Committee on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities

Concluding observations on the initial report of Morocco *

I.Introduction

1.The Committee considered the initial report of Morocco (CRPD/C/MAR/1) at its 338th and 339th meetings (see CRPD/C/SR.338 and 339), held on 16 and 17 August 2017. It adopted the present concluding observations at its 353th meeting, held on 28 August 2017.

2.The Committee welcomes the initial report of the State party, which was prepared in accordance with the Committee’s reporting guidelines. It appreciates the State party’s written replies (CRPD/C/MAR/Q/1/Add.1) to the list of issues prepared by the Committee (CRPD/C/MAR/Q/1).

3.The Committee appreciates the constructive dialogue held during the consideration of the report and commends the State party for its high-level delegation.

II.Positive aspects

4.The Committee commends the State party on the inclusion, in the preamble to the new national Constitution of 2011, of disability as one of the prohibited grounds of discrimination. It also welcomes the adoption of legislative measures since the ratification of the Convention, including Framework Law 97-13 on the promotion and protection of the rights of persons with disabilities, in 2016, and the integrated public policy for persons with disabilities.

5.The Committee welcomes the action taken regarding public policy measures and programmes aimed at implementing the Convention, such as the development of the national survey on disability; the adoption, by the ministry of health, of the working agenda on health and disability; the establishment, by the ministry of finance, of the social cohesion fund; and the issuance, by the ministry of national education and vocational training, of ministerial circulars and memoranda to facilitate the right to education of persons with disabilities.

III.Principal areas of concern and recommendations

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

6.The Committee notes with concern that the concept of disability in various national laws, adopted before the ratification of the Convention, is contrary to the human rights model of the Convention. It also notes the prevalence of the medical approach, focusing mainly on the prevention of impairments and on health treatment or attention that is not in line with the recognition of persons with disabilities as human-rights holders.

7. The Committee recommends that the State party harmonize and update the definitions of disability in the various laws and policies and bring them into line with the human rights model of disability set out in the Convention.

8.The Committee is concerned that Framework Law 97-13 on the promotion and protection of the rights of persons with disabilities does not specify the time frame for its entry into force and protects only persons with disabilities who hold a valid “disability card”. It is also concerned that the law fails to include measures to protect persons with psychosocial and/or intellectual disabilities and persons with disabilities belonging to minority, ethnic and linguistic groups and those who are refugees and asylum seekers.

9. The Committee recommends that the State party:

(a) Revise Framework Law 97-13 to bring it into line with the Convention and adopt specific measures to protect all persons with disabilities, including persons with psychosocial and/or intellectual disabilities and persons with disabilities belonging to national, ethnic, religious and/or linguistic minorities, such as Amazigh, black people, migrants, refugees and asylum seekers, and specify the time frame for its entry into force;

(b) Include all persons with disabilities in the process of developing its public policies and plans of action in the area of disability aimed at implementing its obligations under article 4 (1) (c) and eliminate any distinction between persons with disabilities who are holders of disability cards and those who are not.

10.The Committee is concerned about the absence of effective participation and consultation mechanisms aimed at ensuring that opinions, concerns and proposals of organizations of persons with disabilities are adequately included in the process of enacting legislation and in processes of decision-making by public authorities at the national and local levels.

11. The Committee recommends that the State party:

(a) Establish mechanisms to ensure effective and meaningful participation and consultation of persons with disabilities, through their representative organizations and on a regular basis, and that sufficient budgetary resources be provided to promote their meaningful participation;

(b) Promote and support the participation of organizations of women, children and young people with disabilities and persons with intellectual and/or psychosocial disabilities , and design mechanisms for and information about consultation processes in accessible formats for persons with intellectual disabilities.

