Committee on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities
Concluding observations on the initial report of Liberia*
I.Introduction
1.The Committee considered the initial report of Liberia at its 828th and 830th meetings, held on 16 and 17 March 2026. It adopted the present concluding observations at its 839th meeting, held on 24 March 2026.
2.The Committee welcomes the initial report of Liberia, which was prepared in accordance with the Committee’s reporting guidelines. However, the Committee notes with regret that the State Party did not submit replies to the list of issues prepared by the Committee and did not participate in the dialogue, despite having indicated in advance that it would do so.
II.Positive aspects
3.The Committee welcomes the legislative, administrative and policy measures taken by the State Party to promote the rights of persons with disabilities and to implement the Convention since its ratification in 2012, in particular the following:
(a)The adoption of the Blue Print for the Construction of Public Facilities, in 2013;
(b)The adoption of the Mental Health Act, in 2017;
(c)The adoption of the Mental Health Policy 2016–2021, in 2016;
(d)The adoption of the Inclusive Education Policy, in 2018;
(e)The adoption of the National Action Plan for the Inclusion of Persons with Disabilities 2018–2022 and the National Action Plan for the Inclusion of Persons with Disabilities 2023–2027, the latter in 2022;
(f)The adoption of the National Roadmap on Decent Work for Persons with Disabilities, in 2025.
4.The Committee notes with appreciation that the State Party acceded to the Marrakesh Treaty to Facilitate Access to Published Works for Persons Who Are Blind, Visually Impaired or Otherwise Print Disabled, in 2016.
III.Principal areas of concern and recommendations
A.General principles and obligations (arts. 1–4)
5.The Committee notes with concern:
(a)The use, in laws and policies, of derogatory concepts and terminology concerning persons with disabilities that emphasize a person’s impairments, reflect medical and paternalistic approaches to disability and reinforce stigma against persons with disabilities;
(b)That article 64 of the Constitution allows the removal of judges and elected officials on the grounds of disability;
(c)The lack of awareness among policymakers, judges, prosecutors, teachers and medical, health and other professionals working with persons with disabilities about the rights recognized in the Convention;
(d)That organizations of persons with disabilities continue to receive limited targeted support and face barriers to meaningful participation due to resource constraints, limited institutional backing, and stigma;
(e)The insufficient budgetary support, limited coordination among ministries and agencies and absence of effective mechanisms to implement and enforce legislative and policy measures addressing the rights of persons with disabilities;
(f)That persons with disabilities continue to face disparities in access to services and in the protection afforded to them, depending on factors such as gender, type of disability and whether they live in urban or rural areas;
(g)That the State Party has not ratified the Optional Protocol to the Convention.
6. Recalling 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, the Committee recommends that the State Party:
(a) Repeal all sections of legislation, policies and regulations that use derogatory terms and ensure that they conform with the human rights model of disability;
(b) Repeal article 64 of the Constitution to allow persons with disabilities to fully participate in political and public life;
(c) Strengthen capacity-building programmes for policymakers, judges, prosecutors, teachers and medical, health and other professionals working with persons with disabilities on the rights and State obligations under the Convention, and closely consult and actively involve organizations of persons with disabilities in the design and implementation of training for public officials;
(d) Increase measures to ensure equitable and inclusive representation for persons with any type of disability;
(e) Increase budgetary support and institutional coordination to implement laws and policies on persons with disabilities and ensure adherence to legal and policy commitments, including under the Convention, to uphold the rights of all persons with disabilities;
(f) Ensure that measures adopted are based on an intersectional approach and responsive to the diverse circumstances of different groups, including with regard to age, gender, disability status and geographical location;
(g) Consider ratifying the Optional Protocol to the Convention without delay.
B.Specific rights (arts. 5–30)
Equality and non-discrimination (art. 5)
7.The Committee notes with concern:
(a)That the Constitution does not recognize intersectional, disability-based discrimination and denial of reasonable accommodation as forms of discrimination;
(b)That, despite the ongoing drafting of the National Disability Bill to align the legal framework with the Convention, its implementation arrangements, timelines and budget allocations remain unclear, and consultation with organizations of persons with disabilities has been limited;
(c)The absence of an accessible and effective complaints mechanism for persons with disabilities to report disability-based and intersectional discrimination and seek redress.
8. The Committee recalls its general comment No. 6 (2018) on equality and non ‑ discrimination and targets 10.2 and 10.3 of the Sustainable Development Goals and recommends that the State Party:
(a) Review and amend the Constitution and existing anti-discrimination legislation to recognize multiple and intersecting forms of discrimination on the grounds of disability, and in combination with other grounds such as age, sex, race, ethnicity, gender identity and any other status, adopt strategies to eliminate such forms of discrimination, ensure that the Constitution explicitly recognizes denial of reasonable accommodation as a form of disability-based discrimination, and ensure the effective investigation of related complaints;
(b) Ensure that the National Disability Bill is drafted and adopted in line with the Convention, with a clear implementation framework, defined timelines, adequate budget allocations, and meaningful consultation with organizations of persons with disabilities;
(c) Establish accessible and effective mechanisms, including judicial and administrative procedures, for victims of disability-based discrimination, and provide them with comprehensive redress, and sanction the perpetrators.
