Committee on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities

Concluding observations on the initial report of Cuba *

I.Introduction

1.The Committee considered the initial report of Cuba (CRPD/C/CUB/1) at its 457th and 458th meetings (see CRPD/C/SR.457 and 458), held on 26 and 27 March 2019. It adopted the present concluding observations at its 469th meeting, held on 3 April 2019.

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

3.The Committee appreciated the constructive dialogue held with the State party’s large delegation, which provided further clarification in response to the questions posed orally by the Committee and which included delegates from various ministries, entities and institutions, including the Ministry of Education, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Ministry of Labour and Social Security, the Ministry of Public Health, the Attorney General’s Office, the Permanent Mission of Cuba to the United Nations Office and other international organizations in Switzerland, and three organizations of persons with disabilities, namely the National Association of Blind and Visually Impaired Persons, the National Association of Deaf Persons and the Cuban Association of Persons with Motor and Physical Disabilities.

II.Positive aspects

4.The Committee welcomes the measures taken by the State party to support persons with disabilities, including the following legal and policy measures:

(a)The adoption of the new Constitution on 24 February 2019, as an initial step towards revising its legal framework;

(b)The participation of persons with disabilities in the political and public life of the State party in elected positions, including in the National Assembly of People’s Power and in municipal assemblies;

(c) The policy to provide subsidies for basic necessities, such as electricity, transport and renovations in their private home, to persons with disabilities who meet certain criteria;

(d)Efforts to increase the use of alternative information and communication technologies in schools;

(e) Policies and strategies to promote livelihood and employment opportunities for persons with disabilities.

III.Principal areas of concern and recommendations

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

5.The Committee is concerned that the State party has not ratified the Optional Protocol to the Convention.

6. The Committee recommends that the State party consider ratifying the Optional Protocol to the Convention.

7.The Committee is concerned that:

(a)The State party has not yet harmonized its legislation with the Convention;

(b) There is no comprehensive law on the rights of persons with disabilities;

(c)National legislation and assessment of disability is mostly based on the medical model of disability;

(d)Efforts to mainstream and explicitly refer to the rights of persons with disabilities in laws, strategies, policies and programmes are insufficient.

8. The Committee recommends that the State party adhere to the human rights model of disability enshrined in the Convention and:

(a) Expedite the review of its national legislation, ensuring the full incorporation of the Convention in the domestic legal order, repeal or amend any laws that contradict the Convention and harmonize policies and practices with it ;

(b) Adopt a national law on the protection of the rights of persons with disabilities ;

(c) Ensure that any assessment of disability for the purposes of service provision is undertaken in line with the human rights model of disability;

(d) Strengthen efforts to systematically mainstream and explicitly refer to the rights of persons with disabilities in laws, strategies, policies and programmes.

9.The Committee is concerned that efforts to consult with and actively involve persons with disabilities in all decision-making processes that affect them, including the implementation of the Convention, are limited to organizations of persons with disabilities that are formally registered in accordance with Act No. 54 on associations and that these registered organizations do not have member organizations of persons with psychosocial or intellectual disabilities.

10. The Committee recalls its 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 and recommends that the State party adopt measures to effectively and systematically consult with and actively involve persons with disabilities, through their representative organizations, in all matters that affect them. The Committee also recommends that the State party create an enabling environment for the establishment and functioning of organizations of persons with disabilities, by adopting a policy framework favourable to their creation and sustained operation. The Committee further recommends that the State party guarantee the independence and autonomy of organizations of persons with disabilities from the State, the creation and implementation of adequate funding mechanisms, including public funding and international cooperation, and access to such mechanisms, and the provision of support, including technical assistance, for empowerment and capacity-building.

B.Specific rights (arts. 5–30)

Equality and non-discrimination (art. 5)

11.The Committee is concerned about:

(a)The absence of measures prohibiting and sanctioning all forms of discrimination on the grounds of disability, including the denial of reasonable accommodation;

(b)Derogatory terms in legislation and policies that stigmatize persons with disabilities, including the Civil, Administrative, Labour and Economic Procedure Act, the Children and Youth Code, the Family Code, the Public Health Act and the National Plan of Action to Support Persons with Disabilities (2006–2010).

