The Special Rapporteur on Disability Rights, Gerard Quinn, visited the institutions of the European Union (EU) from 21 to 31 March 2022. He also met representative organisations of persons with disabilities (DPOs/OPDs), including the European Disability Forum and other key stakeholders. EU laws and policies related to employment, independent living, human rights and foreign policy, EUs infrastructure to implement and monitor the CRPD and EU internal issues as an employer were addressed during the visit.
The Special Rapporteur has now published a report on this visit to the EU. In his report, he welcomes the strong commitment of the EU to implementing the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, including through the European Union Disability Strategy, 2021–2030. He applauds the objective to mainstream disability perspectives into all laws and policies in the EU and when it is made into national laws in member states or with partner countries outside the EU.
The Special Rapporteur also made recommendations in areas where he sees improvement is needed to make the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities a reality. He recommends for example that all EU funds of the EU should be once and for all shifted from investments in residential institutions towards building up community-based services to enable community living.
Read the full report
For more information, please contact An-Sofie Leenknecht, EDF Human Rights Coordinator (ansofie.leenknecht@edf-feph.org).