Committee on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities
Concluding observations on the initial report of Saudi Arabia *
I.Introduction
1.The Committee considered the initial report of Saudi Arabia (CRPD/C/SAU/1) at its 449th and 450th meetings (see CRPD/C/SR.449 and 450), held on 20 and 21 March 2019. It adopted the present concluding observations at its 466th meeting, held on 2 April 2019.
2.The Committee welcomes the initial report of Saudi Arabia, which was prepared in accordance with the Committee’s reporting guidelines, and thanks the State party for its written replies (CRPD/C/SAU/Q/1/Add.1) to the list of issues prepared by the Committee (CRPD/C/SAU/Q/1).
3.The Committee appreciates the meaningful dialogue held with the State party’s high-level delegation and commends the State party for the strength of its delegation, which included many representatives of relevant government ministries.
II.Positive aspects
4.The Committee commends the initial steps taken to put in place legislation, mechanisms and programmes to promote and protect the rights of persons with disabilities, including:
(a)The adoption of Saudi Vision 2030 (2016) by Decision of the Council of Ministers No. 308;
(b)The establishment of the Authority for the Welfare of Persons with Disabilities, in 2018, by Decision of the Council of Ministers No. 266;
(c)The financing of special vehicles for persons with disabilities or their families, the exemption of fees for entry, exit and return visas and residence permits for personal drivers, domestic employees and nurses of persons with disabilities;
(d)The fact that persons with disabilities may be appointed to the post of Grand Mufti, become members of the Shura Council and serve on the Board of the Human Rights Commission;
(e)The adoption of a four per cent quota for persons with disabilities in enterprises and governmental bodies with 25 or more employees.
III.Principal areas of concern and recommendations
A.General principles and obligations (arts. 1–4)
5.The Committee is concerned about:
(a)The fact that the State party’s legislation, including the Basic Law of Governance, the Disability Care Act, the Labour Law and the charter establishing the Authority for the Welfare of People with Disabilities, is based on a charity model of disability that runs counter to the Convention and does not recognize environmental barriers that hinder the full and effective participation of persons with disabilities in society on an equal basis with others;
(b)The lack of a coherent and comprehensive disability strategy to implement the human rights model of disability established in the Convention;
(c)The lack of systematic consultation of organizations led, directed and governed by persons with disabilities and the lack of involvement of persons with disabilities.
6. The Committee recommends that the State party:
(a) Take advantage of the formulation of a national human rights strategy (Royal Order No. 13084) to initiate a full transition to a human rights model of disability in laws and policies, including in the Basic Law of Governance, the Disability Care Act, the Labour Law and the charter establishing the Authority for the Welfare of People with Disabilities, with a view to harmonizing them with the general principles and provisions in the Convention;
(b) Develop a national disability strategy in order to implement a human rights-based approach to disability;
(c) Establish a systematic mechanism to recognize organizations led, directed and governed by persons with disabilities and to effectively and meaningfully consult and actively involve persons with disabilities, including those with psychosocial or intellectual disabilities, through their representative organizations in all matters that affect them, such as the development of all laws, policies and programmes, in line with the Committee ’ s general comment No. 7 (2018) on the participation of persons with disabilities, including children with disabilities, through their representative organizations, in the implementation and monitoring of the Convention.
B.Specific rights (arts. 5–30)
Equality and non-discrimination (art. 5)
7.The Committee is concerned that:
(a)The right of persons with disabilities to equality and non-discrimination, the denial of reasonable accommodation as an act of disability-based discrimination, and multiple and intersectional forms of discrimination are not explicitly recognized in national legislation;
(b)There are no legal cases of discrimination on the grounds of disability, which may reflect the lack of awareness among persons with disabilities about the available mechanisms to defend their rights, rather than the absence of such discrimination.
8. The Committee recommends that the State party:
(a) Adopt legislation to explicitly recognize the right to equality and non-discrimination on the grounds of disability, the denial of reasonable accommodation as a form of disability-based discrimination, and multiple and intersectional forms of discrimination;
(b) Raise awareness among members of the judiciary, law enforcement officers, civil servants, employers, educational and health professionals and persons with disabilities themselves, of the right to equality and non-discrimination, multiple and intersectional forms of discrimination, the provision of reasonable accommodation and available legal remedies to foster an environment that enables persons with disabilities to claim their rights.