12. The Committee recommends that the State party:

(a) Institute measures to prohibit all forms of discrimination on the grounds of disability, including the denial of reasonable accommodation, as well as to sanction violations ;

(b) Repeal all legislation and policies that still contain derogatory terms and stigmatize persons with disabilities.

13.The Committee notes that there is no impartial and independent mechanism to receive complaints from persons with disabilities, including persons with disabilities in rural areas, that is accessible to them. It is also concerned at the insufficient measures taken to expedite the complaint processes and overcome barriers, including the absence of trained personnel to assist in the process of filing complaints, and that there are no mechanisms for redress in cases of discrimination against persons with disabilities.

14. The Committee recommends that the State party take steps to achieve real equality of persons with disabilities in practice and institute accessible, expeditious and independent judicial and administrative remedies to guarantee reparation in cases of discrimination.

Women with disabilities (art. 6)

15.The Committee notes that the State party has adopted strategies and plans to promote equality of women with disabilities in the areas of employment, education, sports and culture. It is concerned, however, that:

(a)The laws and policies on equality of women do not recognize multiple and intersectional discrimination against women and girls with disabilities;

(b)There are no specific organizations of women with disabilities, meaning that women with disabilities, particularly women of African descent, are automatically excluded from decision-making processes that affect them;

(c)Women and girls with disabilities, particularly those living in rural areas, of African descent or with intellectual or psychosocial disabilities, face obstacles in accessing services, particularly access to health-care services.

16. The Committee recommends that the State party:

(a) Recognize in its legislation multiple and intersectional forms of discrimination against women and girls with disabilities and adopt specific legislation and strategies that reflect a gender perspective and intersectionality;

(b) Continue promoting an inclusive environment to facilitate the participation of women with disabilities, particularly those of African descent, through their representative organizations, in decision-making processes that affect them ;

(c) Ensure that all women with disabilities, including those living in rural areas, of African descent or with intellectual or psychosocial disabilities, have access to health-care services, including reproductive and sexual health services.

Children with disabilities (art. 7)

17.The Committee is concerned about:

(a)The absence in the National Action Plan for Children, Adolescents and their Families for the period 2015–2020 of strategies to promote the best interests of the child and respect for the evolving capacities of children with disabilities;

(b)Reports of institutionalization of children with disabilities and the lack of statistical data on the number of children affected by such measures;

(c)Article 86 of the Family Code, under which “parents are entitled to reprove and correct [children], in an adequate and moderate manner”, resulting in corporal punishment of children with disabilities;

(d)The absence of measures to ensure that the views of children with disabilities are considered in all matters affecting their lives;

(e)Allegations that the registration of newborn children with disabilities is delayed.

18. The Committee recommends that the State party take measures to develop and strengthen respect for the rights of children with disabilities in society, particularly children with disabilities living in rural areas, and enhance support for families of children with disabilities. The Committee also recommends that the State party:

(a) Strengthen measures to uphold the rights of children with disabilities, by adopting a comprehensive strategy and action plan for the promotion and protection of the rights of children with disabilities, allocating specific human, technical and financial resources and establishing monitoring mechanisms for assessing their implementation;

(b) Adopt measures for the deinstitutionalization of children with disabilities by providing them with safe alternative care in family settings and inclusive services in the community ;

(c) Expedite the revision of the Family Code to explicitly prohibit corporal punishment of children, including children with disabilities, in all settings, particularly at home and in institutions where children still live;

(d) Ensure the right of children with disabilities to express their views freely and have their views taken into account on matters pertaining to them and their families, and set up protocols, guidelines and mechanisms with respect to the judicial and administrative procedures and proceedings in this regard;

(e) Ensure that all children with disabilities are registered immediately at birth to ensure their right to have a name, to registration of their birth and to a nationality.

