Committee on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities

Seven teenth session

Summary record of the 313th m eeting

Held at the Palais des Nations, Geneva, on Thursday, 30 March 2017, at 10 a.m.

Chair:Ms. Degener

Contents

Consideration of reports submitted by parties to the Convention under article 35 (continued)

Initial report of Armenia (continued)

The meeting was called to order at 10 a.m.

Consideration of reports submitted by parties to the Convention under article 35 (continued)

Initial report of Armenia (continued) (CRPD/C/ARM/1; CRPD/C/ARM/Q/1 and Add.1)

1.At the invitation of the Chair, the delegation of Armenia took places at the Committee table.

Articles 1-20

2.Ms. Hakobyan (Armenia), replying to questions raised by Committee members at the previous meeting, said that the fact that many persons with disabilities were employed by the Crisis Management Centre of the Ministry for Emergency Response ensured that, in emergency situations, the needs of persons with disabilities were naturally taken into account. Moreover, the Comprehensive Programme on the Social Inclusion of Persons with Disabilities for the period 2017-2021 contained measures to provide emergency-preparedness training to persons with disabilities, incorporate the needs of persons with disabilities into crisis planning and introduce the use of alerts appropriate for such persons, in particular for those with visual or hearing impairments.

3.Almost 30 per cent of the State budget was assigned to social protection, with half that amount allotted to services and allowances for persons with disabilities. Plans and programmes to remove barriers to culture, sport and other areas of life were devised on an annual basis and allocated specific funding. The Comprehensive Programme also included clear financing, milestones and time frames. Funding was contributed by international donors. Audio resources and books in Braille for libraries were provided for in the State budget.

4.Ms. Martirosyan (Armenia) said that, under the remit of the Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs, a non-profit organization provided a portfolio of care services and in-home assistance for persons with disabilities. Although it was currently only available in Yerevan, steps were being taken to expand those services to other regions of the country. Measures to ensure employment for persons with disabilities included State subsidies for employers hiring persons with disabilities and funding for personal assistants to support employees with disabilities in the workplace. Regarding foster families with children with disabilities, steps were being taken to improve case management by social workers, for example by the preparation of special training manuals for social workers and foster families. There were also strict procedures in place for social workers with regard to reporting signs of violence against children with disabilities. As for community-based services, a centre offering day-care services and a range of cultural and other activities had been set up for persons with psychosocial or intellectual disabilities. Moreover, a pilot project supported by donor and local organizations had been launched to trial the use of small homes with a family atmosphere as an alternative to large institutions. The feedback had so far been positive and the Government was aiming to build more such facilities in cooperation with local authorities.

5.Persons with psychosocial disabilities who had been victims of trafficking were entitled to receive shelter, medical assistance, counselling, legal support and other services. Interpreters were also available to them and, in future, they would receive financial assistance. Lastly, the action plan for the implementation of the Comprehensive Programme had, regrettably, only limited resources from the State budget. For that reason, certain activities would be funded by international donors.

6.Ms. Barseghyan (Armenia) said that the involuntary hospitalization of persons with psychosocial disabilities was limited to a 72-hour period, after which time treatment could continue only with the patient’s consent or by order of a court. The use of physical restraints in psychiatric institutions was strictly regulated: they could be used only on the recommendation of a qualified psychiatrist, under constant medical supervision and in a manner that respected the dignity of the patient. Special records also had to be kept.

7.Although, as had been pointed out, article 11 of the Transplantation of Human Organs and Tissues Act provided that persons with disabilities were not permitted to donate organs for transplantation, in reality the restriction related to persons with certain pre-existing medical conditions affecting the relevant organ in question. The provisions of the law were, however, under review and that article in particular would be reworked to bring it into line with the Convention. It was already clear in other legislation on blood donation and reproductive cell donation that disabilities were not considered to be a barrier to participation.

8.Mr. Stepanyan (Armenia) said that, as part of the country’s disaster risk reduction policy, all educational establishments had guidelines in place to ensure the safety of students, including pupils with disabilities. School evacuations were rehearsed on a regular basis, teacher training sessions had been held in inclusive and special education schools and in children’s institutions around the country, and methodological and training materials had been developed, in conjunction with Save the Children, to safeguard children with disabilities during emergencies. The Ministry for Emergency Response, with support from various international organizations and non-governmental organizations (NGOs), had devised a national disaster risk reduction programme and other ministries would now draft similar strategies to cover their areas of competence.