Women with disabilities (art. 6)
9.The Committee notes with concern:
(a)The insufficient protection of women with disabilities in laws and policies concerning gender-based violence, access to justice, education, health and access to basic social services, including laws and policies relating to persons with disabilities that fail to explicitly address intersectional discrimination against women and girls with disabilities;
(b)The underrepresentation of women with disabilities in public affairs and in decision-making positions, and the lack of programmes designed to promote the empowerment of women and girls with disabilities in public and political life;
(c)The failure to pass the Affirmative Action Bill, which would create 21 seats for women, youth and persons with disabilities in the House of Representatives.
10. The Committee recalls its general comment No. 3 (2016) on women and girls with disabilities, and targets 5.1, 5.2 and 5.5 of the Sustainable Development Goals, and recommends that the State Party:
(a) Mainstream the rights of women and girls with disabilities across all laws and policies, including disability-related policies, particularly the National Action Plan for the Inclusion of Persons with Disabilities, while ensuring their meaningful consultation and active involvement in the design and implementation of policies and programmes;
(b) Step up its efforts to increase the participation and representation of women with disabilities in public affairs and in decision-making positions, including by taking all steps necessary to ensure the passage of the Affirmative Action Bill, and remove all direct and indirect obstacles to women ’ s participation in public affairs and in decision-making, notably by removing registration fees for women candidates and introducing temporary special measures.
Children with disabilities (art. 7)
11.The Committee is concerned about:
(a)The multiple and intersecting forms of discrimination and inhumane treatment that children with disabilities continue to face due to the prejudices and negative stereotypes against them;
(b)The absence of a comprehensive strategy and monitoring mechanism to address discrimination against children with disabilities;
(c)The limited participation of children with disabilities in the Liberia National Children’s Representative Forum.
12. Recalling its joint statement with the Committee on the Rights of the Child on the rights of children with disabilities, the Committee recommends that the State Party:
(a) Adopt measures to combat the stigmatization of all children with disabilities and to ensure that they are protected against multiple and intersecting forms of discrimination;
(b) Adopt a comprehensive strategy with budgetary lines and monitoring mechanisms to address discrimination against children with disabilities, including in situations of emergency;
(c) Ensure the participation of children with disabilities in the Liberia National Children ’ s Representative Forum.
Awareness-raising (art. 8)
13.The Committee is concerned about the limited awareness‑raising campaigns and initiatives on disability issues aimed at the general public, religious and traditional leaders, and public officials. It notes that persistent prejudices, stigma, stereotypes, derogatory language and discrimination, often rooted in cultural or religious beliefs, continue to undermine the rights of persons with disabilities, particularly in rural areas.
14. The Committee recommends that the State Party, in close consultation with and with the active involvement of persons with disabilities, through their representative organizations, including organizations of children with disabilities and women and girls with disabilities, adopt and implement a national awareness-raising strategy to educate the public, religious and traditional leaders and public officials and address prejudice, stigma, stereotypes, derogatory language and discrimination against persons with disabilities, including persons affected by leprosy, persons with albinism, deafblind persons, persons living with HIV/AIDS and persons with intellectual and/or psychosocial disabilities, particularly in rural areas.
Accessibility (art. 9)
15.The Committee notes with concern:
(a)The limited implementation of laws and policies on accessibility and universal design in public services, including the Blue Print for the Construction of Public Facilities and the white cane law, which hinders the participation in the community of persons with disabilities, particularly autistic persons and persons with sensory impairments, intellectual disabilities and/or psychosocial disabilities;
(b)The absence of monitoring and compliance mechanisms to ensure that public infrastructure, transportation and essential services are fully accessible to persons with disabilities;
(c)The barriers that prevent persons with disabilities from accessing information and communication, including in the digital environment, such as on government websites, and the limited availability of text-to-speech technologies, particularly for those with complex communication requirements.
16. Recalling its general comment No. 2 (2014) on accessibility, and Goal 9 and targets 11.2 and 11.7 of the Sustainable Development Goals, the Committee recommends that the State Party, in close consultation with and with the active involvement of persons with disabilities, through their representative organizations:
(a) Enforce national laws and policies that ensure the accessibility of public infrastructure, transportation and essential services for persons with disabilities, and establish monitoring and compliance mechanisms, including sanctions for non-compliance;
(b) Adopt a national accessibility strategy covering all areas outlined in the Convention, including physical, information, communication and digital accessibility, and ensure the consistent involvement of organizations of persons with disabilities in standard-setting processes, with a dedicated budget allocation.
Situations of risk and humanitarian emergencies (art. 11)
17.The Committee notes with concern:
(a)The absence of an overarching disability-inclusive, human rights-based strategy for disaster risk reduction, humanitarian action and emergency management, which hinders coordinated prevention and response efforts at the national and local levels;
(b)The lack of measures to ensure that post-emergency rehabilitation, resettlement, reconstruction and rebuilding processes are based on risk assessments inclusive of and accessible to persons with disabilities.