Women with disabilities (art. 6)
9.The Committee is concerned about:
(a)The lack of specific measures taken to promote the participation of women with disabilities, particularly women with psychosocial or intellectual disabilities, in political and public life;
(b)The continued system of male guardianship, which subjects the enjoyment of most of the rights guaranteed to women with disabilities under the Convention to the authorization of a male guardian.
10. The Committee recommends that the State party strengthen measures to ensure the full development, advancement and empowerment of women and girls with disabilities, and that it, in particular:
(a) Take measures to permit and promote the participation of women with disabilities in political and public life, including by setting and implementing specific quotas for women with disabilities and mainstreaming the rights of women with disabilities across all laws, policies and programmes, with an intersectional perspective;
(b) Repeal all discriminatory provisions in its legislation that affect women with disabilities, in particular those that require a male guardian to authorize a woman ’ s exercise of her rights under the Convention, as recommended by the Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women in its most recent concluding observations (CEDAW/C/SAU/CO/3-4, para. 16 (c)).
Children with disabilities (art. 7)
11.The Committee is concerned about:
(a)The lack of specific protection for children with disabilities in legislation, implementing regulations and policies, including in the Child Protection Act and the Protection against Abuse Act;
(b)Corporal punishment, discrimination, stereotypes and marginalization concerning children with disabilities;
(c)The lack of capacity-building programmes on the rights of children with disabilities for health, educational and social service providers;
(d)The lack of mechanisms to guarantee that children with disabilities have their views taken into account on matters affecting them and their families, including in protection mechanisms;
(e)The lack of information and the lack of meaningful consultation with families of children who are deaf or hard of hearing in the decision to undergo medical interventions with regard to cochlear implant procedures.
12. The Committee recommends that the State party:
(a) Review the Child Protection Act and the Protection against Abuse Act to introduce specific provisions protecting the rights of children with disabilities, and mainstream the rights of children with disabilities, including the principle of the best interests of the child, into national policies, plans and programmes regarding children and young persons;
(b) Prohibit violence against children with disabilities, including corporal punishment, impose sanctions for perpetrators and adopt and implement a strategy to combat stereotyping of and discrimination against children with disabilities;
(c) Provide capacity-building programmes on the rights of children with disabilities for all those who provide services, including health, educational and social services, for children with disabilities;
(d) Develop and implement a mechanism that guarantees the full participation of children with disabilities, their families and their representative organizations in decision-making processes and in policy development to guarantee that services provided to them meet their requirements;
(e) Ensure that children with disabilities and their families have given their prior and informed consent before proceeding with invasive health procedures, such as cochlear implants, respect the evolving capacities of children and facilitate the learning of sign language.
Awareness-raising (art. 8)
13.The Committee is concerned that:
(a)Measures aimed at raising awareness about the rights of persons with disabilities, including in the mass media, are based on a misconception that the promotion of the prevention of disability is a measure to implement the Convention, rather than the human-rights based approach to disability, and that awareness-raising activities do not reach rural environments and places of employment;
(b)The Convention has not been disseminated in accessible formats such as Easy Read and Braille.
14. The Committee reminds the State party that the promotion of the prevention of disability is not a measure to implement the Convention and recommends that the State party, in cooperation with organizations of persons with disabilities and other stakeholders:
(a) Implement public awareness-raising campaigns, focusing on employers and rural areas, to portray persons with disabilities as rights holders, demonstrate their abilities and combat discrimination and negative stereotypes in the media;
(b) Disseminate the Convention in accessible formats, such as Easy Read and Braille.
Accessibility (art. 9)
15.The Committee is concerned about the lack of a mechanism to monitor the implementation of the Universal Access Programme, the lack of provisions on accessibility in the Disability Care Act, and the lack of consultation of persons with disabilities in the implementation of those measures. It is also concerned about the lack of sanctions imposed for non-compliance with accessibility provisions.
16. The Committee recommends that the State party, in line with the Committee ’ s general comment No. 2 (2014) on accessibility, establish a mechanism to monitor the implementation of the Universal Access Programme, and that it grant that mechanism:
(a) The responsibility of inspecting the accessibility of public buildings, facilities, transportation and information and communication services, in close consultation with persons with disabilities, through their representative organizations;
(b) The capacity to refer cases of non-compliance to the judiciary;
(c) The ability to ensure meaningful consultation with persons with disabilities, including in the implementation of legislation and policies regarding accessibility.