Awareness-raising (art. 8)

19.The Committee is concerned about the absence of measures to promote awareness of the rights of persons with disabilities in accordance with the human rights model of disability.

20. The Committee recommends that the State party, in close collaboration with organizations of persons with disabilities, strengthen its efforts to carry out regular awareness-raising campaigns among public and private actors on the rights enshrined in the Convention, with a view to eliminating negative perceptions of persons with disabilities in society, and that it introduce public awareness-raising and capacity-building programmes on the human rights model of disability, especially for public officials.

Accessibility (art. 9)

21.The Committee takes note of the initiatives to improve the accessibility of public buildings and spaces under resolution No. 81/2016 of the Ministry of Construction and Decree No. 327/2014. It is concerned, however, about the limited nature of the initiatives to ensure the accessibility of the built environment and of information and communication. It is also concerned about the lack of information on measures taken to ensure that the State party’s public procurement procedures incorporate accessibility standards, and about the inaccessibility of public procurement processes.

22. The Committee recommends that the State party, in accordance with the Committee ’ s general comment No. 2 (2014) on accessibility:

(a) Adopt and implement an action plan and strategy to identify existing barriers to accessibility and provide the human, technical and financial resources necessary to remove those barriers in order to ensure the accessibility of, inter alia, buildings, transportation, information and communication, including information and communications technologies, and other facilities and services open or provided to the public, in both urban and rural areas. The plan should provide for audits, specific time frames, penalties for non-compliance, the allocation of sufficient resources and the involvement of organizations of persons with disabilities in all stages of its implementation, in particular the monitoring of compliance;

(b) Ensure that public procurement procedures are accessible and incorporate accessibility standards ;

(c) Adhere to article 9 of the Convention and take into consideration general comment No. 2 in its efforts to meet Sustainable Development Goal 9 and targets 11.2 and 11.7 of the Goals.

Situations of risk and humanitarian emergencies (art. 11)

23.The Committee is concerned about the lack of awareness among persons with disabilities of the existence and nature of protocols on assistance for persons with disabilities in situations of risk and humanitarian emergencies, the limited dissemination of handbooks and guides on assisting persons with disabilities in potential disaster situations, and the lack of information in accessible means and formats of communication.

24. The Committee recommends that the State party:

(a) Develop and disseminate widely a national plan on situations of risk and humanitarian emergencies that provides for assistance for all persons with disabilities and that takes into account their requirements, through specific and cross-cutting approaches, and a protocol on risk mitigation for persons with disabilities in situations of risk through accessible early warning systems, including in sign language, Easy Read and Braille, focusing in particular on persons living in rural areas, and continue providing training to first responders;

(b) Include persons with disabilities in all stages of disaster management with a view to ensuring that their requirements and rights are respected .

Equal recognition before the law (art. 12)

25.The Committee is concerned that the State party’s legislation, such as articles 30, 31 and 67 of the Civil Code and articles 137 and 138 of the Family Code, limit the right of persons with disability to fully exercise their legal capacity, providing for substituted decision-making instead of supported decision-making.

26. The Committee recommends that the State party, in accordance with article 12 of the Convention and its general comment No. 1 (2014) on equal recognition before the law:

(a) Expedite the review of its national legislation to repeal all legal provisions and end all practices that partially or completely limit the legal capacity of persons with disabilities ;

(b) Take tangible steps to establish a supported decision-making regime that respects the autonomy, will and preferences of persons with disabilities ;

(c) Ensure that there are no practical barriers for persons with disabilities to exercise their legal capacity on an equal basis with others.

Access to justice (art. 13)

27.The Committee is concerned about the barriers that persons with disabilities face in terms of access to justice, including attitudinal barriers and prejudices among court personnel, the insufficient training of personnel to guide persons with disabilities through complex judicial processes and proceedings, and the lack of information about the participation of persons with disabilities in such training. The Committee is also concerned that no procedural accommodations have yet been made to guarantee effective access to justice for all persons with disabilities and to ensure that persons with disabilities may enter the legal professions.