18. Recalling the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction 2015–2030, the Inter-Agency Standing Committee Guidelines on the Inclusion of Persons with Disabilities in Humanitarian Action and its guidelines on deinstitutionalization, including in emergencies, the Committee recommends that the State Party, in close consultation with and with the active involvement of persons with disabilities, through their representative organizations, ensure the protection and safety of persons with disabilities in situations of risk, including in situations of armed conflict, by:
(a) Developing an overarching disability-inclusive, human rights-based strategy for all situations of risk and humanitarian emergencies, including public health emergencies, climate change and disaster risk reduction, to ensure coordination at the national, regional and municipal levels, as well as the provision of reasonable accommodation, accessible information, evacuation centres and early warning systems based on community needs assessments;
(b) Closely involving persons with disabilities and their representative organizations, including organizations of women with disabilities, at all stages of the development and implementation of disaster risk reduction and humanitarian emergency frameworks;
(c) Implementing measures to ensure that post-emergency rehabilitation, resettlement, reconstruction and rebuilding processes are based on risk assessments inclusive of and accessible to persons with disabilities.
Equal recognition before the law (art. 12)
19.The Committee notes with concern:
(a)Legal provisions that deny the right of persons with disabilities to equal recognition before the law, by allowing restriction of their legal capacity, in particular for persons with intellectual and/or psychosocial disabilities, including in the Civil Procedure Law, the Decedents Estates Law, the Domestic Relations Law and the New Elections Law;
(b)The lack of measures to replace substitute decision-making systems with supported decision-making systems that respect the autonomy, rights, will and preferences of persons with disabilities in all areas of life.
20. Recalling its general comment No. 1 (2014) on equal recognition before the law, the Committee recommends that the State Party, in close consultation with and with the active involvement of persons with disabilities, through their representative organizations:
(a) Repeal all discriminatory legal provisions and policies with a view to abolishing substitute decision-making regimes, and amend the legislation to guarantee the right of all persons with disabilities to equal recognition before the law;
(b) Establish supported decision-making mechanisms that respect the autonomy, will and preferences of all persons with disabilities, regardless of the level or mode of support that they may require;
(c) Provide training to all relevant stakeholders, including public officials, judges, social workers, community members, religious and traditional leaders, and families of persons with disabilities, on recognizing the legal capacity of persons with disabilities.
Access to justice (art. 13)
21.The Committee is concerned about:
(a)The lack of accessibility and effective procedural accommodations in judicial and administrative processes, including barriers to information and communication, inaccessible court facilities, and limited judicial capacity to address the specific legal needs of persons with disabilities;
(b)The insufficient information provided to persons with disabilities on their rights, as well as on the formal procedures for enforcing those rights and obtaining remedies;
(c)Women and children with disabilities facing barriers in reporting violence, abuse and exploitation, mainly due to a lack of accessible reporting mechanisms;
(d)Insufficient training of personnel to support persons with disabilities through complex administrative and judicial proceedings, including criminal proceedings, and a lack of information in such training about the requirements of persons with disabilities.
22. The Committee recalls the International Principles and Guidelines on Access to Justice for Persons with Disabilities prepared in 2020 by the Special Rapporteur on the rights of persons with disabilities and the Special Envoy of the Secretary-General on Disability and Accessibility, and endorsed by the Committee, and target 16.3 of the Sustainable Development Goals and recommends that the State Party:
(a) Provide gender-sensitive and age-appropriate procedural accommodations for persons with disabilities, ensuring the accessibility of all physical, information and communication aspects of administrative and judicial procedures, including the provision of professional sign language interpreters, Braille, tactile communication, large print, Easy Read, and audio and video transcription;
(b) Guarantee persons with disabilities access to legal aid services, in particular to competent lawyers, and actively inform persons with disabilities about their rights;
(c) Implement targeted measures to support women and children with disabilities in reporting and accessing justice in cases of violence, abuse and exploitation, including by adapting reporting and referral systems to ensure that national helplines and child protection mechanisms are fully accessible;
(d) Intensify the provision of training on the Convention to administrative, judicial and law enforcement officials, including to judges.
Liberty and security of person (art. 14)
23.The Committee notes with concern:
(a)That individuals with psychosocial and/or intellectual disabilities may still be detained on the basis of broad legal or medical determinations;
(b)The absence of support services for families with children with disabilities;
(c)The lack of reasonable accommodation for persons with disabilities in detention;
(d)The absence of legislation prohibiting the forced medication, involuntary treatment or confinement of persons with intellectual and/or psychosocial disabilities.