9.Mr. Kocharyan (Armenia) said that, of the two bills related to persons with disabilities, the first was aimed at protecting the rights and fostering the social inclusion of persons with disabilities and the second at prohibiting discrimination in general, including against persons with disabilities. It was hoped that both bills would be adopted by the end of 2017.

10.It was true that in Armenia, as in other countries, persons with disabilities could be declared legally incapable and put under legal guardianship. However, the Government was planning to review those practices and had already introduced into law a provision enabling a person’s legal incapacity status to be terminated. Thus, efforts were being made to move away from traditional approaches, while also taking into account the country’s legal practices.

11.Regarding physical access to the legal infrastructure, most court buildings were old and thus inaccessible. Any renovation works did, however, have to comply with modern regulations. The Government was endeavouring to address similar issues in the penitentiary system: most buildings were old and did not meet modern standards. A new correctional facility had been built in compliance with international standards and other prison facilities were gradually being updated. A centralized hospital facility providing medical care to persons deprived of liberty with specific health problems was to be closed and, in future, medical services would be provided by local health-care facilities.

12.There were no legal restrictions preventing persons with disabilities from working as judges, prosecutors or legal professionals on the basis of their disability. Admittedly, however, the language used in the current provisions, in particular with regard to a judge’s capacity to carry out his or her official functions, could be interpreted in a manner that might lead to discrimination against persons with disabilities.

13.Legislation on domestic violence was being drafted in line with modern standards and norms. Once enacted, it would introduce the concept of domestic violence into law for the first time and enable the Government to start collecting data relating to that offence. Lastly, the public prosecutor’s office, which had lawyers and offices throughout the country, provided free legal assistance to persons with disabilities.

Articles 21-33

14.Mr. Tatić said that he wished to know how many hours there were of television programming with sign language interpretation per week and what progress there had been in making websites accessible to blind persons. Regarding education, he would like to know what budget had been allocated by the Ministry of Education and Science to fund more teaching assistants in inclusive education, whether university buildings in the State party were accessible and to what extent sign language interpretation was available for deaf university students. Lastly, he asked what measures had been taken or were envisaged to ensure that sites of cultural and historical interest were accessible for tourists with disabilities.

15.Mr. Rukhledev said that, in view of the forthcoming elections in the State party, he wished to know what standards were in place to ensure that polling stations and election materials were fully accessible to persons with disabilities; whether the Central Electoral Commission was responsible for access to polling stations; and, if so, whether it worked in cooperation with organizations of persons with disabilities.

16.He asked what specific support was given by the Government to foster the development of sports for persons with disabilities, ensure that sports facilities were accessible and promote the broad participation of persons with disabilities, including children with disabilities, in sporting activities. Similarly, he would be interested to know what was being done to ensure that museums and other cultural venues were accessible and to enable persons with disabilities to realize their creative potential.

17.Mr. Lovászy said that he was encouraged to hear that the State party aimed to fully implement the inclusive education system by 2021. With that in mind, he wished to know how many schools were currently considered to be fully inclusive and equipped with assistive devices; what plans were in place to make schools fully accessible to children with disabilities; and what reasonable accommodations were made to include children with disabilities in schools, in particular hard-of-hearing pupils, whose needs were very different from those of children who used sign language. He wondered what early recognition and intervention services were available for children with disabilities in relation to inclusive education and what specific action had been taken to devise a time-bound plan, with appropriate financial and other resources, to make all schools fully accessible and to improve the use of assistive technologies. In addition, he asked what measures were in place to prohibit the removal of children with disabilities from classrooms and to ensure that those enrolled in inclusive schools were able to attend school on a full-time basis and participate in after-school activities. In that connection, he wondered what steps had been taken to ensure that home schooling was limited to short periods and used only in exceptional circumstances; whether there were any legislative or other measures to prevent home education from being used in place of inclusive education; how many early education establishments were accessible for children with disabilities; what plans were in place or envisaged to make sure that all preschool education was inclusive, including in rural areas; and what action had been taken to promote inclusiveness in higher and vocational educational institutions.