Right to life (art. 10)
17.The Committee is concerned about the legality of capital punishment in the State party. It is also concerned about the application of the death penalty to persons with psychosocial or intellectual disabilities.
18. The Committee recommends that the State party abolish the death penalty for persons with psychosocial or intellectual disabilities and suspend all current death sentences, in order to comply with its obligation under article 10 of the Convention.
Situations of risk and humanitarian emergencies (art. 11)
19.The Committee is concerned about:
(a)The precarious situation of refugees and asylum-seeking persons with disabilities, resulting from the State party’s military action in the region;
(b)The insufficient measures taken to guarantee that the State party’s preparedness, protection and disaster relief measures, and shelters and evacuation routes, including corresponding information, are accessible to persons with disabilities.
20. The Committee, recalling that if the State party exercises effective control over individuals in another jurisdiction (CCPR/C/96/D/1539/2006, para 14.2), or if it is a link in the causal chain that would cause possible violations in another jurisdiction, the guarantees of the Convention apply, recommends that the State party:
(a) Ensure respect for all the rights of persons with disabilities in the exercise of its powers in other jurisdictions, including in armed conflict, and facilitate the rapid and unimpeded passage of humanitarian relief for civilians in need (A/HRC/33/38, paras. 71 (b) and (d));
(b) Adopt and implement a fully inclusive and accessible emergency and disaster risk reduction strategy to ensure the protection and safety of persons with disabilities at risk, in line with the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction 2015–2030, and guarantee the provision of information relating to emergencies and on evacuation systems, transport and shelters in accessible formats for persons with disabilities.
Equal recognition before the law (art. 12)
21.The Committee is concerned that persons with psychosocial or intellectual disabilities are deprived of equal recognition before the law, as a result of the practice of evaluating the decision-making capacity of persons with disabilities. It is also concerned about the lack of measures taken to grant the necessary support to persons with disabilities in the exercise of their legal capacity.
22. The Committee recommends that the State party, in line with the Committee ’ s general comment No. 1 (2014) on equal recognition before the law:
(a) Take legislative measures to recognize the full legal capacity of persons with disabilities on an equal basis with others, and abolish substituted decision-making regimes;
(b) Introduce supported decision-making regimes that respect the autonomy, will and preferences of persons with disabilities in all areas of life;
(c) Create and implement awareness-raising programmes about supported decision-making and the legal capacity of persons with disabilities for persons with disabilities, their families, community members, social workers, and members of the judiciary and the legislature;
(d) Consult with organizations of persons with disabilities and other stakeholders in these legislative and policy processes.
Access to justice (art. 13)
23.The Committee is concerned that:
(a)Current legislation, including articles 148 and 149 of the Code of Criminal Procedure, allows for the denial of access to justice for persons deprived of their legal capacity and may prevent persons with intellectual or psychosocial disabilities from filing a complaint directly before the judiciary;
(b)There is not sufficient information available in accessible formats to enable persons with disabilities, particularly those who are blind or deaf and those with intellectual or psychosocial disabilities, to participate in judicial proceedings;
(c)Persons with disabilities, especially those living in rural areas, face additional obstacles in their access to justice due to the insufficient accessibility of infrastructure and a lack of procedural accommodation;
(d)There are no specific measures to guarantee non-discriminatory access to justice for persons with disabilities, and no measures to respect their right to freely choose the judicial and law enforcement personnel involved.
24. The Committee recommends that the State party, taking into account article 13 of the Convention and target 16.3 of the Sustainable Development Goals:
(a) Remove any provisions, including in the Code of Criminal Procedure, restricting access to courts for persons with disabilities;
(b) Ensure the availability of professional and certified sign language interpreters and documents in accessible formats such as Braille, tactile and Easy Read, and ensure non-discriminatory access to assistive technologies for all persons with disabilities to guarantee their full participation in all judicial and administrative proceedings;
(c) Take all measures necessary to combat the discrimination faced by persons with disabilities in their access to justice, ensure that the legal system is fully accessible, especially in rural areas, and provide comprehensive procedural accommodation;
(d) Strengthen efforts to raise awareness among court staff, judges, prosecutors and law enforcement officers, including police and prison officers, especially in rural areas and remote communities, about the provisions of the Convention.