24. Recalling its guidelines on the right to liberty and security of persons with disabilities and its guidelines on deinstitutionalization, including in emergencies, the Committee recommends that the State Party take all legislative, administrative, policy and judicial measures necessary:
(a) To repeal all legal provisions allowing for involuntary treatment and restrictions of liberty in institutions or community-based settings on the grounds of psychosocial impairment or perceived dangerousness;
(b) To strengthen the implementation and monitoring of family- and community-based care policies by expanding support services for families;
(c) To ensure the provision of reasonable accommodation to all persons with disabilities in detention, including pretrial detention, in all types of detention facilities;
(d) To adopt and enforce legislation prohibiting the forced medication, involuntary treatment or confinement of persons with intellectual and/or psychosocial disabilities.
Freedom from exploitation, violence and abuse (art. 16)
25.The Committee is concerned about:
(a)Women, girls and older persons with disabilities, as well as persons with albinism, being at a higher risk of physical, sexual and psychological violence;
(b)The lack of resources allocated to combat gender-based violence against women and girls with disabilities and the lack of services and accessible shelters for those who are victims of violence, including women and girls with intellectual and/or psychosocial disabilities, particularly in rural areas, and information on assistance and protection services not being provided in accessible formats;
(c)Children with disabilities being at increased risk of exploitation, including forced begging and sexual abuse, with limited child protection services available to address these risks;
(d)The inadequate training of the carers and families of persons with disabilities, health personnel and law enforcement officials on recognizing all forms of exploitation, violence and abuse;
(e)The overall lack of information and awareness about violence faced by persons with disabilities, including children and women with disabilities and persons with intellectual and/or psychosocial disabilities, and the low number of complaints reported about violence and abuse against persons with disabilities.
26. Recalling its statement of 25 November 2021 on the elimination of gender-based violence against women and girls with disabilities, and targets 5.1, 5.2 and 5.5 of the Sustainable Development Goals, the Committee recommends that the State Party:
(a) Strengthen measures to protect persons with disabilities from exploitation, violence and abuse, including gender-based violence, particularly women, girls and older persons with disabilities, as well as persons with albinism, and ensure their access to independent complaint mechanisms and appropriate remedies;
(b) Ensure that all shelters and gender-based violence response services are fully accessible and equipped for specialized, disability-responsive support, including the provision of reasonable accommodation;
(c) Adopt legislation and effective measures to ensure that children with disabilities are adequately protected from exploitation, violence and abuse, including exploitation through forced begging or sexual exploitation, that perpetrators are sanctioned and that child protection services are available;
(d) Establish a comprehensive, disability-inclusive data-collection and monitoring system to track cases of violence, abuse and exploitation, disaggregated by disability, age, gender and location.
27.The Committee is concerned about:
(a)The negative perceptions, religious beliefs and cultural practices that have caused persons with disabilities to be subjected to inhumane or degrading treatment or punishment, such as chaining, shackling and restraint in healing and prayer camps;
(b)The absence of independent monitoring mechanisms to investigate violations of the rights of persons with disabilities in prayer and healing camps or those subjected to forced treatment or long-term hospitalization.
28. Recalling its guidelines on deinstitutionalization, including in emergencies, the Committee recommends that the State Party, in close consultation with and with the active involvement of persons with disabilities, through their representative organizations:
(a) Prohibit and end the use of inhumane or degrading treatment or punishment in prayer and healing camps;
(b) Establish, in cooperation with persons with disabilities, through their representative organizations, an effective independent monitoring mechanism for the prevention and reporting of any forms of forced treatment or ill-treatment of persons with disabilities in healing and prayer camps.
Protecting the integrity of the person (art. 17)
29.The Committee is concerned about the lack of provisions and measures to prohibit or prevent female genital mutilation and forced sterilization of women and girls with disabilities.
30. The Committee recommends that the State Party:
(a) Adopt provisions and measures to prohibit female genital mutilation and forced sterilization of women and girls with disabilities, including by accelerating the adoption of the draft legislation entitled “ An Act to Ban Harmful Cultural Practices in Liberia ” ;
(b) Raise awareness of the fact that forced medical interventions are harmful practices, even as part of cultural or religious practices and traditions, and ensure that persons with disabilities give their prior and informed consent for any medical or surgical treatment.
Liberty of movement and nationality (art. 18)
31.The Committee notes with concern that:
(a)The Alien and Nationality Law excludes persons with intellectual and/or psychosocial disabilities from being granted visas to the country;
(b)Persons with disabilities, including migrants with disabilities, continue to face barriers in obtaining birth certificates, nationality certificates and identity cards due to inaccessible services, lack of public awareness about registration and stigma that discourages families from registering children with disabilities, resulting in underregistration and exclusion.
32. The Committee recommends that the State Party:
(a) Amend the Alien and Nationality Law to guarantee persons with intellectual and/or psychosocial disabilities access to visas on an equal basis with others;
(b) Strengthen inclusive birth registration and national identification systems by expanding outreach to rural and marginalized communities, addressing stigma through awareness-raising campaigns, and ensuring accessible, disability-responsive registration services.
Living independently and being included in the community (art. 19)
33.The Committee is concerned about:
(a)The insufficient support arrangements for persons with disabilities to live independently in the community, including accessible and affordable housing, in-home services and personal assistance;
(b)The absence of a comprehensive national framework for personal assistance and community-based support services, including in relation to housing, education and health services, which are largely donor-dependent;
(c)The lack of information on the number of residential social services and health facilities functioning as de facto institutions detaining persons on the basis of disability, as well as the conditions and treatment within these facilities, the number of persons housed in them, and the monitoring mechanisms in place.
