At 17th session of UN Committee on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities Armenian NGO representatives presented the progress in implementation of CRPD
13:11, April 8, 2017 | News, Own news | Prohibition of Discrimination
At the briefing of March 27, 2017 at the 17th session of the UN Committee on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, representatives of Armenian NGOs, including HCA Vanadzor representatives Susanna Davtyan and Marieta Temuryan, presented the progress in implementation of Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities. The Organization’s representatives drew the Committee’s attention especially to ensuring the Convention right to equal recognition before the law and living independently and being included in the community (policy documents in Armenian and English submitted to the Committee are attached).
Within the session, on March 29-30, 2017 the participants discussed the Republic of Armenia Report on Implementation of the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities.
After RA Justice Deputy Minister Vigen Kocharyan, Head of the Republic of Armenia delegation, presented the information on implementation of the Convention, the RA delegation answered the question of the UN Committee on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities. By their questions, the Committee members drew attention to a number of essential problems, including the problems of women and children with disabilities and problems of institutionalizing declaration of persons with psychosocial and mental disabilities legally incapable and subjecting them to forced treatment.
Reference was made to the schedule of adopting anti-discrimination law; in response, the RA Government’s representative stated that it was planned to adopt it by the end of the year. As for funding of the 2017-2021 Complex Program of Social Inclusion of Persons with Disabilities, the RA Government’s representative expresses the opinion that the state budget was not enough to meet any “wish”.
Another question concerned availability of a body to supervise compliance with the Convention requirements; the Government’s representative said that according to the draft RA Law on Protection of the Rights of Persons with Disabilities and their Social Inclusion, the Human Rights Defender acts as an independent mechanism monitoring the application of the Convention provisions.
Note that the above problems, among others, were also raised in HCA Vanadzor’s Alternative Report on Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities /CRPD prepared in 2014.
After the 2-day discussion of the RA Report, Jonas Ruskus, Special Rapporteur on Armenia and representative of Lithuania in the Committee on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities highlighted the considerations below in his concluding remarks:
- The state should ensure equality before the law; the mechanisms on decision-making instead of a person must be eliminated and replaced by supported decision-making.
- The state should ensure the physical accessibility in terms of infrastructures, transport and communication by ensuring protection of the rights of persons with disabilities.
- Persons with disabilities should have the opportunities to live independently and be included in the society/community. This consideration as well as the Convention requirements should be covered in the draft RA Law on Protection of the Rights of Persons with Disabilities and their Social Inclusion. Moreover, any decision and compliance with the Convention requirements must be exercised in close discussions with persons with disabilities and the organizations representing their interests։
In his speech, J. Ruskus also urged Republic of Armenia:
- To combat violence against women and develop specific policy and legislation;
- To strengthen inclusive education and assist teachers in providing children with tailored education.