Stopping coercion in mental health! #WithdrawOviedo
It is time to change the way we deal with mental health. Coercion in mental healthcare must end to protect and promote the rights of persons with psychosocial disabilities and mental health problems.
Join our movement opposing the draft Additional Protocol to the Oviedo Convention and urge the Council of Europe to withdraw it.
Act now! Join our campaign
The Council of Europe has resumed work to advance the draft Additional Protocol to the Oviedo Convention in early 2025, following a 2-year pause.
We need your urgent support to implore your national representatives in the Parliamentary Assembly to:
- Deliver a negative opinion on the draft Additional Protocol
- Support the Recommendation on respect for autonomy in mental healthcare
Download our letter template and send to your representatives
#WithdrawOviedo Campaign
Withdraw Oviedo is a campaign backed by the European Disability Forum and Mental Health Europe that is working to urge the Committee of Ministers to permanently halt work on the draft Additional Protocol. The Draft Additional Protocol allows involuntary treatment and involuntary placement in psychiatry.
Why is it important for persons with disabilities?
The draft Additional Protocol to the Oviedo Convention:
- Violates human rights by allowing for the continued use of involuntary treatment and placement in psychiatry which are prohibited under the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD)
- Creates legal conflicts between the obligations of States under the regional level (Council of Europe) and the international level (CRPD)
- Solidifies institutionalisation instead of promoting community-based care
- Increases coercion as evidenced by countries where similar laws have been adopted
Contact us!
For further information, please contact:
- Markaya Henderson, EDF Health Policy and Project Officer at markaya.henderson@edf-feph.org.
- Camille Roux, Senior Policy Officer, Mental Health Europe at c.roux@mentalhealtheurope.org.