34. Recalling its general comment No. 5 (2017) on living independently and being included in the community, its guidelines on deinstitutionalization, including in emergencies, and the report of the Special Rapporteur on the rights of persons with disabilities on the transformation of services for persons with disabilities, the Committee recommends that the State Party, in close consultation with and with the active involvement of persons with disabilities:
(a) Allocate sufficient budgetary resources to develop and expand community-based support services, particularly in housing, education and healthcare, to promote the inclusion of persons with disabilities within their communities, including in rural areas, and ensure affordable, accessible housing, in-home support services and personal assistance;
(b) Adopt a strategy that includes awareness-raising activities to promote understanding of the right of persons with disabilities to choose their living arrangements, the right not to be obliged to live in a particular living arrangement and the value of inclusion in, as opposed to segregation from, the community;
(c) Collect information on residential social services and health facilities that detain persons on the basis of disability, establish monitoring systems to assess conditions, treatment and the number of individuals confined, and implement deinstitutionalization measures to uphold their right to live independently.
Personal mobility (art. 20)
35.The Committee is concerned about the absence of a national strategy and mechanisms for ensuring access by persons with disabilities, including children, to quality mobility aids, assistive technologies and forms of live assistance and intermediaries, particularly in rural areas. It also notes the absence of State funding in this regard, as well as of training in mobility skills for persons with disabilities and specialist staff working with persons with disabilities.
36. The Committee recommends that the State Party:
(a) Adopt measures to facilitate access to mobility and assistive technologies, forms of live assistance, and intermediaries, particularly for persons with physical, visual and hearing impairments, including in rural areas, and provide training on mobility skills to persons with disabilities and to specialist staff;
(b) Establish a national strategy and mechanisms to ensure the availability, affordability and quality of assistive technologies nationwide, including financial support to fully or partially cover their costs.
Freedom of expression and opinion, and access to information (art. 21)
37.The Committee is concerned:
(a)That a national sign language has not yet been developed and recognized as an official language;
(b)About the insufficient availability of information in accessible formats and of accessible information and communications technologies in both public and private media, particularly on websites providing public information;
(c)About the absence of legal or policy requirements for public or private television broadcasters to provide accessible communication features such as sign language interpretation, captioning and audio description.
38. The Committee recommends that the State Party, in close consultation with and with the active involvement of persons with disabilities, through their representative organizations:
(a) Develop and recognize a national sign language as an official language;
(b) Take all measures, including legislative and policy measures, necessary to ensure that all public information, including television and media services, is available in accessible and assistive formats, such as Braille, tactile communication, large print, deafblind interpretation, sign language, Easy Read, plain language, audio description, captioning and subtitles, as appropriate, and allocate adequate funding for their development, promotion and use, and ensure access to information and communications technologies that meet the diverse requirements of persons with disabilities, including in rural areas;
(c) Provide financial resources, in close consultation with and with the active involvement of persons with disabilities, through their representative organizations, for the training of qualified sign language interpreters and relevant professionals in the use of tactile communication, large print, Braille and Easy Read formats.
Respect for privacy (art. 22)
39.The Committee is concerned about the absence of legal provisions to protect the privacy of persons with disabilities in areas such as healthcare and support services for persons with disabilities.
40. The Committee recommends that the State Party introduce legal provisions to protect the privacy of all persons with disabilities in all situations, in line with the Convention.
Respect for home and the family (art. 23)
41.The Committee is concerned about:
(a)The absence of information in accessible formats on the sexual and reproductive health and rights of persons with disabilities, in particular women and girls with disabilities, the lack of training for personnel thereon and the absence of meaningful consultation and effective participation of persons with disabilities in initiatives on family education;
(b)The lack of sufficient support provided to children with disabilities and their families and to parents with disabilities to carry out their parental responsibilities.
42. The Committee recommends that the State Party:
(a) Provide comprehensive, accessible and age-appropriate information on sexual and reproductive health, family planning and the rights of persons with disabilities, particularly women and girls with disabilities, alongside training for relevant personnel, while ensuring meaningful consultation with and the active participation of persons with disabilities;
(b) Offer support to children with disabilities and support to their families in fulfilling parental responsibilities, including in rural areas.
Education (art. 24)
43.The Committee acknowledges the measures taken by the State Party to promote inclusive education, such as the adoption of the Inclusive Education Policy (2018). However, it notes that, in 2020, less than 1 per cent of students enrolled in schools were reported to have a disability, and expresses concern in particular about:
(a)The Education Reform Act, which does not include an obligation for the education of learners with disabilities;
(b)National legislation that permits the exclusion of learners with disabilities from free and compulsory education on the basis of their disability, and the fact that the acquisition of a disability by school board members is, in itself, a ground for their replacement;
(c)The many schools that lack accessibility, including the absence of ramps, sign language interpretation, accessible learning materials and adequately trained teachers, while poverty and distance continue to limit access;
(d)The fact that women and girls with disabilities, as well as persons with disabilities in rural areas, are less likely to complete any level of education;
(e)The weak interministerial coordination, limited transparency and absence of a clear timeline and dedicated budget that continue to hinder the nationwide implementation of inclusive education;
(f)The State Party’s maintenance of segregated education in the form of special schools for learners with disabilities;
(g)The absence of a national programme providing adult literacy services specifically for persons with disabilities, which remain largely project-based.