18.Mr. Chaker said that, in the light of the bill before the National Assembly on preventing the involuntary hospitalization of children on the basis of their disability, he wished to know whether parents had the right to commit their children to an institution and whether judges could decide that it was in a child’s best interest to be institutionalized. He asked whether any legislation was in place to prevent women and girls with disabilities from being subjected to abortions or sterilizations without their consent.

19.Mr. Babu said that the State party should decentralize aspects of its HIV/AIDS prevention, treatment and care services to ensure coverage for vulnerable sections of society. In that connection, he wished to know what steps had been taken or were envisaged to ensure that persons with disabilities were included in the State party’s national HIV/AIDS policies, strategies and programmes and in related health-care services. He would also welcome information on the financial resources and training provided to enable persons with disabilities, including deaf persons, to obtain access to mainstream health-care services, for example through the use of sign language interpretation; establish targeted sexual and reproductive health programmes for women and girls with disabilities; and eliminate discrimination against persons with disabilities by health-care professionals.

20.Mr. Basharu said that he would be interested to know whether the media provided adequate information for persons with disabilities and whether Braille and sign language had recognized language status in the State party. Moreover, he wished to know whether children with disabilities received sufficient training in Braille and sign language.

21.He asked what measures were in place to provide health-care information in a variety of accessible formats and to ensure that persons with disabilities, in particular persons with motor disabilities, were able to obtain access to the health infrastructure unimpeded. He also wondered what training was given to medical professionals on how to interact with persons with disabilities seeking health care, with particular reference to how they provided information and support to women and girls with disabilities regarding their sexual and reproductive rights.

22.Mr. Parra Dussan said that he wished to know what proportion of private and public sector employees were persons with disabilities and whether there was any legislation establishing quotas for the employment of persons with disabilities in the public sector. He also wondered how the State party guaranteed persons with disabilities the right to participate in political processes and to exercise their right to vote in an autonomous manner.

23.Mr. Langvad said that he wished to know whether the different types of reasonable accommodations required by, for example, children with intellectual disabilities or children with autism were taken into consideration during the design of school buildings. He wondered whether inclusive schools took account of the fact that reasonable accommodations should not be limited to classroom settings but should also be provided during break and play times. In that connection, he asked what specific steps the State party was taking to ensure that inclusion began from the outset of children’s lives through inclusive, accessible education from preschool age upwards.

24.He asked whether formal plans with specific timelines had been drawn up to ensure that the State party was able to collect the data required for assessing its implementation of the Convention and how the State party made sure that the additional costs associated with having a disability did not prevent persons with disabilities from having an adequate income and standard of living.

25.Mr. Kabue, while welcoming the way that the State party had embraced inclusive education, said that there were reports that children with disabilities were, in some cases, able to attend their inclusive schools only two days a week owing to a chronic shortage of human resources. Regarding employment, alternative sources indicated that a high proportion of persons with disabilities were unemployed. In that regard, he wondered whether the quota system referred to in the State party’s report was having any effect and what penalties were imposed on organizations that failed to meet the quota. Lastly, he wished to know what financial support was available to persons with disabilities to facilitate their deinstitutionalization and enable them to enjoy an adequate standard of living.

26.Mr. Ishikawa said that he wished to know about monitoring, compliance and sanctioning mechanisms established by the State party to ensure that persons with disabilities had access to the physical environment, public transport, and information and communications and that persons with intellectual and psychosocial disabilities had access to information and communications technologies and systems. Lastly, he asked what legal remedies were available to persons with disabilities in cases of inaccessibility.

27.Mr. Martin asked whether the term “mental disability” denoted persons with intellectual disabilities, whether people in that category were fully entitled to exercise their rights and whether the Freedom of Information in the Republic of Armenia Act ensured that public information, including about how and where to vote in elections, was provided in accessible formats such as sign language, Braille and easy-to-read documents.

28.Mr. You Liang said that he would be interested to learn about measures to enable persons with disabilities to compete on an equal basis with others in the labour market. The tendency to confine their employment to sheltered settings should be gradually changed.

29.He asked whether the data on disability compiled by the State party reflected the real needs of persons with disabilities, so that such data could be consulted by governmental departments with a view to providing individualized services and allocating the requisite budgetary funds.

30.He asked whether persons with disabilities were employed as teachers or lecturers in schools and universities. He also wished to know what percentage of civil servants were persons with disabilities.

