OFFICE OF THE HIGH COMMISSIONER FOR HUMAN RIGHTS
FOLLOW-UP TO OHCHR QUESTIONNAIRE FOR ORGANIZATIONS OF PERSONS
WITH DISABILITIES, AND OTHER CIVIL SOCIETY GROUPS
The Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights has an important role in
supporting States, civil society and national human rights institutions implement and
monitor the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD) and its
Optional Protocol (OP)1. Ensuring participation of civil society and in particular of
persons with disabilities in this process is a general principle and an obligation
enshrined in the Convention, guiding the work of the Office in this area.
OHCHR is firmly committed to strengthen and build effective partnership with
civil society and in particular with Organizations of Persons with Disabilities in the
implementation of the Convention and its OP. In this context, in September 2007,
OHCHR sent out and posted a questionnaire on its website aiming to collect
information about: i) organisations working on disability, ii) their level of awareness
about the UN human rights system including the Convention, its OP and the future
Committee, iii) their views and suggestions regarding the OHCHR civil society manual
“Working with OHCHR and the UN Human Rights System” a Handbook for civil
society” in process of revision, and iv) their views on the information and materials
needed to further engage with the UN human rights system and OHCHR.
Over a two months period, the Office received 137 questionnaires from different
organisations. Thanks to civil society engagement and responses to the questionnaire:
1. OHCHR has increased its knowledge about organizations of persons
with disabilities, experts and other organizations working on disability.
2. OHCHR has expanded its civil society database with organisations and
experts working on disability, including organizations of persons with
disabilities. This will allow further engagement and a greater outreach
capacity of OHCHR in the future.
3. OHCHR is updating its “civil society handbook” ensuring it addresses
the information requests expressed by the organizations of persons with
disabilities in their responses to the questionnaire. OHCHR will support a
wide dissemination of the Handbook particularly among persons with
disabilities and their representative organisations, experts and other
organisations active in the field of disability. Addressing the knowledge gap
on the UN human rights system and the work of the Office will allow a
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The Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (‘CRPD’ or ‘Convention’) and the Optional
Protocol (‘OP’) thereto were adopted on 13 December 2006 by the UN General Assembly. As of 5
February 2008, 125 States have signed the Convention and 17 have ratified the same, while 71 States
have signed the OP and 11 have ratified it.
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greater engagement of these organizations, including with the future
Committee of the rights of Persons with Disabilities.
4. OHCHR and the UN Department of Economic and Social Affairs
(DESA) - the joint Secretariat for the CRPD – have already prepared new
materials that respond to some of the information needs and suggestions
highlighted by civil society in their responses to the questionnaires: i)
“Questions & Answers on the main features of CRPD and its OP” and ii)
a monthly newsletter, launched by DESA - “Enable Newsletter”-, with
information on relevant issues, developments and events in the area of
human rights and disabilities”. Both documents are available at OHCHR and
DESA WebPages, and organisations and individuals are allowed to subscribe
online to the Newsletter.
OVERVIEW OF CIVIL SOCIETY ANSWERS TO THE QUESTIONNAIRE
The questionnaire requested civil society views on their capacity to engage with
the UN human rights mechanisms and OHCHR; their level of awareness about the UN
human rights system, OHCHR and its civil society handbook; their information needs;
as well as civil society views about the importance of CRPD and its OP particularly in
relation to their work. We are providing below a summary of the responses received
from the responding organizations of persons with disabilities, experts and other
organizations working on disability.
A. Capacity to engage with UN human rights mechanisms and OHCHR
Overwhelmingly, the majority of organizations responding to the questionnaire
expressed their firm will to engage with both UN human rights mechanisms and
OHCHR. They acknowledged not knowing how to establish cooperation with the Office
or how to engage with the UN human rights mechanisms.
B. Level of awareness about the UN Human Rights System, OHCHR and its
civil society handbook.
According to the answers received, a significant number of organisations
working in the area of disability and Organizations of Persons with Disabilities
acknowledged their limited knowledge of and awareness about the UN Human rights
System and the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights.