44. Recalling its general comment No. 4 (2016) on the right to inclusive education and targets 4.5 and 4.a of the Sustainable Development Goals, the Committee recommends that the State Party, in close consultation with and with the active involvement of organizations of persons with disabilities, learners with disabilities and their families:
(a) Ensure that children with disabilities are explicitly included in all laws and policies related to education;
(b) Repeal laws that permit the exclusion of children or school staff on the basis of disability;
(c) Ensure the full implementation of laws and policies on inclusive education and the provision of reasonable accommodation for children with disabilities, including by adapting infrastructure in all learning institutions, ensuring that new buildings comply with accessibility standards, providing accessible learning materials and guaranteeing a sufficient number of trained teachers and professionals providing individual support in all schools to enable children with disabilities, including those in rural areas, to effectively enjoy their right to quality inclusive education;
(d) Adopt gender -sensitive and inclusive measures for children with disabilities;
(e) Strengthen interministerial coordination, including between the Special and Inclusive Education Division in the Ministry of Education and the Ministry of Gender, Children and Social Protection, and allocate adequate, dedicated budget lines for disability-inclusive education, including for teacher training, assistive devices and accessible learning materials;
(f) Develop a strategy for the transition from special education to quality inclusive education for all learners with disabilities, including deafblind and autistic children;
(g) Establish and adequately fund a national adult literacy programme for persons with disabilities, with the provision of reasonable accommodation, accessible materials and trained facilitators.
Health (art. 25)
45.The Committee is concerned about:
(a)The national budget not including specific allocations to ensure access to health services for persons with disabilities;
(b)The barriers faced by persons with disabilities, particularly women and girls with disabilities, persons with albinism and persons with intellectual and/or psychosocial disabilities, in accessing healthcare services, which include inaccessible healthcare facilities and information, lack of reasonable accommodation, and prejudices about persons with disabilities held by professionals across the health sector;
(c)The insufficient medical expense subsidies for persons with disabilities, including those who require more intensive support;
(d)The barriers faced by persons with disabilities, particularly women and girls with disabilities, in accessing sexual and reproductive healthcare services;
(e)The absence of nationwide programmes to train health workers and traditional health attendants on the rights of persons with disabilities.
46. Recalling targets 3.7 and 3.8 of the Sustainable Development Goals, the Committee recommends that the State Party, in close consultation with and with the active involvement of persons with disabilities, through their representative organizations:
(a) Allocate dedicated budgetary resources to ensure access to health services for persons with disabilities;
(b) Ensure quality and gender-sensitive healthcare services for all persons with disabilities, including by implementing accessibility standards, providing reasonable accommodation and offering training for public and private healthcare providers;
(c) Strengthen communication between healthcare providers and persons with disabilities by ensuring that information on health services is provided in accessible and assistive formats, including Braille, tactile communication, large print, sign language and Easy Read;
(d) Introduce targeted subsidies and expand health insurance coverage to reduce the cost of medicine, assistive devices and transportation for persons with disabilities, ensuring affordable and equitable access to healthcare;
(e) Ensure that high-quality, age-appropriate sexual and reproductive health services and comprehensive sexuality education are inclusive of and accessible to all persons with disabilities, in particular women and girls with disabilities;
(f) Integrate a human rights model of disability into the training of health professionals, emphasizing that all persons with disabilities have the right to free and informed consent for any medical and surgical treatment.
Habilitation and rehabilitation (art. 26)
47.The Committee is concerned about significant gaps in the availability, accessibility and geographical distribution of community-based habilitation, as well as rehabilitation and assistive technology services across Liberia, particularly in rural areas, which continues to depend in part on external support.
48. Recalling the link between article 26 of the Convention and target 3.7 of the Sustainable Development Goals, the Committee recommends that the State Party take measures to secure access for persons with disabilities to comprehensive and cross ‑ sectoral habilitation and rehabilitation services, programmes and technology, within their community, and in all counties of the State Party. It further recommends:
(a) Ensuring that all major sectors, including major health facilities, educational entities, vocational programmes and other social services, are equipped and provided with adequate resources to offer community-based habilitation and rehabilitation services to persons with disabilities, particularly in rural areas, while ensuring free, prior and informed consent;
(b) Accelerating the adoption of the national rehabilitation and assistive technology strategic plan, including the establishment of a mechanism to monitor its implementation, in close consultation with and with the active involvement of persons with disabilities through their representative organizations.
