identified in it;

(d)The Basic Education Act and its regulations on inclusive education of persons with disabilities, special education needs and exceptional talents; and the rules on adapting the curriculum.

III.Principal areas of concern and recommendations

A.General principles and obligations (arts. 1-4)

5.The Committee notes with concern that legislation, public policies and programmes still contain provisions on the rights of persons with disabilities and derogatory terms that do not comply with the human rights model of disability established in the Convention. The Committee is also concerned that the proposed bill to amend the Act on Equity and Comprehensive Development for Persons with Disabilities contains provisions of a very general nature and that the bill remains under review by the Gender Equity Commission of the National Congress.

6. The Committee recommends that the State party adopt a plan to amend, repeal, reform and/or adopt laws and policies with a view to recognizing persons with disabilities as fully fledged rights holders, in keeping with the Convention, and to remove all derogatory terms. It also recommends that the State party finalize the adoption of the updated Act on Equity and Comprehensive Development for Persons with Disabilities, taking into account the comments made by the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights in Honduras in February 2017.

7.The Committee is concerned about the status of the Directorate-General of Development for Persons with Disabilities, which is only a programme administered by the Office of the Under-Secretary of State for Social Development and Inclusion, particularly in view of its merger with the Directorate-General for Older Persons, which implements the Honduras for All programme.

8. The Committee recommends that the State party ensure that the Directorate-General of Development for Persons with Disabilities is granted permanent national institutional status, with adequate, dedicated human and financial resources to allow it to carry out its mandate.

9.The Committee notes with concern that the definition of, and the criteria used to certify, disability are neither standardized nor in accordance with the principles of the Convention.

10. The Committee recommends that the State party align the definition of disability with the Convention and standardize the criteria used to certify disability in order to establish a disability certification system that reflects a human rights-based model of disability.

11.The Committee is concerned that consultation with persons with disabilities is not a mandatory step in the adoption of policies and programmes that affect them and that their participation in the Advisory Council created by Legislative Decree No. 160-205 is not ensured.

12. The Committee recommends that the State party set up a mandatory mechanism for standing consultations with organizations representing persons with disabilities, including children, on the adoption of laws and policies and on other issues of relevance to them, and that it ensure that the Advisory Council convenes.

B.Specific rights (arts. 5-30)

Equality and non-discrimination (art. 5)

13.The Committee is concerned that the State party’s legislation does not recognize multiple and intersectional discrimination and does not consider the denial of reasonable accommodation to be a form of discrimination against persons with disabilities (especially persons with intellectual and psychosocial disabilities, children, Afro-Hondurans, women and indigenous people) in areas other than employment. The Committee is concerned that, although article 321 of the Criminal Code penalizes discrimination on grounds of disability, there are no accessible mechanisms for reporting cases of discrimination against persons with disabilities, and that there are no redress mechanisms or statistics on discrimination.

14. The Committee recommends that the State party recognize in its legislation multiple and intersectional discrimination and the denial of reasonable accommodation as a form of discrimination on grounds of disability in all spheres of life, and that it penalize such denial. It also recommends that the State party include in its anti-discrimination legislation provisions on mechanisms for expediting complaints of discrimination. It further recommends that the State party take measures to ensure that accessible mechanisms are made available for reporting acts of discrimination on grounds of disability, as well as redress mechanisms.

Women with disabilities (art. 6)

15.The Committee is concerned about the failure to implement legislation and public policies on the rights of women and the lack of policies and strategies on the prevention and punishment of violence against women and girls with disabilities.

16. The Committee recommends that the State party include women with disabilities in the plans and strategies of the National Disability Programme. It also recommends that the National Institute for Women review its policies on disability to include a gender-based approach, ensuring that all such actions are carried out in consultation with organizations representing women and girls with disabilities. The Committee further recommends that the State party bring its legislation on sexual and reproductive rights into line with the Convention and that it take steps to guarantee respect for the sexual and reproductive rights of women and girls with disabilities.

Children with disabilities (art. 7)

17.The Committee is concerned that laws relating to children do not expressly include the principle of non-discrimination and that this omission disproportionately affects children with disabilities. It is also concerned about the lack of adequate protection measures in place to prevent children with disabilities from being abandoned, the fact that many such children are still in institutions and the lack of data on these children. The Committee is also concerned about the limited reach of specific measures for such children in rural areas and in indigenous and Afro-Honduran communities.