Half of the organisations answering to the questionnaire recognized being
somewhat or not at all familiar with the UN Human Rights Protection system and 33
percent of them being somewhat or not al all familiarised with OHCHR. Around 80
percent of the organisations expressed their interest in knowing more about the UN
Human Rights Protection System.
Based on the answers received, half of the responding organisations had not
known about the existence of OHCHR civil society handbook prior to the questionnaire
and 25 percent acknowledged their limited knowledge.
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Regarding the question on whether the (old version) of the Civil Society
Handbook provides relevant information for persons with disabilities and their
representative organisations, only half of the organisations responded. The great
majority of them, considered that the publication includes relevant information, but that
additional one is needed. (It has to be noted, that the Convention on the Rights of
Persons with Disabilities and its Optional Protocol was adopted 2 years after the
Handbook had been elaborated).
B. Civil Society Information needs and other requests
In the questionnaire, organisations and experts were requested to identify the
sort of information they would like to receive regarding the OHCHR, the CRPD as well
as other information that could help them increasing their engagement with OHCHR
and the UN Human Rights System. In addition, organisations and experts were asked
their views on other additional information they would like to see included in the civil
society handbook.
Information requests on OHCHR and UN human rights system
According to the responses received, organizations of persons with disabilities
and other civil society actors would like to learn more about OHCHR’s mandate,
structure, functions, field work and activities, in particular about those activities and
programmes targeting persons with disabilities. Interest was as well expressed to
receive information about OHCHR strategy to mainstream the rights of persons with
disabilities in its programmes and activities.
Importantly, the great majority of organizations and experts responding to the
questionnaire demanded concrete information on the type of cooperation or partnership
they could establish with OHCHR, and how to engage with the UN human rights
different mechanisms. For instance these organizations asked for guidelines on the
preparation of NGO (alternative or shadow) reports to the treaty monitoring-bodies, as
well as on accreditation requirements to participate in the Human Rights Council.
Many organisations have requested as well clarification on the kind of technical
and financial support that organizations of persons with disabilities and other civil
society actors can expect from OHCHR. In addition the great majority of organisations
have highlighted the importance of being regularly informed and updated about relevant
developments in the field of human rights, including ongoing reforms, conferences and
other relevant meetings and events.
Responses to the questionnaire have as well identified civil society demands of
specific information materials (training manuals, publications, reports) on disability and
human rights as well as on the Convention and its OP in accessible and user friendly
formats.
Information requests on the Convention on the Rights of Persons with
Disabilities
Organizations of persons with disabilities and others responding to the
questionnaire have stressed the importance for civil society and in particular of persons
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with disabilities to be fully aware of the content of the Convention. To this end they
have requested information materials explaining the content of the Convention, in
accessible and easy to read formats.
In addition, these organizations have requested information on the implications
of CRPD ratification (upon its entry into force) at the national level as well as on States
efforts in the implementation of the Convention including possible best practices as well
as good examples of civil society activities promoting, protecting and monitoring the
rights enshrined in the Convention. These organizations noted their desire to be
regularly informed about the UN strategy to promote the ratification of CRPD and its
OP as well as about the number of State ratifications of both instruments. A number of
organizations requested as well information about the Convention-making process. For
some, OHCHR website has the potential to expand its “human rights and disability
section” to address civil society information requests. Others identified the issuance of a
regular Newsletter with relevant information on relevant developments in the field of
human rights and disability as a possible tool to address the abovementioned
information needs.
Organizations and experts responding to the questionnaire have stressed the
importance given in the Convention to the role of civil society in its implementation and
monitoring. They have identified their need to receive further guidance on their role on
this regard. Some organizations asked OHCHR to elaborate guidelines clarifying the
role of civil society on the promotion, monitoring and implementation of the
Convention. Moreover, information requests have as well referred to the Committee on
the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, its composition, its role, its rules of procedure
and how civil society and particularly organizations of persons with disabilities can
participate in the establishment and work of the Committee.
Accessibility demands
Organizations of persons with disabilities, other organisations and experts have
systematically stressed the importance of accessibility and their interest in learning
about UN and OHCHR accessibility (buildings, WebPage, documents, employment
policies etc.) as well as measures to become fully accessible in line with the CRPD.