B.Specific rights (arts. 5-30)

Equality and non-discrimination (art. 5)

12.The Committee is concerned about:

(a)The absence of recognition in the national legislation of denial of reasonable accommodation as a form of disability-based discrimination;

(b)The lack of specific legislation concerning protection against multiple and intersectional discrimination;

(c)The absence of information on the legal remedies and measures of redress and compensation provided for persons with disabilities who have faced disability-based discrimination.

13. The Committee recommends that the State party:

(a) Establish in national law the denial of reasonable accommodation as a form of disability-based discrimination;

(b) Provide for, in national law, explicit protection against multiple and intersectional forms of discrimination on the basis of sex, gender, age, disability, national origin, ethnicity and migratory status, and for effective sanctions against perpetrators;

(c) Establish measures, including to provide compensation and redress, for persons with disabilities who have faced discrimination on the basis of disability, and impose sanctions on perpetrators.

Women with disabilities (art. 6)

14.The Committee is concerned about:

(a)The multiple and intersectional forms of discrimination against, and marginalization of, women and girls with disabilities, in the absence of programmes to promote their rights on an equal basis with men;

(b)The discrimination by association experienced by women with children with disabilities;

(c)The information received on cases of violence and abuse against women and girls with disabilities;

(d)The absence of measures to prevent gender-based violence against women and girls with disabilities in all settings and to provide health, psychosocial and legal services for those who have been affected by such violence.

15. The Committee recommends that the State party, in line with general comment No. 3 (2016) on women and girls with disabilities and target 5.2 of the Sustainable Development Goals, eliminate all forms of violence against women and girls with disabilities in the public and private spheres, including trafficking and sexual and other forms of exploitation. It also recommends that the State party:

(a) Mainstream the rights of women and girls with disabilities in gender-equality legislation and in disability-related legislation and policies, and conduct public awareness-raising campaigns to combat stereotypes, prejudices and myths about them;

(b) Raise awareness about all forms of discrimination against women, and include the perspectives of women who are caregivers for children with disabilities in policies on tackling gender-based discrimination;

(c) Revise bill 103-13 on combating violence against women, so as to include the disability perspective and address the specific risks of gender-based violence and the barriers to protection faced by women and girls with disabilities, in particular women with psychosocial and/or intellectual disabilities;

(d) Put in place effective mechanisms to ensure that women and girls with disabilities who are victims of violence and abuse are protected and that they have access to medical, psychological and legal services on an equal basis with others.

Children with disabilities (art. 7)

16.The Committee is concerned about reported violence against, abuse of and use of corporal punishment on children with disabilities, including abandoned children with disabilities, in the home, in alternative care and day-care settings and in schools.

17. The Committee recommends that the State party adopt legislation and concrete measures to ensure that children with disabilities, including abandoned children with disabilities, are adequately protected from violence, exploitation and abuse, including corporal punishment, and that perpetrators are sanctioned.

18.The Committee is concerned about the lack of effective representation of children with disabilities in national discourse, especially in the national parliament and congresses, and the lack of opportunity to express their views, especially on matters that concern them.

19. The Committee recommends that the State party adopt a mechanism for conducting effective consultation with children with disabilities through their representative organizations, and that it ensure the full inclusion of children with disabilities in the national forum of children, the children ’ s parliament and children ’ s governorate and municipal councils, on an equal basis with other children.

Awareness-raising (art. 8)

20.The Committee is concerned about negative perceptions of persons with disabilities in society. It is also concerned about attitudes that stigmatize on the basis of gender and sex identity and its association with disability, and the confusion that can arise from having a different sexual orientation and being a person with disabilities.

21. The Committee recommends that the State party:

(a) Strengthen, with the participation of persons with disabilities through their representative organizations and the involvement of the media, public awareness-raising campaigns aimed at reaffirming the value and dignity of persons with disabilities;

(b) Raise awareness among politicians, including the legislative, executive and judicial branches of government, with regard to the Convention and its Optional Protocol and secure their support in implementing the recommendations contained in the Committee ’ s concluding observations;

(c) Conduct dialogue in society, involving community and religious leaders, aimed at preventing the stigmatization of all categories of persons with disabilities;

(d) Develop awareness-raising campaigns and conduct a revision of educational materials to prevent the confusion that can arise from having a different sexual orientation and being a person with disability.