28. The Committee recommends that the State party:

(a) Adopt, in accordance with the Convention, an action plan on access to justice for persons with disabilities, as well as the necessary legal, administrative and judicial measures to eliminate all restrictions on the effective participation of persons with disabilities in all stages of the judicial process;

(b) Make procedural adjustments, including the provision of individualized assistance, to ensure that persons with disabilities can effectively participate in the various aspects of legal proceedings ;

(c) Step up efforts to ensure that qualified sign language interpreters are present during all court processes and judicial proceedings and ensure that other means and formats of communication, such as Braille and Easy Read, are available;

(d) Intensify efforts to provide training on the Convention to justice and law enforcement officials, especially in rural areas ;

(e) Take measures to ensure that persons with disabilities may enter the legal professions on an equal basis with others, and ensure individualized support for that purpose ;

(f) Adhere to article 13 of the Convention in its implementation of target 16.3 of the Sustainable Development Goals.

Liberty and security of the person (art. 14)

29. The Committee is concerned that:

(a)Persons with disabilities, particularly persons with psychosocial or intellectual disabilities and older persons with disabilities, may be deprived of their liberty based on the concept of “dangerousness” under the Criminal Code and under article 36 of the Public Health Act, without their free and informed consent;

(b)No statistical data is available on the number of persons with psychosocial or intellectual disabilities and of older persons with disabilities who are currently hospitalized or institutionalized without their consent.

30. The Committee recommends that the State party:

(a) Adhere to the Committee ’ s guidelines on the right to liberty and security of persons with disabilities (A/72/55, annex), repeal all legislation that allows for the deprivation of liberty based on actual or perceived impairment, introduce legislation that ensures non-discrimination through, for example, procedural accommodation for persons with disabilities, including during interrogation and detention, and explicitly prohibit forced institutionalization of persons with disabilities, particularly persons with psychosocial or intellectual disabilities and older persons with disabilities;

(b) Provide in its next periodic report statistical data on the number of persons with psychosocial or intellectual disabilities and older persons with disabilities who are still hospitalized or institutionalized without their consent .

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

31. The Committee is concerned about:

(a)The lack of awareness among the general population and particularly among persons with disabilities about measures for the protection of persons with disabilities from exploitation, violence and abuse;

(b)Reports of the incidence of reprisals against persons willing to provide information in legal proceedings as witnesses in cases of exploitation, violence and abuse of persons with disabilities;

(c)The limited availability of information and statistical data regarding violence against women and girls with disabilities and related complaints submitted by them;

(d)The lack of accessible shelters for women and girls who are victims of violence, including women with psychosocial or intellectual disabilities.

32. The Committee recommends that the State party:

(a) Take all necessary steps to prevent exploitation, violence and abuse targeting persons with disabilities, especially persons with psychosocial or intellectual disabilities and those who are institutionalized, and ensure that persons with disabilities have information about how to avoid, recognize and report cases and that persons with disabilities who are victims of exploitation, violence or abuse have access to independent complaint mechanisms and appropriate remedies, such as redress and adequate compensation, including rehabilitation;

(b) Ensure the protection of any individuals testifying in cases concerning exploitation, violence and abuse targeting persons with disabilities ;

(c) Create a mechanism to gather disaggregated data on the situation of women and girls with disabilities, in consultation with organizations of women with disabilities, particularly with regard to violence against them ;

(d) Ensure that shelters for victims of violence are established and that the facilities and services provided therein are accessible to persons with disabilities, particularly women.

Protecting the integrity of the person (art. 17)

33.The Committee is concerned about the risks posed by article 18 of the Public Health Act, which exempts persons with disabilities from the requirement of prior consent with regard to medical interventions. The Committee is also concerned that a legal guardian may authorize medical interventions on behalf of persons with disabilities, including forced institutionalization and sterilization.