18. The Committee recommends that the State party include in Decree No. 79-36 (Code on Children and Adolescents) the principle of non-discrimination, as well as protection for children with disabilities, in order to strengthen the protection of their rights and to promote equal opportunities for family, community and social inclusion, and provide for the allocation of sufficient resources for the effective implementation of the Act. It further recommends that the State party take all necessary measures to introduce an effective system for detecting the ill-treatment of children with disabilities both within the family and in educational and health settings and institutions.

Awareness-raising (art. 8)

19.The Committee is concerned that biased views and negative stereotypes of persons with disabilities persist in the State party. It is also concerned at the lack of strategies specifically promoting the content of the Convention and the human rights-based model of disability, and at the existence of campaigns, such as the Telethon (a recipient of public funding), which reinforce the charity-based approach to disability. It is also concerned that the State party, by Legislative Decree 56 of 1984, declared the last Friday of April to be the National Day of Solidarity with Invalids, thus retaining a charity-based approach rather than a rights-based approach, as exemplified by the International Day of Persons with Disabilities.

20. The Committee encourages the State party, in cooperation with organizations of persons with disabilities, to combat discrimination against and stereotyping of persons with disabilities, by running campaigns to raise public awareness and to promote persons with disabilities as rights holders that are aimed at society at large, public officials and private actors, including the media, and to mark disability day with a rights-based approach. The Committee also recommends that the State party ensure the wide dissemination of information on the Convention and the resources available for its implementation among persons with disabilities and their families, especially in rural areas, indigenous peoples and Afro-Hondurans.

Accessibility (art. 9)

21.The Committee notes with concern that transportation infrastructure, buildings and information and communications services open to the public are not fully accessible to persons with disabilities in the State party. It is also concerned that the Ministry of Public Works, Transport and Housing, the government body regulating matters relating to the road network, urban development and transport, acknowledges that insufficient practical steps have been taken to monitor compliance with international accessibility standards and to impose penalties for non-compliance.

22. In line with its general comment No. 2 (2014) on accessibility, the Committee recommends that the State party implement an action plan, with goals, time frames and necessary resources, to ensure the accessibility of transportation, services, the physical environment, information and communications, in both rural and urban areas. The plan should provide for audits, specific time frames, penalties for non-compliance and the involvement of organizations of persons with disabilities at all stages of its development and implementation, particularly the monitoring of compliance. The Committee recommends that the State party take account of article 9 of the Convention and its general comment No. 2 in its efforts to meet Sustainable Development Goal 9 and targets 11.2 and 11.7 of the Sustainable Development Goals.

Right to life (art. 10)

23.The Committee is concerned that the lives of persons with disabilities are threatened as a result of being subjected to extortion by criminal gangs (maras).

24. The Committee recommends that the State party protect, in particular, the lives of persons with disabilities who are subject to extortion and threats.

Situations of risk and humanitarian emergencies (art. 11)

25.The Committee notes with concern that, although bodies exist that are responsible for coordinating and managing situations of risk and humanitarian emergencies, there is no specific protocol for mitigating risks to persons with disabilities in situations of risk.

26. The Committee recommends that the National Risk Management System include a specific protocol to mitigate the risks to persons with disabilities in situations of risk, with accessible early-warning systems that incorporate sign language and Braille, focusing in particular on persons living in rural and remote areas. It also recommends that the State party mainstream disability in its climate change policies and programmes.

Equal recognition before the law (art. 12)

27.The Committee is concerned that various laws of the State party, such as the Family Code — article 277 of which still contains provisions on tutors and subrogate tutors — are not in line with the Convention and discriminate against and restrict the legal capacity of persons with disabilities.

28. In line with article 12 of the Convention and general comment No. 1 (2014) on equal recognition before the law, the Committee recommends that the State party repeal any legal provisions that partially or completely restrict the legal capacity of persons with disabilities and that it take specific steps to replace substitute decision-making models with a system of supported decision-making that respects the autonomy, will and preferences of persons with disabilities.