Accessibility (art. 9)

22.The Committee notes with concern:

(a)The lack of information on the binding requirements for compliance with the accessibility standards contained in the laws that regulate urban planning and architecture, and the lack of monitoring mechanisms to ensure enforcement of the law;

(b)The lack of information on the accessibility of information and communications technologies, including government and private websites, for all persons with disabilities;

(c)The lack of information about the accessibility of public transport, particularly in rural areas.

23. The Committee recommends that the State party, in line with general comment No. 2 (2014) on accessibility:

(a) Develop a strategic plan for the provision of accessible information and communication technologies, in which it sets out guidelines for the procurement of goods and services, and ensure the inclusion of persons with disabilities and their representative organizations in the process;

(b) Put in place a mechanism to monitor compliance with accessibility standards in all areas covered by the Convention, ensure the enforcement of law 10-03 on accessibility and impose sanctions in the event of non-compliance with the law;

(c) Pay attention to the links between article 9 of the Convention and targets 11.2 and 11.7 of the Sustainable Development Goals, with a view to providing access to safe, affordable, accessible and sustainable transport systems for all, notably by expanding public transport, with special attention to persons with disabilities, and universal access to safe, inclusive and accessible, green and public spaces, particularly for persons with disabilities.

Situations of risk and humanitarian emergencies (art. 11)

24.The Committee is concerned about the absence of a national strategy for the protection of persons with disabilities from risk situations, including natural disasters, and the lack of information on the accessibility of humanitarian and emergency services for persons with disabilities.

25. The Committee recommends that the State party adopt a disaster risk reduction strategy that provides for accessibility for and inclusion of persons with disabilities, in all situations of risk, in line with the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction 2015-2030.

Equal recognition before the law (art. 12)

26.The Committee is concerned about:

(a)The denial, on the basis of impairment, of legal capacity of persons with disabilities, in particular of persons with sensory, psychosocial and/or intellectual disabilities, and the de facto guardianship exercised in families of persons with disabilities;

(b)The absence of understanding and development of supported decision-making alternatives for persons with disabilities that respect their will and preferences.

27. The Committee recommends that the State party, in line with general comment No. 1 (2014) on equal recognition before the law:

(a) Repeal the provisions of the Family Code and other laws that restrict the legal capacity of persons with disabilities, in particular persons with psychosocial and/or intellectual disabilities;

(b) Introduce and develop supported decision-making mechanisms for persons with disabilities that respect the autonomy, rights, will and preferences of persons with disabilities in all areas of life;

(c) Design capacity-building programmes for public officials on, and raise awareness among persons with disabilities, their families and society of, the right to equal recognition before the law of persons with disabilities and the supported decision-making system.

Access to justice (art. 13)

28.The Committee is concerned about:

(a)The barriers militating against the effective participation of persons with disabilities in the judicial system, owing to a lack of knowledge about disability issues within the judicial sector, the absence of substantive procedural accommodations, the lack of legal aid for persons with disabilities and the lack of accessibility to all judicial premises, including court buildings and places of detention;

(b)The non-availability of judicial information in accessible formats for persons with disabilities, such as Braille, Easy Read and sign language.

29. The Committee recommends that the State party:

(a) Adopt measures to ensure that all persons with disabilities, in particular persons with psychosocial and/or intellectual disabilities and deaf and hard-of-hearing persons, have access to justice and information and communication in accessible formats, such as Braille, tactile formats, Easy Read and sign language;

(b) Provide, within the judicial sector, effective procedural accommodations for persons with disabilities, according to gender and age;

(c) Ensure continuous training programmes and awareness-raising campaigns and information for court staff, judges, prosecutors and law enforcement officials, including police and prison officials, on the need to provide persons with disabilities with access to justice;

(d) Take the measures necessary to support and empower persons with disabilities to work in the justice system as, for example, judges and prosecutors, with the provision of all necessary support, so as to enhance greater access to justice by persons with disabilities.