34. The Committee recommends that the State party adopt effective measures to ensure respect for the right of persons with disabilities to provide free and informed consent prior to medical treatment, institutionalization and sterilization, and provide effective support mechanisms for decision-making by persons with disabilities themselves in the State party .

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

35. The Committee is concerned about:

(a)The lack of measures taken to ensure respect for the right of persons with disabilities to live independently and be included in the community, and the lack of programmes and services, including personal assistance for persons with disabilities who require it;

(b)The continuing investment of public resources in residential institutions for persons with disabilities, which may increase institutionalization;

(c)The fact that not all persons with disabilities have access to information in accessible formats on the services available.

36. The Committee recommends that the State party, in accordance with the Committee ’ s general comment No. 5 (2017) on living independently and being included in the community:

(a) Expedite the measures taken to ensure that all persons with disabilities, particularly those living in any form of institution, including psychiatric hospital units, can fully enjoy the right to live independently and be included in the community with choices equal to those of others;

(b) Discontinue the investment of public resources in residential institutions for persons with disabilities and invest more in independent living arrangements in the community, as well as in all general services with a view to making them inclusive and guaranteeing their accessibility and availability for all persons with disabilities, in order to enable the inclusion and participation of persons with disabilities in all spheres of life;

(c) Enact and enforce laws, standards and other measures with the purpose of ensuring the accessibility of local communities, the environment and information and communication to all persons with disabilities, including through the provision of community-based services and information about such services.

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

37.The Committee is concerned about the insufficient provision of information in accessible formats and information and communications technology, such as Easy Read, plain language, captioning, sign language, Braille, audio-description and tactile, augmentative and alternative means of communication, in both public and private media outlets, and the lack of access to information and communications technology by persons with disabilities.

38. The Committee recommends that the State party ensure that information provided to the general public through mass media is available to persons with disabilities in accessible formats, such as Braille, Easy Read and sign language, and ensure access to information and communications technology appropriate for the diversity of persons with disabilities, including by ensuring that websites are accessible and comply with the standards developed by the Web Accessibility Initiative of the World Wide Web Consortium. It further recommends that the State party strengthen sign language training and that sign language be recognized as an official language of the State party.

Respect for home and the family (art. 23)

39.The Committee is concerned that:

(a)Article 4 of the Family Code still contains provisions that deny persons with intellectual or psychosocial disabilities the right to marry and to found a family on the basis of free and full consent of the intending spouses;

(b)There is a lack of the necessary support for persons with disabilities to exercise their reproductive rights on an equal basis with others;

(c)Article 138 of the Family Code provides for the guardianship of “adults who have been declared legally incapable”.

40. The Committee recommends that the State party:

(a) Repeal legal provisions that prohibit persons with intellectual or psychosocial disabilities from marrying and founding a family on the basis of free and full consent of the intending spouses;

(b) Adopt the necessary support measures, including personal assistance, with a view to enabling persons with disabilities, especially women with disabilities, to exercise their right to maternity or paternity free from prejudice and on an equal basis with others, and ensure the availability of community-based support for parents with disabilities and children with disabilities and their families to guarantee the enjoyment of the right to respect for the family on an equal basis with others;

(c) Repeal or amend article 138 of the Family Code.

Education (art. 24)

41.The Committee is concerned that:

(a)Children face barriers to enjoyment of their right to high-quality inclusive education, on an equal basis with others, and that segregated forms of education still prevail;

(b)Practical challenges remain for children and adult learners with disabilities to access higher education, partly due to the lack of individualized support;

(c)Information on the representation of children with disabilities in student bodies is lacking.

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

(a) Ensure the implementation of high-quality inclusive education at all levels and provide training for teachers and non-teaching staff and the necessary support and resources to foster inclusive environments for all students, in particular those with intellectual or psychosocial disabilities and girls with disabilities;

(b) Ensure the full accessibility of educational premises, including universities, take legislative and administrative measures to ensure the availability of accessible learning materials, including in digital form and in Braille, Easy Read and sign language, at the technical and higher education levels for persons with disabilities;

(c) Take steps to facilitate the participation of children with disabilities in student bodies ;

(d) Adhere to the Convention and general comment No. 4 in its implementation of targets 4.1, 4.5 and 4. a of the Sustainable Development Goals.