31.Mr. Buntan said that he would be interested to hear about the Government’s general policy on assistive technologies in the areas of research and development, support for training of persons with disabilities and action to facilitate imports of such technologies. He asked whether the policy was also applicable to low-incidence disabilities.

32.As the State party moved towards inclusive education, he wondered how it planned to provide quality education for deaf-blind people requiring individualized educational support. He also asked whether the State party planned to ratify and implement the Marrakesh Treaty to Facilitate Access to Published Works for Persons Who Are Blind, Visually Impaired or Otherwise Print Disabled.

33.Lastly, he asked whether, and to what extent, persons with disabilities and their representative organizations were involved in the implementation and reporting of information on the Sustainable Development Goals.

34.Mr. Kim Hyung Shik said that the State party had failed to clarify in the section of its report on article 32 of the Convention how the international organizations mentioned in paragraph 320 involved persons with disabilities in the planning, design, implementation and evaluation of development projects. He also wished to know how the State party intended to make the Sustainable Development Goals more disability-relevant and inclusive.

35.The Chair asked what services were available for women and girls with disabilities in the areas of reproductive and sexual health. She wondered whether doctors, midwives and other health-care professionals received training on the rights of women with disabilities.

36.She wished to know whether the State party would consider including in its next population census the brief set of questions on disability developed by the Washington Group on Disability Statistics.

37.Mr. Ruškus said that he would welcome information concerning measures to increase the accessibility of social protection programmes for children, women and older persons with disabilities and concerning measures taken to promote housing accessibility, especially for persons who had been deinstitutionalized.

38.He asked whether the State party had established an independent monitoring mechanism to promote, protect and monitor implementation of the Convention and whether organizations of persons with disabilities were involved in the mechanism.

39.The Chair, noting that the Human Rights Defender served as the national human rights institution, asked whether the institution complied with the Principles relating to the status of national institutions for the promotion and protection of human rights (Paris Principles).

The meeting was suspended at 11.25 a.m. and resumed at noon.

40.Mr. Kocharyan (Armenia) said that the Electoral Code of the Republic of Armenia, which had been amended in 2016, required local authorities to take all necessary measures to promote full participation of persons with disabilities in the electoral process, primarily by ensuring the accessibility of polling stations. The Code allowed the Central Electoral Commission to adopt regulations to enable persons with physical impairments to participate in voting, while respecting the principle of confidentiality. Those regulations had since been adopted and persons with physical disabilities could vote with the assistance of any person who was not a member of the Commission and did not participate in the electoral process in any other capacity. The minimum conditions for participation by persons with disabilities in the electoral process were therefore guaranteed. No provision had yet been made for the use of Braille and other technical facilities, but action would be taken to that effect in due course. The Code also permitted patients who were unable to proceed to polling stations to vote in medical establishments.

41.The Office of the Human Rights Defender was the institution responsible for monitoring the general human rights situation, including that of persons with disabilities. It had been accredited with “A” status by the Sub-Committee on Accreditation of the International Coordinating Committee of National Human Rights Institutions. He was confident that, when the draft law on the protection of the rights of persons with disabilities was enacted, the Office would serve as a reliable and objective mechanism for monitoring compliance with the law.

42.Mr. Stepanyan (Armenia) said that preschool education was the most vulnerable component of the education system in terms of coverage. The aim was to ensure that as many children as possible attended a preschool establishment for at least a year before they were enrolled in primary school. In the past few years, more than 200 kindergartens had been established in areas where none had existed previously and teachers were being trained to look after children with special needs. Support for the project was provided by the Step by Step Foundation, the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) and the World Bank. Preschool education was conducive to inclusive education, since the focus was on socialization rather than academic goals.

43.Psychopedagogical centres had been established in one region of the country and were being extended to others. Their mandate included the early identification of children with special needs and their enrolment in the education system. In 2016, a fully inclusive system had been established in one region and children with special needs who had previously remained outside the education system were now included. The ultimate goal was to ensure that all schools were inclusive and that all children had access to high-quality education, regardless of their disabilities. A total of 260 schools had hitherto been recognized as inclusive under the pilot project and a kindergarten that specialized in providing services for children with autism had also been recognized as inclusive. A project that was being conducted with the Bridge of Hope Foundation sought to ensure a smooth transition from kindergarten to school-based education.