Liberty and security of the person (art. 14)

30.The Committee is concerned about the deprivation of liberty, on the basis of impairment and alleged dangerousness, of persons with disabilities, including children, and in particular persons with psychosocial and/or intellectual disabilities.

31. The Committee recommends that the State party repeal provisions and practices that allow for the deprivation of liberty of adults with disabilities and children with disabilities on the basis of impairment, and introduce legal recourse for persons with disabilities at risk of being deprived of their liberty, including through institutionalization or internment, and to that end be guided by, inter alia, the Committee ’ s guidelines on article 14 of the Convention.

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

32.The Committee is concerned about the absence of measures to prevent, in practice, abuse of, violence against and cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment of persons with disabilities, including the conduct of medical procedures and experimentation on a person without his or her free and informed consent, and corporal punishment in the home and in alternative care and day-care settings.

33. The Committee recommends that the State party:

(a) Adopt legal provisions and concrete administrative measures to protect persons with disabilities, in particular women with intellectual and/or psychosocial disabilities, from torture and other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment, and adopt measures aimed at supporting such victims through the provision of legal advice, counselling, compensation and redress;

(b) Adopt concrete measures to ensure in practice that persons with disabilities are not subjected to medical procedures and experimentation without their free and informed consent;

(c) Empower the National Human Rights Council, as the national preventive mechanism, to monitor all settings in which persons with disabilities may be deprived of their liberty, in line with the Optional Protocol to the Convention against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment.

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

34.The Committee is concerned about:

(a)Violence against and abuse of persons with disabilities, including the forcible use of children with disabilities in begging, and the rape of women, girls and children with disabilities in institutions, and about the absence of effective measures for compensation for and rehabilitation and social reintegration of victims of violence, particularly women and girls with disabilities;

(b)The absence of training for families, caregivers, health personnel and law enforcement officials on recognizing all forms of exploitation, violence and abuse, especially involving orphans, including in the labour market;

(c)The absence of concrete data, disaggregated by sex and age, on cases of violence and abuse committed in hospitals, particularly psychiatric hospitals, and places of detention, including on budgetary allocations aimed at making those institutions functional.

35. The Committee recommends that the State party:

(a) Adopt concrete and effective measures to ensure that persons with disabilities, especially women and girls with disabilities who are victims of gender-based violence and children with disabilities who are victims of ill-treatment, have access to services and information, including hotlines, shelters, victim support services, consultation and counselling, and to complaint mechanisms that have a mandate to, among other things, provide compensation and impose sanctions against perpetrators;

(b) Provide training for families, caregivers, health personnel and law enforcement officials on recognizing all forms of exploitation, violence and abuse, and communicate and work effectively with persons with disabilities who are victims of violence;

(c) Set up an independent mechanism to prevent violence against and abuse of persons with disabilities; monitor, in line with article 16 (3) of the Convention, facilities and programmes designed to serve persons with disabilities; and provide requisite budgetary allocations to ensure that such facilities and programmes are functional and effective.

Protecting the integrity of the person (art. 17)

36.The Committee notes with concern that persons with disabilities in the State party, particularly intersex persons with disabilities, are subjected to corrective surgeries and to the practice of forced sterilization, including forced chemical castration.

37. The Committee recommends that the State party prohibit and criminalize the practice of corrective surgeries on intersex persons with disabilities, in the absence of prior and informed consent, and the practice of forced sterilization, including forced chemical castration. It also recommends that the State party raise awareness of such practices as harmful and strengthen mechanisms aimed at ensuring that the informed consent of persons with disabilities is given for any medical and surgical treatment.