Liberty and security of the person (art. 14)
25.The Committee is concerned that the State party’s Mental Health Care Act and Code of Practice for Health-Care Professions allow for the placement of persons with disabilities, especially those with psychosocial or intellectual disabilities and children with disabilities, in habilitation and residential centres and institutions. It is also concerned that these pieces of legislation allow for the hospitalization of persons with disabilities and medical treatment without their free, prior and informed consent.
26. The Committee recommends that the State party, guided by the Committee ’ s guidelines on article 14 (2015):
(a) Repeal all legislative provisions, including in the Mental Health Care Act and the Code of Practice for Health-Care Professions, that authorize the institutionalization, hospitalization and involuntary medical treatment of persons with disabilities without their free, prior and informed consent;
(b) Adopt measures to ensure that the rights of persons with disabilities, particularly children and persons with psychosocial or intellectual disabilities, are respected in all settings, paying particular attention to their right to education;
(c) Involve persons with disabilities through their representative organizations in the monitoring of all places where persons with disabilities may reside and be detained, including habilitation and residential centres, prisons and detention centres, and provide training to health professionals and law enforcement and prison officers on respecting the rights of persons with disabilities.
Freedom from torture and cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment (art. 15)
27.The Committee is concerned about:
(a)Violence against and abuse and cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment of persons and children with disabilities, including through corporal punishment, in homes, schools, day-care centres and alternative care settings;
(b)The Basic Law of Governance preventing the monitoring of the rights of children with disabilities in private homes;
(c)Legal provisions allowing for research on a person, especially a person with psychosocial or intellectual disabilities, without his or her free, prior and informed consent.
28. The Committee recommends that the State party:
(a) Adopt legislation that prohibits all forms of violence and corporal punishment in all settings, including in homes, schools, day-care centres and alternative care settings, train medical and research personnel on the human rights-based approach to disability and investigate, prosecute and punish perpetrators of violence and corporal punishment;
(b) Amend the Basic Law of Governance to allow for the monitoring of the rights of children with disabilities in private homes;
(c) Repeal all legal provisions, including in the Ethics of Scientific Research on Living Creatures Act, allowing for research and medical or scientific experimentation on a person with disabilities without his or her free, prior and informed consent.
Freedom from exploitation, violence and abuse (art. 16)
29.The Committee is concerned about:
(a)The lack of complaints of exploitation, violence and abuse against adults and children with disabilities, which may point to insufficient knowledge among the population, particularly women, children and persons with psychosocial or intellectual disabilities and those living in institutions, about the rights of persons with disabilities and the available measures to file complaints relating to discrimination;
(b)The lack of independent legal aid, which prevents effective investigation, prosecution and punishment in cases of exploitation, violence and abuse against persons with disabilities in institutions;
(c)The inadequate services for the physical and psychological recovery and rehabilitation of persons with disabilities, particularly women and girls, who are survivors of exploitation, violence and abuse.
30. The Committee recommends that the State party implement the recommendations made by the Saudi Human Rights Commission after its visits to detention centres, and that it, in particular:
(a) Raise awareness about available complaint mechanisms and hotlines among persons and children with disabilities, including those living in institutions, guarantee the accessibility and availability of those mechanisms and effectively investigate, prosecute and punish cases of exploitation, violence and abuse against persons with disabilities, particularly women, children and persons with psychosocial or intellectual disabilities and those living in institutions;
(b) Guarantee access to independent and accessible legal aid for persons with disabilities who are victims of exploitation, violence and abuse in institutions;
(c) Strengthen efforts to ensure that persons with disabilities who are victims of any form of exploitation, violence or abuse, including in habilitation and residential centres, day-care centres and family homes, have access to physical, cognitive and psychological protection, recovery, rehabilitation and social reintegration services that are sensitive to their age, gender and type of disability;
(d) Collect disaggregated data and statistics on abuse, exploitation and violence against persons with disabilities, and on the outcomes of related complaints.
Protecting the integrity of the person (art. 17)
31.The Committee is concerned about the forced sterilization of persons with disabilities, especially women and girls with psychosocial or intellectual disabilities.
32. The Committee urges the State party to protect persons with disabilities, especially women and girls and those with psychosocial or intellectual disabilities, from forced sterilization, in law and in practice, and ensure that perpetrators are prosecuted and sanctioned, and that remedies are available for persons who have been subjected to forced sterilization.