Work and employment (art. 27)
49.The Committee notes the recent adoption of the National Roadmap on Decent Work for Persons with Disabilities, in 2025, but is concerned about:
(a)Barriers that persons with disabilities continue to face, including inaccessible workplaces, limited career opportunities or advancement, lack of reasonable accommodation, unequal pay and unsafe working environments, that hinder their full and effective participation in the labour market;
(b)The lack of compliance with section 5 of the National Commission on Disabilities Act, which mandates that persons with disabilities constitute at least 4 per cent of employees in both the public and the private sectors;
(c)The low employment rate of women with disabilities;
(d)The low employment rate of persons with disabilities in rural areas;
(e)The reliance of many persons with disabilities on informal or temporary work that lacks stability, benefits and legal protection;
(f)The inaccessibility of government buildings, including inadequate sanitary facilities, which excludes persons with disabilities from the public sector and therefore limits their access to a major employer in Liberia;
(g)The unclear operational scope, staffing levels, enforcement authority and reporting mechanisms of the newly established Disability Desk within the Ministry of Labour in 2025.
50. Recalling its general comment No. 8 (2022) on the right of persons with disabilities to work and employment, and in line with target 8.5 of the Sustainable Development Goals, the Committee recommends that the State Party, in close consultation with and with the active involvement of persons with disabilities, through their representative organizations:
(a) Strengthen the enforcement of anti-discrimination and accessibility standards in employment, including through the provision of reasonable accommodation, accessible workplaces, equal pay, and safe conditions, through labour inspections, complaints mechanisms, sanctions and increased employer awareness;
(b) Implement section 5 of the National Commission on Disabilities Act;
(c) Promote the employment of women with disabilities in the open labour market, ensuring that they are informed about and can effectively seek individualized support through the provision of reasonable accommodation and have access to effective measures to balance work and family life;
(d) Expand access to work opportunities and livelihood strategies for persons with disabilities in rural areas;
(e) Implement a coordinated strategy to facilitate the transition of persons with disabilities into secure, regularized employment by expanding and establishing employment programmes, including scaling up skills training, affirmative action measures and job placement initiatives, and integrating these into mainstream public and private sector employment;
(f) Increase the accessibility of government buildings to include persons with disabilities in the public sector workforce;
(g) Strengthen and clarify the mandate of the Disability Desk within the Ministry of Labour, including its staffing capacity and reporting mechanisms.
Adequate standard of living and social protection (art. 28)
51.The Committee is concerned about the high number of persons with disabilities living in extreme poverty without a regular source of income and the absence of a comprehensive social protection system guaranteeing access for persons with disabilities and their families to an adequate standard of living, including resources to cover expenses related to disability.
52. Recalling the links between article 28 of the Convention and target 10.2 of the Sustainable Development Goals, which seeks to empower and to promote the economic inclusion of all persons, irrespective of disability status, the Committee recommends that the State Party:
(a) Strengthen the implementation of a robust social protection system to ensure an adequate standard of living, particularly for women, children and older persons with disabilities, including those living in rural areas, and ensure their access to appropriate and affordable mainstream social programmes and services, including adequate food, clothing and housing, while addressing disability-related expenses;
(b) Ensure the full and effective participation of persons with disabilities, through their representative organizations, in the design of any social protection policies and programmes.
Participation in political and public life (art. 29)
53.The Committee notes with concern:
(a)The low level of representation of persons with disabilities, including women with disabilities, in political and public decision-making processes and in public life;
(b)That article 3 of the Voter Registration Regulations (2016) of the National Elections Commission allows the exclusion of persons with intellectual and/or psychosocial disabilities to register as voters, and that article 64 of the Constitution allows the removal of judges and elected officials on the grounds of disability;
(c)The non-implementation of the National Commission on Disabilities Act, which provides for three seats in the House of Representatives for persons with disabilities;
(d)The lack of accessibility of polling stations, voting procedures and facilities, where assistance during voting is often limited to support from relatives rather than systematic accessibility measures, as well as the lack of access to voting materials in accessible formats and to information about elections, including public electoral debates, electoral programmes and online or printed election materials;
(e)The limited independence and resources of the National Elections Commission, impeding it from effectively resolving election-related disputes.
54. The Committee recommends that the State Party:
(a) Ensure that persons with disabilities can effectively and fully participate in political and public life on an equal basis with others by providing opportunities and support for persons with disabilities to be politically active and stand for election at the local and national levels, and carry out awareness-raising initiatives to address discriminatory perceptions of the capacities of persons with disabilities, particularly women with disabilities;
(b) Repeal all discriminatory provisions denying the rights of persons with disabilities to fully participate in political and public life;
(c) Implement the National Commission on Disabilities Act, and ensure that at least three seats in the House of Representatives are held by persons with disabilities;
(d) Guarantee that electoral and voting procedures, facilities and online or printed election materials are accessible and ensure the availability of augmentative and alternative communication and formats such as plain language, Braille, tactile communication, large print and Easy Read, thereby facilitating their use by all persons with disabilities, and ensure independent and accessible voting options beyond reliance on relatives;
(e) Ensure the independence and effectiveness of the National Elections Commission in carrying out its mandate;
(f) Ensure the meaningful involvement of organizations of persons with disabilities, including those of women and girls with disabilities, in planning and monitoring political processes.