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

38.The Committee notes with concern:

(a)The high number of persons with disabilities, including children, living in institutions;

(b)The absence of community support services that provide for inclusion of persons with disabilities in the community;

(c)The marginalization of persons with disabilities, especially persons with psychosocial and/or intellectual disabilities, from participation in the activities of daily life owing to a lack of accessible essential services;

(d)The absence of a policy on deinstitutionalization and independent living.

39. The Committee recommends that the State party:

(a) Recognize in its legislation the subjective right of persons with disabilities to live independently and be included in the community;

(b) Set up a strategy for the deinstitutionalization of persons with disabilities that includes provisions for collecting data, particularly of abandoned children with disabilities in institutions, a clear time frame and indicators;

(c) Adopt a plan at the national and regional levels to develop community support services in urban and rural areas, including personal assistance, grants and support for families of children with disabilities and parents with disabilities, including support for the provision of assistive devices, guides and sign language interpreters;

(d) Adopt measures at the national and local levels to ensure the accessibility of community services and facilities for all persons with disabilities in all areas of life.

Personal mobility (art. 20)

40.The Committee notes with concern the challenges faced by persons with disabilities in acquiring necessary mobility aids and assistive devices, including assistance technologies, and live assistance and intermediaries, as well as the complex nature of the administrative procedures regarding the special tax and customs exemptions granted for the purchase of adapted motor vehicles.

41. The Committee recommends that the State party adopt measures to facilitate the acquisition of necessary mobility aids and devices, including assistance technologies, and live assistance and intermediaries, and establish concrete measures to simplify the administrative procedures regarding the special tax and customs exemptions granted for the purchase of adapted motor vehicles.

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

42.The Committee is concerned about the lack of a unified sign language in Morocco that can be taught in public and private schools and recognized as an official language of deaf persons. It is also concerned about the lack of teachers trained in sign language and tactile formats and of translators able to render texts in Easy Read and Braille, the inaccessibility of websites and the inability of television stations to provide information in accessible formats for persons who are deaf or hard of hearing.

43. The Committee recommends that the State party:

(a) Adopt concrete measures to develop a unified Moroccan sign language that will be recognized as an official language of deaf persons and taught in schools, develop a pool of qualified sign language interpreters and teachers trained in tactile format, Braille and Easy Read translation skills and ensure that television stations provide news and programmes in accessible formats, especially for persons who are deaf or hard of hearing;

(b) Adopt appropriate legislation and measures to ensure that website owners and designers make their websites accessible to persons with disabilities, especially blind and visually impaired persons;

(c) Expedite action on the adoption of the bill on the right of access to information and eliminate any limitation therein that hinders the enjoyment by persons with disabilities of that right.

Respect for home and the family (art. 23)

44.The Committee is concerned about:

(a)The absence of support services available to families of children with disabilities and the absence of education and information on sexual and reproductive health and family planning for persons with disabilities;

(b)Restrictions in the Family Code placed on persons with psychosocial and/or intellectual disabilities, in particular the requirement to obtain prior judicial authorization before marriage.

45. The Committee recommends that the State party:

(a) Take measures to ensure support for families of persons with disabilities, including parents with disabilities, to raise their children at home;

(b) Take measures to provide persons with disabilities with access to information, in appropriate formats, on sexual and reproductive health and family planning and amend the Family Code to ensure the enjoyment of the right to marriage by persons with psychosocial and/or intellectual disabilities.

Education (art. 24)

46.The Committee is concerned about:

(a) The prevalence of a segregated special education system in the State party and the low number of students with disabilities in the regular education system and its classes;

(b) Barriers faced by students with disabilities with respect to accessing mainstream schools, such as long distances, a lack of teachers trained in inclusive education, a lack of accessible curricula, a lack of knowledge of sign language and negative societal attitudes opposing the attendance of children with disabilities at regular schools;

(c)The absence of measures to provide reasonable accommodation in the area of education, especially in rural areas, and the lack of a reporting mechanism for parents and children with disabilities who are denied access to education or reasonable accommodation, to ensure accountability.