Liberty of movement and nationality (art. 18)
33.The Committee is concerned about:
(a)Discriminatory provisions, including in the Nationality Act, limiting the rights of women with disabilities to pass on their nationality to their spouses and children;
(b)The fact that women with disabilities are obliged to request the permission of a guardian to travel, including when travelling abroad;
(c)Persons with disabilities belonging to ethnic minorities, including Bedouins, who face obstacles in their access to citizenship and social services;
(d)The limited access of migrants, asylum seekers and refugees with disabilities to support services and individualized accommodation.
34. The Committee recommends that the State party:
(a) Repeal all discriminatory provisions, including in the Nationality Act, that limit the right of women with disabilities to pass on their nationality to their spouses and children;
(b) Take all measures necessary, in law and in practice, to ensure that women with disabilities may exercise their right to liberty of movement without the permission of a guardian;
(c) Ensure that persons with disabilities belonging to ethnic, linguistic and religious minorities and living in rural and remote areas, including Bedouins, have access to identity documents, Saudi citizenship and social services, and guarantee that their rights under the Convention are protected;
(d) Adopt all measures necessary to ensure that migrants, asylum seekers and refugees with disabilities are granted adequate support services, including gender-sensitive and age-appropriate accommodation.
Living independently and being included in the community (art. 19)
35.The Committee is concerned that:
(a)Persons with disabilities, particularly those with psychosocial or intellectual disabilities, are forced to live in habilitation and residential centres;
(b)Persons with disabilities have limited access to and a low level of awareness of available independent living support services and ways in which such assistance may be claimed within their local community;
(c)There are no available data, disaggregated by sex, age and type of disability, on persons with disabilities residing in habilitation and other centres.
36. The Committee recommends that the State party, in line with the Committee ’ s general comment No. 5 (2017) on living independently and being included in the community:
(a) Adopt a strategy to deinstitutionalize all persons with disabilities, including those with psychosocial or intellectual disabilities, and ensure the allocation of the resources necessary for the implementation of that strategy;
(b) Promote the provision of individualized and community support services to allow persons with disabilities to live independently and be included in the community, and systematically raise awareness among those persons about the availability of such services and assistance, and about how to access those services;
(c) Provide, in its next periodic report, data disaggregated by sex, age and type of disability on persons with disabilities residing in habilitation and other centres.
Personal mobility (art. 20)
37.The Committee is concerned about:
(a)Challenges faced by persons with disabilities in acquiring necessary mobility aids and assistive devices, including due to the complex nature of the administrative procedures regarding the special tax and customs exemptions for the purchase of adapted motor vehicles;
(b)The lack of involvement of organizations led, directed and governed by persons with disabilities in the development and allocation of mobility aids and devices, assistive technologies and forms of live assistance and intermediaries.
38. The Committee recommends that the State party:
(a) Take all appropriate measures to ensure that necessary mobility aids and devices, assistive technologies, forms of live assistance and intermediaries and means of transportation are affordable for persons with disabilities, through government subsidies and simplified administrative procedures;
(b) Ensure the participation of organizations led, directed and governed by persons with disabilities in the development and allocation of mobility aids and devices, assistive technologies and forms of live assistance and intermediaries.
Freedom of expression and opinion, and access to information (art. 21)
39.The Committee is concerned that:
(a)Saudi sign language is not recognized as an official language in the State party’s legislation, and there is a lack of certification programmes and a code of ethics for sign language interpreters;
(b)There is an insufficient number of teachers trained in sign language and tactile formats, and of professionals able to render texts in Easy Read and Braille;
(c)There is a lack of captioned services in Arabic on television programmes and during public events, the display of sign language interpreters on television is small, and female sign language interpreters cover their faces in public meetings, which results in inaccessibility;
(d)The progress in the implementation of accessibility standards for websites is slow.
40. The Committee recommends that the State party:
(a) Adopt legislation to ensure the full recognition of Saudi sign language as an official language, facilitate its learning in schools, and develop a mandatory certification programme and a code of ethics for sign language interpreters;
(b) Strengthen the training of teachers at all educational levels and relevant professionals in Braille, Easy Read and tactile formats;
(c) Ensure that public broadcasters, telecommunication operators and organizers of public events provide information in accessible forms such as Easy Read and captioning for all persons with disabilities, and ensure that the display of sign language interpreters on television is large enough and that their faces are visible to ensure accessibility;
(d) Strengthen efforts to ensure the implementation of the World Wide Web Consortium Web Content Accessibility Guidelines for all public websites, and encourage private entities providing services through the Internet to do so in accessible formats for all persons with disabilities.