29.The Committee is concerned at the restrictions imposed on some persons with disabilities in respect of their equal right to own or inherit property, control their own financial affairs and obtain bank loans and other kinds of loans and mortgages.

30. The Committee recommends that the State party ensure equal access for all persons with disabilities to property ownership and inheritance, loans, mortgages and the full range of financial services.

Access to justice (art. 13)

31.The Committee is concerned that no procedural accommodations have been made to ensure access to justice for all persons with disabilities. It is also concerned about the barriers, especially of a legal nature, as well as the lack of sign-language interpretation, that prevent persons whose legal capacity has been revoked or who live in institutions from effectively participating in legal proceedings.

32. The Committee urges the State party to allocate sufficient human and financial resources to the implementation of the Plan of Action on Access to Justice for Persons with Disabilities, taking into account the provisions of the Convention. It recommends that the State party adopt the necessary legislative, administrative and judicial measures to eliminate all restrictions on the ability of persons with disabilities to participate effectively in proceedings of any kind. It also recommends that the State party make procedural adjustments, including the provision of personal assistance and intermediaries, to ensure that persons with disabilities can effectively participate, in various capacities, in legal proceedings. The Committee also recommends that the State party allocate sufficient human and financial resources to the Office of the Special Prosecutor for Human Rights and the Office of the Special Prosecutor for the Protection of Women specifically to enable them to fulfil their mandates and help women with disabilities who have been sexually abused.

33.The Committee is concerned about the limited access to justice enjoyed by persons with disabilities, especially those living in rural areas and in indigenous and Afro-Honduran communities, the various barriers to accessibility and the lack of procedural accommodations provided for them. It is also concerned that justice officials are not sufficiently familiar with the Convention and therefore do not act in accordance with it.

34. The Committee recommends that the State party take all necessary measures to combat the discrimination faced by persons with disabilities in respect of access to justice, ensure that the legal system is fully accessible and provide comprehensive procedural accommodations. The Committee also recommends that the State party step up its efforts to provide training on the Convention for justice officials, especially in rural areas and remote communities.

Liberty and security of the person (art. 14)

35.The Committee is concerned at the continued validity of legal provisions on mental health that provide for the deprivation of the liberty of persons with disabilities on grounds of an actual or perceived psychosocial disability, such as occurs in Santa Rosita hospital and Mario Mendoza hospital. The Committee is also concerned that persons who have been declared not criminally responsible on account of an impairment may be subject to security measures, including indefinite detention. It is also disturbed by the situation of persons with disabilities who are deprived of liberty in prisons and other places of detention.

36. The Committee urges the State party to review and reform its laws, including the Mental Health Act and the Criminal Code, in order to bring its legislation into line with the provisions of article 14 of the Convention and to effectively safeguard due process guarantees for persons with disabilities, particularly those with psychosocial disabilities, by providing them with the necessary support during judicial proceedings. The Committee requests the State party to review the cases of persons interned in Santa Rosita hospital and Mario Mendoza hospital. The Committee urges the State party, through the Ombudsman’s Office, to legally protect all rights of persons with disabilities, provide them with proper legal assistance and ensure that their right to due process is upheld.

Freedom from torture or cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment (art. 15)

37.The Committee is concerned about the situation of persons with disabilities who are institutionalized in psychiatric hospitals or other types of long-stay residential centres on the grounds of their disability, without the free and informed consent of the person concerned, as reported in Santa Rosita hospital and Mario Mendoza hospital, and particularly the situation of children with disabilities who have been abandoned and consequently placed in an institution.

38. The Committee urges the State party to prohibit forced institutionalization on grounds of disability and to take steps to abolish the practice of non-consensual internment or hospitalization. It also recommends the establishment of an independent mechanism to monitor residential centres for persons with disabilities, including centres for children with disabilities, in order to prevent, and offer protection from, acts that may constitute torture or other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment.

39.The Committee is concerned that insufficient resources are allocated to the prevention and monitoring of cases of torture or other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment at centres where persons with disabilities are deprived of liberty.

40. The Committee recommends that the State party ensure that sufficient human and financial resources are made available for the prevention of, and protection from, torture. It also recommends that the State party take measures to train and educate all staff working in such places of deprivation of liberty in order to ensure respect for the human rights of persons with disabilities.