47. The Committee recommends that the State party, in line with general comment No. 4 (2016) on the right to inclusive education:

(a) Adopt, implement and oversee a comprehensive plan to develop an inclusive education system throughout its territory, allocating resources for developing accessible education environments;

(b) Establish a permanent programme for training of teachers on inclusive education, including, preferably, training on sign language and the development of methodological tools for teaching;

(c) Carry out periodic information campaigns in accessible formats, including Easy Read, to promote the enrolment in education of all persons with disabilities, especially women and children with disabilities and those living in rural areas;

(d) Adopt a strategy to provide reasonable accommodation in schools and other learning institutions, including through technology and classroom support, accessibility and learning materials;

(e) Pay attention to the links between article 24 of the Convention and targets 4.5 and 4. a of the Sustainable Development Goals, with a view to ensuring equal access to all levels of education and vocational training and building and upgrading education facilities that are disability-sensitive and safe.

Health (art. 25)

48.The Committee notes with concern:

(a)Barriers faced by persons with disabilities in accessing health services as a result of geographic distance from health centres, a lack of specialized medical services and a lack of accessible health-care facilities for persons with disabilities;

(b)The lack of information on sexual and reproductive rights in accessible formats for persons with disabilities;

(c)The lack of information on the administration of health-care treatments in the absence of protocols to ensure the free and informed consent of persons with disabilities with regard to health services.

49. The Committee recommends that the State party:

(a) Adopt a strategy to ensure access to health services by persons with disabilities, including components covering, inter alia, the development of accessible facilities, training for health professionals on the rights of persons with disabilities, and the provision of information on health treatments in accessible formats, including for persons with intellectual and/or psychosocial disabilities;

(b) Ensure the dissemination of information on sexual and reproductive rights in appropriate formats for all persons with disabilities;

(c) Set up protocols aimed at ensuring the right of persons with disabilities to free and informed consent in the implementation of the national health and disability plan for the period 2015-2021 ;

(d) Pay attention to the links between article 25 of the Convention and target 3.7 of the Sustainable Development Goals, with a view to ensuring universal access to sexual and reproductive health-care services.

Work and employment (art. 27)

50.The Committee is concerned about:

(a)The high rate of unemployment among persons with disabilities: 67.75 per cent, as indicated in the 2014 national survey on disability;

(b)Discrimination against persons with disabilities in the workplace, including the absence of measures to provide reasonable accommodation;

(c)The practice of reserving a list of positions for persons with disabilities, which is against the principle of open employment and hinders equal access by persons with disabilities to employment.

51. The Committee recommends that the State party:

(a) Adopt a long-term plan to ensure access by persons with disabilities to the open labour market, and set up specific targets and measures concerning access to employment for women and young persons with disabilities. The State party should include in those measures the establishment of public-private partnerships with cooperatives and the private sector in order to increase the employability of persons with disabilities;

(b) Establish the legal duty of employers in all sectors of the economy to provide reasonable accommodation for persons with disabilities in the workplace;

(c) Cease the use of lists of positions reserved only for persons with disabilities, and ensure that persons with disabilities receive training for and are able to access all types of employment on an equal basis with others;

(d) Pay attention to the links between article 27 of the Convention and target 8.5 of the Sustainable Development Goal, with a view to achieving full and productive employment and decent work for all, including persons with disabilities.

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

52.The Committee is concerned about:

(a)The high percentage of persons with disabilities who do not have a regular income;

(b)The lack of a comprehensive social protection scheme that ensures persons with disabilities and their families access to an adequate standard of living, including provisions to cover disability-related expenses.

53. The Committee recommends that the State party:

(a) Establish 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 that will enable persons with disabilities to meet disability-related expenses;

(b) Pay attention to the links between article 28 of the Convention and target 10.2 of the Sustainable Development Goals, with a view to empowering and promoting the economic inclusion of all persons, irrespective of disability.

