General News

13th Session of the CRPD Committee

Geneva, 25 March 2015 – Today the UN Committee on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities opened its 13th session (25 March – 17 April 2015) during which it will review Germany, Croatia, Czech Republic, Turkmenistan, Dominican Republic, Mongolia and the Cook Islands, as well as adopt the list of issues on the European Union.

During the opening session, the Committee re-elected by acclamation Maria Soledad Cisternas Reyes as Chair of the Committee and a new bureau composed of three women Vice Chairs, Theresia Degener, Silvia Quan Chang and Diane Kingston, and re-elected Martin Babu Mwesigwa as rapporteur of the Committee. The Committee also swore in five new members: Danlami Umaru Basharu (Nigeria), Carlos Alberto Parra Dussan (Colombia), Coomaravel Pyaneandee, Jonas Ruskus and Liang You (China).

For the first time during its session, the CRPD Committee is including private meetings with DPOs and civil society within its official meeting time in the lead up to country reviews, reflecting the value which the CRPD Committee’s places on receiving information from DPOs and exchanging with them about the lived experiences of persons with disabilities and the challenges of CRPD implementation on the ground. These meetings are only open to UN agencies, NHRIs, DPOs and civil society and are not webcast.

Following the 13th session, the CRPD Committee will hold its pre-session from 20-24 April 2015 during which it will adopt the list of issues on Ukraine, Kenya, Mauritius, Gabon, Brazil, and Qatar

Additional Information

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Source: The International Disability Alliance
When: 10/4/2015