Freedom from exploitation, violence and abuse (art. 16)

41.The Committee is concerned about cases in which persons with disabilities, especially women, children, Afro-Hondurans and indigenous peoples, are victims of physical and/or psychological ill-treatment, sexual violence and/or exploitation and abuse, including exploitation for the purpose of begging, and that there are no measures for their protection, recovery or compensation. It is also concerned that such cases are not properly investigated and that the perpetrators therefore go unpunished.

42. The Committee recommends that the State party take all necessary measures to prevent, and protect all persons with disabilities from, acts of exploitation, violence and abuse, including exploitation for the purpose of begging, and to ensure the proper recovery of victims in an appropriate environment. It also recommends that the State party properly investigate all instances of exploitation, violence and abuse committed against persons with disabilities, especially women, children, Afro-Hondurans and indigenous people, in order to ensure that they are identified, investigated and, where appropriate, prosecuted.

Protecting the integrity of the person (art. 17)

43.The Committee is concerned that persons with disabilities, especially women and children, are subject to sterilization and other contraceptive treatments without their consent.

44. The Committee recommends that the State party adopt all necessary measures to ensure that no women or girls with disabilities are subject to forced sterilization or abortion and that all medical procedures and treatments concerning persons with disabilities are contingent on their free and informed consent.

Living independently and being included in the community (art. 19)

45.The Committee is concerned at the absence of concrete initiatives to promote the deinstitutionalization of persons with disabilities and support in the community for independent living. It is also concerned about the contradiction between the personal assistance programme and the persistence of the medical approach in applying the legislation on carers.

46. The Committee encourages the State party in its efforts to halt institutionalization and recommends that it put in place a plan, with specific time frames and an adequate budget, for the deinstitutionalization of persons with disabilities, particularly persons with intellectual or psychosocial disabilities, that will ensure access by persons with disabilities to the necessary services and support, including personal assistance, the goal being independent living in the community; all this should be done in consultation with organizations of persons with disabilities.

Freedom of expression and opinion, and access to information (art. 21)

47.The Committee is concerned at the failure to implement standards on the accessibility of official television programmes related to elections, emergencies and natural disasters, and at the ineffectiveness of administrative and judicial mechanisms in cases of non-compliance. It is also concerned that the standards and procedures for the use of Braille, easy-to-read formats and other forms of communication are not in line with the Convention. In addition, it is concerned about the lack of accessible formats and technologies appropriate to different kinds of disabilities.

48. The Committee recommends that the State party take the necessary measures to ensure the application of the relevant legislation and that it transmit, using accessible media and formats appropriate to different kinds of disabilities, all public information aimed at the general public, particularly that related to national events, emergencies and/or natural disasters. It also recommends that the State party promote official recognition of Honduran sign language and of the Braille system as the official reading and writing code of blind and deaf-blind persons.

Respect for home and the family (art. 23)

49.The Committee is concerned that the Civil Code still contains rules that prevent persons with intellectual and/or psychosocial disabilities from marrying and that deny them the right to marry and start a family if they so desire. The Committee is also concerned at the absence of the support needed by persons with disabilities to exercise their right to start a family on the same conditions as others.

50. The Committee recommends that the State party repeal the provisions that place restrictions on marriage for persons with intellectual and/or psychosocial disabilities and that it take the necessary support measures to ensure that persons with disabilities, especially women, are able to exercise their right to become parents without facing prejudice and on the same conditions as others.

Education (art. 24)

51.The Committee is concerned that responsibility for the education of persons with disabilities lies with the Subdirectorate-General of Education for Differently Abled Persons and Exceptionally Gifted Persons, and that special and segregated education based on evaluations of the person’s disabilities is prevalent at all levels. It is also concerned that there is no training in inclusive education for teachers, which impedes the transition to an inclusive education system. Likewise, it is concerned about the lack of support for children with hearing impairments and about the decision of the National Autonomous University of Honduras to drop its course on sign-language interpretation.