Participation in political and public life (art. 29)

54.The Committee is concerned about:

(a)The inaccessibility of the voting environment and the absence of electoral materials and information in accessible formats, such as Braille, sign language and Easy Read, for persons with disabilities;

(b)The lack of training for election officials on addressing the requirements of persons with disabilities at polling centres.

55. The Committee recommends that the State party adopt a plan to ensure the accessibility of the voting environment, including through the provision of electoral materials and information in accessible formats for all persons with disabilities, and provide appropriate training for election officials on the rights of persons with disabilities at all stages of the electoral process.

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

56.The Committee notes that the State party has yet to ratify the Marrakesh Treaty to Facilitate Access to Published Works for Persons Who Are Blind, Visually Impaired or Otherwise Print Disabled.

57. The Committee recommends that the State party expedite action to complete the process for the ratification of the Marrakesh Treaty.

C.Specific obligations (arts. 31-33)

Statistics and data collection (art. 31)

58.The Committee is concerned about the extent to which disability-related indicators are effectively monitored in the implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals.

59. The Committee recommends that the State party fully apply the disability-related indicators for monitoring the implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals, and pay attention to the links between article 31 of the Convention and target 17.18 of the Goals, with a view to increasing significantly the availability of high-quality, timely and reliable data disaggregated by income, gender, age, race, ethnicity, migratory status (including asylum-seeking and refugee status), disability, geographic location and other characteristics relevant in its national context. It further recommends that the State party use the full set of questions issued by the Washington Group on Disability Statistics for its census and household surveys.

International cooperation (art. 32)

60.The Committee is concerned about the lack of effective consultation with and participation and inclusion of persons with disabilities, through their representative organizations, in the context of international cooperation programmes.

61. The Committee recommends that the State party adopt measures to ensure effective participation and inclusion of and consultation with persons with disabilities and their representative organizations in the context of international cooperation programmes.

National implementation and monitoring (art. 33)

62.The Committee is concerned about:

(a)The lack of information about the specific role of the interministerial commission responsible for implementing the Convention, including with respect to the relevant specific mechanisms and focal points at the regional and local levels;

(b)The delay in the parliament regarding the process to adopt the draft bill on the National Human Rights Council, which recognizes the competence of the Council to exercise the powers of an independent mechanism for the protection, promotion and monitoring of the Convention.

63. The Committee recommends that the State party:

(a) Specify the roles of the interministerial commission responsible for supporting the implementation of the Convention and those of the relevant focal points and, in particular, adopt measures to strengthen the efficiency of the commission and the focal points;

(b) Establish a mechanism and a system of focal points at the regional and local levels to implement the Convention;

(c) Expedite in the parliament the adoption of the draft bill on the National Human Rights Council, which recognizes the competence of the Council to exercise the powers of an independent mechanism for the protection, promotion and monitoring of the Convention, in accordance with the provisions in article 33 of the Convention, and allocate to the Council sufficient budgetary allocation and human resources;

(d) Ensure permanent participation of persons with disabilities, through their representative organizations, in the monitoring process of the Convention, including by providing necessary funding.

Cooperation and technical assistance

64.Under article 37 of the Convention, the Committee can provide technical guidance to the State party on any queries addressed to the experts through the secretariat. The State party can also seek technical assistance from United Nations specialized agencies with offices in the country or the region.

IV.Follow-up

Dissemination of information

65. 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 as set forth in paragraphs 11 and 15 .

66. 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, organizations of persons with disabilities and members of relevant professional groups, such as education, medical and legal professionals, as well as to the media, using modern social communication strategies.

67. 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.

68. The Committee requests that the State party 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

69. The Committee requests the State party to submit its combined second to fourth reports by 2 May 2023 and to include therein information on the implementation of 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/combined reports of a State party. The replies of a State party to such a list of issues constitute its report.