Committee on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities
Ninth session
Summary record (partial)* of the 103rd meeting**
Held at the Palais Wilson, Geneva, on Friday, 19 April 2013, at 3 p.m.
Chairperson:Ms. Cisternas Reyes
Contents
Other matters
Future meetings
Closure of the session
The discussion covered in the summary record began at 6 p.m.
Other matters
The Chairperson, taking stock of the work accomplished, said that at the current session the Committee had adopted lists of issues for its forthcoming dialogues with Australia (CRPD/C/AUS/Q/1), Austria (CRPD/C/AUT/Q/1) and El Salvador (CRPD/C/SLV/Q/1), as well as concluding observations on the initial report of Paraguay (CRPD/C/PRY/CO/1). In addition, it had discussed issues relating to the Optional Protocol to the Convention and had held a half day of general discussion on women and girls with disabilities.
Ms. Lee (International Disability Alliance (IDA)) said that she welcomed the Committee’s decision to draft a general comment on women and girls with disabilities in follow-up to the rich half day of general discussion on the topic. She was grateful to the Committee members for their participation in the country-specific briefings and the side event on indigenous women and girls with disabilities organized by IDA. Webcasts of the current session had been broadcast in English, Spanish, International Sign and, for the consideration of the report of Paraguay, Paraguayan sign language, attracting viewers from some 45 different countries, with a large proportion of viewers from Paraguay.
Ms. Lachowska (Disability Council International) said that her organization’s work to support the Committee was entering a new phase, during which Disability Council International would be working to help States design strategies for the implementation of the Convention and projects to benefit persons with disabilities. It had identified one State that it would be working with for the next three to five years as part of a pilot project.
Ms. Maina said that she had benefited greatly from the shadow report submitted by Disability Council International and Parigual on the situation with respect to the rights of persons with disabilities in Paraguay. She encouraged the Council to continue its work.
Future meetings
The Chairperson said that the Committee’s next session would be held for two weeks in September 2013.
Closure of the session
After the customary exchange of courtesies, the Chairperson declared the ninth session of the Committee on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities closed.
The meeting rose at 6.10 p.m.