Respect for home and the family (art. 23)
41.The Committee is concerned about:
(a)The lack of a legally prescribed minimum age of marriage, and the consequently high proportion of girls with disabilities who marry before the age of 18 years;
(b)The lack of information on whether the rights of persons with disabilities, including those with intellectual or psychosocial disabilities, to enter into marriage, exercise parental responsibilities and adopt children are ensured on an equal basis with others;
(c)The obligation imposed on couples aiming to marry to undergo prenuptial medical examinations, which restricts the right of all persons with disabilities to marry on an equal basis with others due to impairment;
(d)The practice of collective marriages for persons with disabilities.
42. The Committee recommends that the State party, in line with the Committee ’ s general comment No. 3 (2016) on women and girls with disabilities:
(a) Define and enforce a legal minimum age of marriage of 18 years for both women and men, as recommended by the Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women in its most recent concluding observations (CEDAW/C/SAU/CO/3-4, para. 64 (c)), including persons with disabilities;
(b) Take all legal and policy measures necessary to ensure that all persons with disabilities, including those with intellectual or psychosocial disabilities, may enter into marriage, exercise parental responsibilities and adopt children on an equal basis with others;
(c) Repeal the Marriage Contract Licensing Regulations that impose the obligation to undergo prenuptial medical examinations to enter into marriage, in order to allow persons with disabilities to freely choose their partner, irrespective of impairment;
(d) Introduce the safeguards necessary to ensure that all marriages, including collective marriages, respect the right of persons with disabilities, including those with intellectual or psychosocial disabilities, to freely choose their partner.
Education (art. 24)
43.The Committee is concerned about the continued practice of placing children with disabilities in segregated educational settings, which results in their exclusion from the mainstream educational system based on impairment.
44. In line with the Committee ’ s general comment No. 4 (2014) on the right to inclusive education and targets 4.5 and 4.A of the Sustainable Development Goals, the Committee recommends that the State party, through the Ministry of Education, take the measures necessary to transform the current education system into an inclusive education system at all levels and for all children with disabilities, and promote and ensure the provision of individualized accommodation and support staff in classrooms.
Health (art. 25)
45.The Committee is concerned about:
(a)The barriers faced by persons with disabilities in accessing health-care services, especially in rural areas, due to geographic distance, physical obstacles and the lack of related information in accessible formats;
(b)The lack of information on the availability of accessible sexual and reproductive health services;
(c)The limited availability and the high costs of specialized health-care services related to disabilities.
46. The Committee recommends that the State party:
(a) Adopt and implement a strategy to guarantee access for all persons with disabilities, especially those residing in rural areas, to disability- and gender-sensitive health-care services and information, and ensure that the strategy includes capacity-building programmes for medical personnel on the rights of persons with disabilities, the human rights-based approach to disability and alternative communication methods;
(b) Ensure that gender- and disability-sensitive and accessible sexual and reproductive health services are available in all medical facilities throughout the State party, and disseminate accessible information on sexual and reproductive health and rights;
(c) Guarantee the availability and affordability of specialized health-care services related to disabilities.
Work and employment (art. 27)
47.The Committee is concerned about:
(a)The lack of information on the adoption of the planned national strategy for the recruitment and employment of persons with disabilities;
(b)The lack of complaints for non-compliance with the quota provided for under the Labour Law, which requires employers of 25 or more persons to allocate 4 per cent of jobs to persons with disabilities;
(c)The lack of information on sanctions imposed on workplaces that do not comply with the workplace accessibility conditions and workplace accommodation guidelines;
(d)The lack of data, disaggregated by age, sex, type of disability and level of employment, on persons with disabilities in employment.
48. The Committee recommends that the State party:
(a) Expedite the adoption and implementation of the national strategy for the recruitment and employment of persons with disabilities, ensure that it is based on the Convention and includes baselines and targets concerning access to employment for persons with disabilities, including women and young persons;
(b) Raise awareness about article 28 of the Labour Law and enforce the application of the quota for persons with disabilities;
(c) Guarantee the proactive and periodic inspection of workplace accessibility conditions and individualized accommodation provided for persons with disabilities in their workplaces, in line with article 10 (11) of the implementing regulations of the Labour Law;
(d) Provide, in its next periodic report, data disaggregated by age, sex, type of disability and level of employment on persons with disabilities in employment in the public and private sectors.