44.Funding for inclusive education unfortunately fell short of the target of 3 per cent of gross domestic product, but the target would hopefully be achieved in due course. The funding comprised three items. The first was funding for assistant teachers. Supplementary funds were allocated for children with special needs, stringent standards were applicable to the services provided. The second item was funding for psychopedagogical services, primarily through specialized centres that provided support for inclusive schools and additional educational and remedial services for children with special needs. The third item was funding for teaching materials for children with special needs. International organizations, particularly UNICEF and the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), provided valuable support for the smooth transition to inclusive education.

45.Unfortunately, the alternatives to special schools that were currently proposed to families did not fully meet existing needs. The parallel system therefore still existed and parents chose the type of school in which they wished to have their children enrolled. However, as the capacities of ordinary schools to provide quality education for children with special needs were gradually enhanced, special schools would no longer be necessary and it was hoped that parents would opt for inclusive education. Top priority was being given to the provision of high-quality educational services for all children within the general education system. In particular, the national curriculum was being reviewed and updated to reflect the requirements of inclusive education.

46.A strategy for teacher training and in-service training was being developed. Training for instruction in an inclusive context would constitute a mandatory component of the programme. New standards were also being applied to teaching materials, resources and textbooks. Existing textbooks were criticized for being unduly academic and should be rendered more pupil-friendly. They were currently being revised and special teaching materials would be developed for children with special needs. Under the existing system, children with special needs were frequently assigned to special classrooms and given separate instruction. Measures were currently being taken to promote their inclusion in ordinary classes and the provision of additional services at the end of the school day by psychopedagogical experts on the school premises rather than in psychopedagogical centres. Inclusive education also implied that children with and without special needs should be encouraged to communicate and interact not only at school but also during school holidays.

47.Some schools receiving funds for inclusive education had enrolled children with minor disabilities but encouraged home-based education for children with severe disabilities, who posed a greater challenge for teachers. That approach was not approved by the authorities, who now provided additional funds to promote the broadest possible enrolment of children with disabilities. They had also adopted a list of disabilities for which home-based education was permissible and had developed a special curriculum for such cases.

48.No restrictions were imposed on the employment of persons with disabilities as schoolteachers or lecturers in universities. However, not many such posts were currently occupied by persons with disabilities. No restrictions were imposed, either, on employment in the civil service.

49.With regard to the accessibility of vocational and higher educational institutions, steps were being taken to refurbish old buildings, for instance by installing entrance ramps and special toilets. New buildings were constructed in accordance with the rules on accessibility. If persons with disabilities met minimum educational standards, they could attend vocational training colleges or universities and receive State study grants.

50.The Livelihood Improvement through Fostered Employment (LIVE) programme was conducted jointly with USAID in 44 vocational education institutions. Action was being taken to provide appropriate services and in-service training for teachers. About 900 young people with disabilities had attended short- or long-term vocational training courses to date.

51.A database and statistics had been developed to monitor and manage the education system. Data were compiled each year on teachers, pupils, including those with special needs, the physical environment and other factors. The database was being updated and aligned with international classification criteria.

52.In the context of action to achieve the fourth Sustainable Development Goal, the Government had adopted the Action Plan and Timetable for the achievement of universal inclusive education by 2025. In addition, the Government had established a committee, in cooperation with international organizations and civil society associations, to develop a national approach to achieving the Goals. A number of working groups were focusing on specific national indicators and a programme aimed at incorporating the recommended global monitoring indicators was being developed.

53.Ms. Barseghyan (Armenia) said that the Ministry of Health was implementing a programme to prevent HIV/AIDS, to provide health-care services and to minimize stigmatization and discrimination. As part of the national programme for representatives of public-sector organizations and medical personnel on preventive programmes for vulnerable groups, training courses and seminars were organized, including on the programme to prevent HIV/AIDS, with a view to promoting consultations and research on diagnosis of HIV infection, prevention of mother-to-child transmission of HIV and provision of multifaceted medical assistance to patients, including persons with disabilities, in medical facilities.

54.The World Bank had provided support and funding in recent years for action to promote the accessibility of many medical facilities, in both rural and urban areas, for persons with disabilities. Old buildings had been renovated and new buildings had been constructed in accordance with the applicable standards. Some 16 or 17 medical centres were now equipped with such facilities. They included a new gynaecological centre in Yerevan and medical centres in Megri and Vanadzor. There were also plans to renovate Sevan Hospital and the Artashat Medical Centre in 2018.

