Committee on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities
Sixth session
Summary record (partial)* of the 10 th meeting**
Held at the Palais des Nations, Geneva, on Friday, 23 September 2011, at 3 p.m.
Chairperson:Mr. McCallum
Contents
Other matters
Future meetings
Closure of the session
The discussion covered in the summary record began at 5.15 p.m.
Other matters
The Chairperson said that, at the current and previous sessions, the Committee had fulfilled its central purpose of entering into constructive dialogues with States parties, with the assistance of national human rights institutions and civil society. Taking stock of the work accomplished, he noted the Committee’s dialogue with Spain and adoption of concluding observations (CRPD/C/ESP/CO/1), which would shortly be sent to the mission and posted on the Internet. Engaging in dialogue with developed countries such as Spain represented a particular challenge, owing to their complex legal, financial and other structures.
The Committee had also adopted a list of issues (CRPD/C/PER/Q/1) for its dialogue with Peru at the forthcoming session in April. In addition, the following country rapporteurs had been appointed: Ms. Peláez Naváez for Argentina, Mr. Tatić for Hungary and Ms. Quan-Chang for Paraguay. Sadly, although the Committee had also appointed country rapporteurs for China, Mr. Kim Hyung Shik and Ms. Degener, it had been unable to adopt a list of issues for a dialogue with China because the report of the State party had not been translated in time.
It had also begun to examine communications received under the Optional Protocol. It was important for disabled persons’ organizations to assist complainants by publicizing the Optional Protocol and ensuring that the communications submitted were appropriate and valid. The International Disability Alliance had been helping complainants through workshops and other forms of assistance, as no doubt had other organizations. While the number of communications was growing, there was still a need for more publicity about the Optional Protocol and more assistance to disabled persons’ organizations.
The Committee had come to an arrangement with Microsoft and the Collaborative International Research Centre for Universal Access at Middlesex University and, once the necessary formalities were completed, would be signing a memorandum of understanding so that they might audit the work of the Committee at its seventh session and explore how it could improve accessibility of documents and make the best use of modern communications.
Ms. Lee (International Disability Alliance (IDA)) said that IDA was currently working with other NGOs in supporting disabled persons’ organizations through capacity-building and assistance with the Optional Protocol. IDA had also been preparing recommendations for treaty bodies to make communications mechanisms more accessible and to ensure that treaty body jurisprudence was transparent and available to civil society.
Future meetings
The Chairperson said that, at its seventh session, the Committee would consider the initial reports of China (CRPD/C/CHN/1), Argentina (CRPD/C/ARG/1), Hungary (CRPD/C/HUN/1) and, he hoped, Paraguay (CRPD/C/PRY/1) and would seek to prepare lists of issues.
Closure of the session
After the customary exchange of courtesies, the Chairperson declared the sixth session of the Committee on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities closed.
The meeting rose at 5.30 p.m.