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12 September 2012 /// The fifth session of the Conference of States Parties to the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (COSP5) is taking place from 12 to 14 September 2012 at the UN Headquarters gathering the attention of the disability movement worldwide. Yannis Vardakastanis, President of EDF has participated at the opening as Chair of the International Disability Alliance (IDA). During the Conference, 9 of the 18 positions in the Committee on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities have just been renewed through an election.

At the opening of the Conference, Yannis Vardakastanis, as Chair of IDA, has enumerated the future challenges on the implementation of the UNCRPD. They were summarized in four points: The UN should lead by example the implementation of the UNCRPD, the need to involve the organizations of persons with disabilities, the requirement to provide even more time to the UNCRPD committee and the necessity to ensure that the Convention is a driving force for the post Millennium Development Goals and for the High Level Meeting on Development and Disability.  

EDF President, Yannis Vardakastanis, congratulates Ms. Ana Peláez Narváez (Spain) for her re-election as member in the CRPD Committee, as well as Ms. Diane Mulligan (UK) and Mr. László Gábor Lovászy (Hungary) for being elected for the first time as a members of the CRPD Committee: “With their commitment to the promotion of the rights of persons with disabilities, the European Disability Forum knows that they will actively contribute to the work of the CRPD Committee.”

The CRPD Committee plays a significant role as a monitoring tool of the implementation of the CRPD. It is composed of 18 independent experts, who monitor implementation of the Convention by the States Parties. All States parties have to submit regular reports to the Committee on how the rights of persons with disabilities are being implemented in their country.

States must report initially within two years after ratifying the Convention and then every four years. The Committee examines each report and makes suggestions and general recommendations on the report as it may consider appropriate and forwards these to the State Party concerned. Even though the recommendations are not legally binding, it is a convenient tool for the disability movement to monitor the concrete improvements of its country or regional organization.

The Committee on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities convenes twice a year for sessions of one week, normally in spring and autumn at the UN Office in Geneva. As said, there is already much delay in the examination of the reports, even if the sessions are from now on held for two weeks. Its next meeting will take place on 17-28 September 2012. During this meeting, the Committee is going to examine the report of Hungary. Hungary is the second EU country being examined by the Committee after Spain.

• Javier Güemes | EDF Deputy Director | javier.guemes@edf-feph.org

• Aurélien Daydé | EDF Communication officer |T +32 22865183 | aurelien.dayde@edf-feph.org