55.With regard to reproductive health, women and girls with disabilities were entitled to receive free medical assistance, including computerized tomography, magnetic resonance imaging, and gynaecological and obstetric support. Training courses and seminars on the reproductive health of persons with disabilities were organized for medical personnel in rural and urban hospitals.

56.The bill amending the Psychiatric Aid Act addressed the issue of forced hospitalization. Such action was permissible only on the basis of a medical report by a psychiatric commission and a court ruling.

57.Ms. Hakobyan (Armenia) said that the State provided financial support each year for organizations that organized sports and physical training activities for persons with disabilities. Special events included the “Best Athletic Family” and the “Best Sportsmen with Disabilities”. Financial support was also provided for persons with disabilities who competed in the Paralympic Games. The World Individual Deaf Chess Championship had been held in Yerevan in 2016. The Ministry of Sport and Youth Affairs was developing a sports strategy for persons with disabilities.

58.The “Family Librarian” programme supplied books and other materials to persons with disabilities in their homes. About 10 libraries had installed special computers for blind people under the “Sun” programme. Access to information was provided through Braille in some cultural centres and museums. Books in Braille and talking books were published each year and made available to persons with disabilities through libraries.

Measures were also being taken to ensure the accessibility of theatres, cinemas and sporting facilities.

59.The Television and Radio Act required all television channels to broadcast at least one programme each day with sign language interpreters. All news programmes should also be accompanied by captions, but additional funding would be required to achieve that goal.

60.Ms. Martirosyan (Armenia) said that the Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs would promote awareness among public-sector bodies operating in the area of tourism of the need to make all relevant facilities accessible to persons with disabilities.

61.The questions developed by the Washington Group on Disability Statistics had not been incorporated in the 2010 population census, but the Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs would seek the assistance of the National Statistical Service in incorporating them into the 2020 census.

62.A number of projects were aimed at promoting employment for persons with disabilities. For instance, lump-sum wage subsidies were provided to employers who hired them. Assistance was provided to persons with disabilities for engaging in small-scale entrepreneurial activities, agricultural activities or resettlement for employment purposes in other parts of the country. They were also involved in paid public work.

63.Quotas were regulated by the Employment Act. The quota of persons with disabilities to be employed in public-sector entities with more than 100 employees was 3 per cent and in private-sector entities 1 per cent. If the requirement was not met, the entities concerned were required to make payments to a special fund. The money was then used for programmes supporting persons with disabilities. Issues that had arisen during the implementation of the quotas were currently being analysed with a view to finding an effective solution.

64.Pensions were provided for persons with disabilities, and families including persons with disabilities were also entitled to increased benefits. Prostheses and medical assistance were provided free of charge.

65.The Comprehensive Programme on the Social Inclusion of Persons with Disabilities adopted in January 2017 contained provisions for ensuring accessibility to information and communications for persons with disabilities.

66.Mr. Kocharyan (Armenia) said that the constructive dialogue with the Committee had provided a strong impetus for legislative and other action, which would doubtless have a positive impact on the situation of persons with disabilities and their inclusion in the community.

67.Mr. Ruškus said that persons with disabilities should live within society on an equal basis with others rather than in specialized facilities. Their rights should be addressed, notwithstanding any shortage of financial or other resources, with a view to eliminating discrimination and segregation.

68.The bill on the protection of the rights and social inclusion of persons with disabilities should be amended to align it with the Convention, taking into consideration the Committee’s general comments. General comment No. 1 concerning equal recognition before the law required States parties to abolish substitute decision-making regimes and to develop supported decision-making alternatives. General comment No. 2 on accessibility required them to ensure access to the physical environment, transportation, information and communication so that they could effectively exercise various civil and political rights. General comment No. 3 on the rights of women and girls with disabilities urged State party authorities to combat violence against women by developing gender and disability-sensitive policies, legislation and practical measures. General comment No 4. on inclusive education urged States parties to invest in an inclusive curriculum and to support teachers and individualized learning based on children’s capacities, needs and aspirations. General comment No. 5 on the right to independent living, which would shortly be adopted, stressed that persons with disabilities should be included in the community and have access to mainstream services and activities.

69.All decisions should be implemented in close and comprehensive consultation with persons with disabilities and their representative organizations.

The meeting rose at 12.55 p.m.