52. The Committee recommends that the State party, in line with the Committee’s general comment No. 4 (2016) on the right to inclusive education, adopt an inclusive approach in its education policy for persons with disabilities, by implementing a plan for the transition to inclusive education at all levels, including in higher education, training teachers and providing the necessary support and resources such as textbooks in Braille, easy-to-read formats, accessible electronic formats and sign-language interpretation with a view to achieving such inclusiveness, paying particular attention to persons with intellectual or psychosocial disabilities, deaf-blind persons and persons from Afro-Honduran and indigenous communities. The Committee also recommends that the State party include the subject of the rights of persons with disabilities in teacher-training courses. The Committee further recommends that the National Autonomous University of Honduras reinstate its course on sign-language interpretation.

Health (art. 25)

53.The Committee is concerned that mainstream health services are not accessible to persons with disabilities, especially in rural areas and in Afro-Honduran and indigenous communities. The Committee is also concerned about the lack of health professionals with the proper training to provide inclusive health care and to address the specific needs of persons with disabilities, especially those with intellectual and/or psychosocial disabilities, and about the stereotypes that exist in respect of the sexual and reproductive health of women with disabilities.

54. The Committee recommends that the State party adopt plans and allocate resources to ensure that mainstream health services, including sexual and reproductive health services and information, are accessible to persons with disabilities in its territory, especially in rural areas and in Afro-Honduran and indigenous communities. It also recommends that personnel working in health services for the general public receive training on dealing with persons with disabilities, particularly those with intellectual and/or psychosocial disabilities, and on the rights enshrined in the Convention.

Habilitation and rehabilitation (art. 26)

55.The Committee is concerned about the lack of data on persons with disabilities who have access to habilitation and rehabilitation services and programmes, as well as the shortage of such services in the State party. In addition, the Committee notes with concern the number of migrants who have returned to the country with some form of disability after migrating.

56. The Committee recommends that the State party take the necessary measures to ensure that persons with disabilities throughout its territory have access to community-based rehabilitation services and programmes aimed at social and community inclusion. Likewise, the Committee recommends that the State party strengthen rehabilitation measures for the effective reintegration of migrant workers who return with some form of disability, including access to decent work and stability.

Work and employment (art. 27)

57.The Committee notes with concern the high unemployment rate of persons with disabilities. It is also concerned about the failure to monitor compliance with the employment quotas in the public sector. In addition, the Committee is concerned that the Con Chamba Vivís Mejor, Chamba Comunitaria and Chambita Plus programmes do not include a representative number of persons with disabilities.

58. The Committee recommends that the State party implement specific strategies to improve the employment prospects of persons with disabilities in the public sector. It also recommends that the State party pay attention to the links between article 27 of the Convention and target 8.5 of the Sustainable Development Goals, and that it ensure productive and decent work for everyone, including persons with disabilities, in accordance with the principle of equal pay for work of equal value.

Adequate standard of living and social protection (art. 28)

59.The Committee notes with concern the number of persons with disabilities living in poverty, especially women, children, Afro-Hondurans and indigenous people. It is also concerned that the State party’s social policies rely on charity and welfare, such as the disability voucher or the Honduras for All programme, which hands out technical aids.

60. The Committee recommends that the State party take concrete measures to enable persons with disabilities to attain a decent standard of living, and to mitigate the impact of disability-related poverty, especially the impact on groups subject to intersectional discrimination, such as women and children, Afro-Hondurans and indigenous people with disabilities. It also recommends that the State party be guided by article 28 of the Convention in implementing targets 1.3 and 1.4 of the Sustainable Development Goals.

Participation in political and public life (art. 29)

61.The Committee is concerned that a declaration of interdiction is an impediment to the exercise by a person with disabilities of the right to vote; it is also concerned at the low number of persons with disabilities — mainly women, Afro-Hondurans and indigenous people — taking part in political and public life. The Committee is also concerned about the lack of accessibility of voting materials and polling stations to persons with disabilities.

62. The Committee recommends that the State party take the necessary measures to ensure that no one is deprived of the right to vote or to participate in political and public life on the basis of a disability or restrictions on their legal capacity, and that it do more to encourage persons with disabilities, especially those with intellectual or psychosocial disabilities, to seek elected office and government posts. The Committee also recommends that the State party step up its efforts to ensure that voting procedures, facilities and materials are fully accessible to persons with disabilities in both urban and rural areas. It further recommends that the State party adopt the necessary legislative measures to ensure that, when necessary and if so requested, persons with disabilities can ask a person of their choice to help them cast their vote. It also recommends that all polling stations have sufficient accessible voting slips to guarantee assisted and secret voting.