Some organisations have as well stressed the importance ensuring that the Convention
on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities was made available in accessible formats for
persons with disabilities (Braille, easy to read formats etc.)
Organisations welcomed the fact that the electronic version of the civil society
handbook was available in word format, a requirement for ensuring its accessibility for
persons with visual disabilities. Moreover, they stressed the importance of ensuring
Braille versions, plain text and easy to understand versions of the Handbook.
Organisations highlighted as well the language barrier, for ensuring a wider distribution
and dissemination of the Handbook, particularly in the local context. At the moment the
questionnaire was distributed, the Handbook only existed in English and Arabic. Now,
it is also available in Spanish, and it will be in the future translated as well in French.
Nevertheless, many organisations highlighted the importance of the translation of the
manual in local language.
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C. Civil society views on the importance of CRPD and its OP as well as their
relevance in their work
More than 75 percent of the responding organisations and experts said to be very
aware, or aware of the CRPD and its OP. Nearly all organisations stated the relevance
of the Convention and its protocol in their work. However, 45 percent of the responding
organisations and experts acknowledged being somewhat or not at all aware about the
Committee on the rights of the persons with disabilities, established by the Convention.
Organizations and experts responding to the questionnaires overwhelmingly
recognized the paramount importance of CRPD and its OP in the recognition of the
rights of persons with disabilities and in ensuring the full participation and inclusion of
persons with disabilities in all areas of life and in all societies. They see the adoption of
these two legal instruments as a fundamental step towards ensuring that national
legislation and policies implement, respect and protect the rights of persons with
disabilities. From their perspective, the Convention and its OP constitute the basis for
civil society work in the area of disability and in monitoring, protecting, promoting and
raising awareness on the rights of persons with disabilities.
E. Examples of planned activities involving CRPD and its OP
According to the responses received, civil society will focus strongly on
advocating and lobbying for the ratification and promotion of the Convention and its
Protocol, as well as on raising awareness of politicians, parliamentarians, persons with
disabilities, society at large and the media about both instruments and the rights
contained therein. Equally civil society work on the Convention will focus as well on
inclusive education, legal capacity, rehabilitation, mainstreaming the rights of persons
with disabilities in the work of other organizations, on social and economic inclusion of
persons with disabilities, legislation reform, monitoring the implementation of the
Convention and on capacity building of persons with disabilities.
To list a few, activities included training sessions, seminars, awareness-raising
campaigns, workshops and conferences, elaboration of publications, reports, press
releases and awareness raising materials on the Convention and its implementation, the
rights of persons with disabilities and related issues. A number of organizations
mentioned as well their activities on translating the Convention and its OP into their
local languages and their further distribution and dissemination.
F. Examples of previous cooperation and work with OHCHR
Some of the organisations and DPO’s answering the questionnaire have
explained their experience in working with OHCHR. Examples of cooperation have
ranged from participating in meetings and seminars organised by or with OHCHR,
inviting OHCHR to participate in their meetings, seminars and trainings, and
cooperation in the organisation of parallel events to the Human Rights Council’s
sessions. Cooperation with OHCHR included as well information sharing regarding
alleged violations of the rights of persons with disabilities as well as consultation on
draft legislation concerning the rights of persons with disabilities. Other organisations
stressed that during the elaboration of the CRPD they received valuable information and
advice from OHCHR that helped them strategizing their own interventions.
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OHCHR FOLLOW-UP ACTIONS
With the aim to gradually meet the information needs and suggestions
highlighted in the questionnaires by persons with disabilities and their representative
organizations, experts and other organisations active in this field, OHCHR has decided
to take the following actions during 2008 and 2009:
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OHCHR has decided to improve OHCHR website section on human rights
and disability by expanding the information provided and by improving its
accessibility. (ongoing work)
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OHCHR has decided to develop informative materials, in an easy to read and
to distribute format on the Convention and its OP that will be posted on the
web, to facilitate their use by interested organizations and actors. (20082009)
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