GENEVA, August 4: The United Nations Committee on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD Committee) has called on member states of the Council of Europe to oppose and withdraw the proposed Additional Protocol related to the protection of persons with disabilities, expressing concerns that it could undermine rights guaranteed under the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD).
Meeting at the United Nations Office in Geneva, the Committee urged governments to ensure that any regional legal framework remains fully consistent with the principles and obligations of the UN Convention, particularly those relating to equality, non-discrimination, autonomy and informed consent.
The Committee emphasized that persons with disabilities should enjoy the same legal protections and human rights as everyone else, and warned against measures that could permit restrictions on liberty or decision-making based solely on disability.
According to the Committee, all legislative and policy initiatives affecting persons with disabilities should be developed in close consultation with organizations representing persons with disabilities, in line with the principle of meaningful participation enshrined in the Convention.
The CRPD Committee reiterated that states parties to the Convention have an obligation to promote and protect the dignity, independence and equal recognition of persons with disabilities before the law. It stressed that reforms should strengthen, rather than weaken, the human rights framework established under the Convention.
The Committee urged Council of Europe member states to reconsider the proposed Additional Protocol and instead pursue approaches that fully respect international human rights standards and reinforce the rights-based model of disability.
The statement reflects the Committee’s continuing engagement with governments and regional institutions to ensure that legal instruments affecting persons with disabilities are aligned with the objectives and protections of the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities.