Participation in cultural life, recreation, leisure and sport (art. 30)

63.The Committee welcomes the ratification by the State party of the Marrakesh Treaty to Facilitate Access to Published Works for Persons Who Are Blind, Visually Impaired, or Otherwise Print Disabled. However, it is concerned about the lack of accessibility to historical, cultural, heritage and tourist sites for persons with disabilities in the State party.

64. The Committee recommends that the State party adopt accessibility plans, with specified indicators and deadlines, at historical, heritage and tourist sites and at cultural and leisure facilities. The Committee also encourages the State party to improve access to information and reading matter for blind or visually impaired persons, by promoting collaboration with publishers, libraries, documentation centres, educational centres, universities and others.

Statistics and data collection (art. 31)

65.The Committee is concerned about the lack of comparable disaggregated data on persons with disabilities in all sectors of the State party, and at the lack of human rights indicators in the data that are available. The Committee is also concerned that the issues of gender, children, violence and type of impairment are not covered in the statistical data.

66. The Committee recommends that the State party systematically encourage the collection, analysis and dissemination of comparable disaggregated data on persons with disabilities in all sectors. It also recommends that, in cooperation with persons with disabilities and their representative organizations, the State party develop a system of human rights indicators. The Committee further recommends that the State party consider the links between article 31 of the Convention and target 17.18 of the Sustainable Development Goals.

International cooperation (art. 32)

67.The Committee is concerned that the principles and values of the Convention are not systematically incorporated in all the State party’s international cooperation policies and programmes. It is also concerned about the failure to mainstream the rights of persons with disabilities in the domestic implementation and follow-up of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.

68. The Committee recommends that the State party, in close cooperation with organizations of persons with disabilities, ensure that the planned international development cooperation policy of Honduras is in line with the Convention and that the rights of persons with disabilities are mainstreamed in the domestic implementation and follow-up of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, in close cooperation with, and with the participation of, organizations of persons with disabilities.

National implementation and monitoring (art. 33)

69.The Committee is concerned that the Directorate-General of Development for Persons with Disabilities does not constitute an independent monitoring mechanism in accordance with the principles relating to the status of national institutions for the promotion and protection of human rights (Paris Principles). It is also concerned that the above institution lacks the resources and hierarchical status to fulfil its mandate.

70. The Committee recommends that the State party take steps to ensure that the mechanism it designates to promote, protect and monitor implementation of the Convention complies fully with the Paris Principles and that it is an independent body with adequate status and resources to fulfil its tasks, and also to ensure the full participation of persons with disabilities and their representative organizations therein.

Follow-up and dissemination

71. The Committee requests the State party to provide information, within 12 months of the adoption of the present concluding observations and in accordance with article 35 (2) of the Convention, on the measures taken to implement the Committee’s recommendations in paragraphs 6 and 70 above.

72. The Committee requests the State party to implement the recommendations contained in the present concluding observations. It recommends that the State party transmit the concluding observations for consideration and action to members of the Government and parliament, officials in relevant ministries, members of the judiciary and relevant professional groups, such as education, medical and legal professionals, as well as to local authorities and the media, using modern social communication strategies.

73. The Committee requests the State party to involve civil society organizations, in particular organizations of persons with disabilities, in the preparation of its second periodic report.

74. The Committee requests the State party to disseminate the present concluding observations widely, including to non-governmental organizations and organizations representing persons with disabilities, and to persons with disabilities themselves and members of their families, in national and minority languages, including sign language, and in accessible formats, and to make them available on the government website on human rights.

Next report

75. The Committee requests the State party to submit its combined second to fourth periodic reports by 11 May 2022 and to include in them information on the implementation of the recommendations made in the present concluding observations. The Committee invites the State party to consider submitting the above-mentioned reports under the Committee’s simplified reporting procedure, according to which the Committee prepares a list of issues at least one year prior to the due date set for the report of a State party. The replies of a State party to such a list of issues constitute its report.