Health (art. 25)

43.The Committee is concerned about the deficiencies in access to health-care services for persons with disabilities and the lack of knowledge among health-care personnel concerning the specific requirements and rights of persons with disabilities.

44. The Committee recommends that the State party implement measures to guarantee accessible health-care services for all persons with disabilities on an equal basis with others, including information on sexual and reproductive health and specifically for persons living in rural areas.

Work and employment (art. 27)

45.The Committee is concerned about the underrepresentation of women with disabilities in the workforce and the absence of adequate and enforceable measures to ensure compliance in the public and private sectors regarding the employment of persons with disabilities. It is also concerned that sheltered workshops for persons with disabilities might not necessarily foster their inclusion in the regular workforce.

46. The Committee recommends that the State party take effective and affirmative measures to encourage and ensure the employment of persons with disabilities, particularly women with disabilities, in the public and private sectors, to guarantee non-discrimination in employment and to ensure that the open labour market is inclusive and accessible.

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

47.The Committee is concerned about the lack of specific social protection and poverty alleviation measures for persons with disabilities that allow them to meet the additional costs of disability.

48. The Committee recommends that the State party:

(a) Review its social protection and poverty alleviation schemes with the aim of 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) Consider the links between article 28 of the Convention and target 10.2 of the Sustainable Development Goals to empower and promote the economic inclusion of all persons, irrespective of disability.

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

49.The Committee is concerned that:

(a)Access to sports and leisure facilities is lacking for persons with disabilities, which hinders their effective participation in cultural, recreational, leisure and sporting activities;

(b)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.

50. The Committee recommends that the State party:

(a) Take measures to promote the participation of persons with disabilities in sports at all levels, including in national and international sports competitions, take steps to support and encourage the participation of persons with disabilities, including children, in sports and cultural activities based on the human rights model of disability enshrined in the Convention, and adopt accessibility plans with regard to historical, heritage and tourist sites and cultural and leisure facilities;

(b) Take all necessary measures to ratify and implement the Marrakesh Treaty.

C. Specific obligations (arts. 31–33)

Statistics and data collection (art. 31)

51. The Committee is concerned about the lack of comparable disaggregated data on persons with disabilities in all sectors of the State party.

52. 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, taking into consideration the Washington Group short set of questions on disability. The Committee further recommends that the State party consider the links between article 31 of the Convention and Sustainable Development Goal 17.

International cooperation (art. 32)

53. The Committee is concerned by the paucity of information on whether the State party has mainstreamed a disability perspective in its sustainable development objectives and in its development projects that are conducted with international cooperation.

54. The Committee recommends that the State party mainstream the rights of persons with disabilities in its implementation and monitoring of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the Sustainable Development Goals at all levels, in close collaboration with organizations of persons with disabilities.

National implementation and monitoring (art. 33)

55. The Committee is concerned about the lack of an independent mechanism to monitor implementation of the Convention in the State party in compliance with the principles relating to the status of national institutions for the promotion and protection of human rights (the Paris Principles).

56. The Committee recommends that the State party establish an independent mechanism for monitoring the Convention, in accordance with article 33 of the Convention and with the Paris Principles, and that it allocate human, technical and financial resources that are sufficient in both quality and quantity for the mechanism to be able to perform its functions, involving organizations of persons with disabilities in the pursuit of its mandate.

IV.Follow-up

Dissemination of information

57. The Committee emphasizes the importance of all the recommendations contained in the present concluding observations. 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 8, on national legislation and implementation, and 10, on the participation of persons with disabilities in decision-making processes that affect them.

58. 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.

59. 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.

60. 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, including Easy Read, and to make them available on the government website on human rights.

Next periodic report

61. The Committee requests the State party to submit its combined second to fifth periodic reports by 6 October 2025 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.