Participation in cultural life, recreation, leisure and sport (art. 30)
55.The Committee is concerned about the lack of measures to ensure that persons with disabilities enjoy access to cultural materials, television programmes, films and other cultural activities, in accessible formats, and access to places for cultural performances or services, such as theatres, museums, cinemas and libraries, tourism services and sport services.
56. The Committee recommends that the State Party, in close consultation with and with the active involvement of persons with disabilities, through their representative organizations:
(a) Develop measures to ensure that persons with disabilities enjoy access to cultural materials, television programmes, films and other cultural activities, in accessible formats, and access to places for cultural performances or services, such as theatres, museums, cinemas and libraries, tourism services and sport services;
(b) Adopt appropriate measures to ensure the effective implementation of the Marrakesh Treaty to Facilitate Access to Published Works for Persons Who Are Blind, Visually Impaired or Otherwise Print Disabled through close consultation with and with the active involvement of persons with disabilities, through their representative organizations;
(c) Increase its efforts to ensure that persons with disabilities, particularly children with disabilities, enjoy their right to participate in cultural life, recreation, leisure and sport on an equal basis with others .
C.Specific obligations (arts. 31–33)
Statistics and data collection (art. 31)
57.The Committee notes the strategic action plan 2024–2029 of the National Commission on Disabilities, which covers collecting disaggregated data on persons with disabilities, but remains concerned about gaps in the systematic collection of disaggregated data and statistics on persons with disabilities in all areas covered by the Convention, as well as the limited inter-agency coordination, public reporting and methodological transparency.
58. In the light of the Washington Group on Disability Statistics short set of questions on functioning and the policy marker on the inclusion and empowerment of persons with disabilities of the Development Assistance Committee of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development, the Committee recommends that the State Party:
(a) Collect comprehensive data and statistics on persons with disabilities and disaggregate them on the basis of factors such as age, sex, type of disability, type of support required, gender identity, socioeconomic status, ethnicity and place of residence, including residential institutions and health facilities;
(b) Ensure greater transparency in methodology, question design, enumerator training, and data validation in the data collection.
International cooperation (art. 32)
59.The Committee notes with concern:
(a)The lack of participation of persons with disabilities in developing international cooperation strategies and programmes;
(b)The limited inclusion of disability in international cooperation agreements;
(c)That the State Party has not signed and ratified the Protocol to the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities in Africa.
60. Recalling the State Party ’ s endorsement of the Amman-Berlin Declaration on Global Disability Inclusion, the Committee recommends that the State Party:
(a) Introduce mechanisms to ensure close consultation with and the active involvement of persons with disabilities, through their representative organizations, including organizations of women and girls with disabilities, in the planning, implementation, monitoring and evaluation of activities under international cooperation agreements and the process of implementation, and monitoring of the implementation, of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the Sustainable Development Goals;
(b) Mainstream disability, including the rights of women and children with disabilities, into international cooperation programmes;
(c) Consider ratifying and implementing the Protocol to the African Charter on Human and Peoples ’ Rights on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities in Africa.
National implementation and monitoring (art. 33)
61.The Committee is concerned about:
(a)The continued underresourcing and lack of enforcement authority of the National Commission on Disabilities, responsible for monitoring the implementation of the Convention;
(b)The insufficient number of sectoral focal points for the implementation of the Convention;
(c)The absence of mechanisms to ensure the involvement of persons with disabilities and their representative organizations in monitoring the implementation of the Convention.
62. Recalling its guidelines on independent monitoring frameworks and their participation in the work of the Committee, the Committee recommends that the State Party:
(a) Ensure that the National Commission on Disabilities is provided with adequate financial and technical resources so that it can maintain appropriate expertise in the rights of persons with disabilities and effectively carry out its mandate;
(b) Designate focal points within the Government, including across all branches and levels of government, with the authority to implement the Convention;
(c) Ensure the participation of all persons with disabilities, including those in rural areas, and their representative organizations in their full diversity in monitoring the implementation of the Convention;
(d) Ensure that the national human rights institution, namely, the Independent National Commission on Human Rights, prioritizes the rights established under the Convention in its work and is provided with adequate budgetary and technical resources.
IV.Follow-up
Dissemination of information
63. 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 44, on education, and 50, on work and employment.
64. 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 the 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.
65. 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.
66. The Committee strongly encourages the State Party to involve civil society organizations, in particular organizations of persons with disabilities, in the preparation of its next report.
Next periodic report
67. The combined second to sixth periodic reports are in principle due on 26 August 2034, under the simplified reporting procedure. The Committee will establish and communicate the exact due date of the combined periodic reports of the State Party in line with a future clear and regularized schedule for reporting by States Parties and following the adoption of a list of issues and questions prior to reporting for the State Party. The combined periodic reports should cover the entire period up to the time of their submission.