Adequate standard of living and social protection (art. 28)
49.The Committee is concerned about the high percentage of persons with disabilities who do not have a regular income and the lack of a comprehensive social protection scheme, including provisions to cover disability-related expenses, to ensure that persons with disabilities and their families have access to an adequate standard of living.
50. The Committee draws the State party ’ s attention to the links between article 28 of the Convention and target 10.2 of the Sustainable Development Goals, which is aimed at empowering and promoting the social, economic and political inclusion of all persons, irrespective of disability. The Committee recommends that the State party expedite the implementation of Royal Order No. 24535 on the calculation of the absolute poverty line and adopt a social protection scheme aimed at guaranteeing an adequate standard of living for persons with disabilities, including through compensation schemes in the form of allowances to enable persons with disabilities to cover additional disability-related expenses.
Participation in political and public life (art. 29)
51.The Committee is concerned that:
(a)Persons with psychosocial or intellectual disabilities are prevented from exercising their right to vote and to stand for election, including in legislation;
(b)Election materials and polling stations are rarely accessible;
(c)Persons with disabilities rarely stand for public office.
52. The Committee recommends that the State party:
(a) Repeal all legislative provisions, including in the Municipal Councils Act, that prevent persons with psychosocial or intellectual disabilities from voting and standing for election;
(b) Take all measures necessary, including legislative and policy measures, to ensure that the voting environment is accessible, including by guaranteeing the accessibility of polling stations and the provision of accessible electoral materials and information for all persons with disabilities;
(c) Promote the participation of persons with disabilities in civic and political processes.
Participation in cultural life, recreation, leisure and sport (art. 30)
53.The Committee is concerned about the limited participation of women and girls with disabilities in physical education at school, and in national tournaments and sports leagues.
54. The Committee recommends that the State party support and encourage the participation of women and girls with disabilities in cultural, recreational, leisure and sporting activities in and outside of school.
C.Specific obligations (arts. 31–33)
Statistics and data collection (art. 31)
55.The Committee is concerned about the limited availability of unified data on the fulfilment of the rights of persons with disabilities enshrined in the Convention, which is an obstacle to the development of adequate policies, the establishment of baselines and the evaluation of the impact of measures taken by the State party to promote the rights of persons with disabilities.
56. The Committee recommends that the State party systematically collect, analyse and disseminate data, disaggregated by gender, age, region, religion, ethnicity, nationality and type of disability, on the fulfilment of the rights of persons with disabilities in all areas covered in the Convention. The Committee also recommends that the State party use the concepts provided for in the Convention for the assessment of the current state of and the progress made towards the fulfilment of the rights of persons with disabilities.
National implementation and monitoring (art. 33)
57.The Committee is concerned that the State party’s Human Rights Commission does not function in line with the principles relating to the status of national institutions for the promotion and protection of human rights (the Paris Principles).
58. Taking into account the guidelines on independent monitoring frameworks and their participation in the work of the Committee (CRPD/C/1/Rev.1, annex), the Committee recommends that the State party review the charter regulating the functioning of the Human Rights Commission to bring it into line with the Paris Principles.
IV.Follow-up
Dissemination of information
59. The Committee emphasizes the importance of all the recommendations contained in the present concluding recommendations. With regard to urgent measures that must be taken, the Committee would like to draw the State party ’ s attention to the recommendations contained in paragraphs 6, on the national implementation of the Convention, and 28, on freedom from torture and cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment.
60. 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, local authorities and members of relevant professional groups, such as education, medical and legal professionals, as well as to the media, using modern social communication strategies.
61. The Committee strongly encourages the State party to involve civil society organizations, in particular organizations of persons with disabilities, in the preparation of its periodic report.
62. The Committee requests the State party to disseminate the present concluding observations widely, including to non-governmental organizations and organizations of 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 periodic report
63. The Committee requests the State party to submit its combined second, third, fourth and fifth periodic reports by 24 July 2026 and to include in them information on the implementation of the recommendations made in the present concluding observations. The Committee also requests 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.