Summary:

Conclusions and recommendations adopted by the committee on the Rights of the Child and overview of its other activities including the follow-up to the day of general discussion on the rights of children with disabilities (Chapter III, D paragraph 219- 222) pp.49-50. held on 6 October 1997.

www.unhchr.ch/tbs/doc.nsf/(Symbol)/CRC.C.84.En?Opendocument

Report on the twentieth session of the Committee on the Rights of the Child Extract of the report on the twentieth session of the Committee of the Rights of the child

CRC/C/84 5 March 1999 COMMITTEE ON THE RIGHTS OF THE CHILD Report on the twentieth session (Geneva, 11­29 January 1999)

III. OVERVIEW OF THE OTHER ACTIVITIES OF THE COMMITTEE . 186 ­ 222 40

D. Follow-up to the day of general discussion on children with disabilities 219. The working group on the rights of children with disabilities, established as an outcome of the day of general discussion on children with disabilities (1997) (see CRC/C/69, paras. 310-339 and CRC/C/80, paras. 244­247), held its first meeting in London on 23 and 24 January 1999. It was chaired by Mr. Bengt Lindquist, the Special Rapporteur of the Commission on Social Development on disabilities, and attended by Mrs. Esther Queenie Mokhuane from the Committee on the Rights of the Child, Mrs. Rachel Hurst from Disabled Peoples' International, Mrs. Sue Stubbs and Mrs. Ulrike Persson from the International Save the Children Alliance, Mrs. Kicki Nordstrom from the World Blind Union, Mrs. Gerison Lansdown from the Children's Rights Office, United Kingdom, and Mr. Darryl Cowley, coordinator of the working group. Representatives from the World Federation of the Deaf and Inclusion International were invited but unable to attend. 220. On behalf of the Committee, Mrs. Mokhuane made a statement in which she highlighted the Committee's efforts to promote the rights of children with disabilities. Through its dialogue with and recommendations to States parties, the Committee recommended the enactment of domestic legislation, implementation of appropriate policies and programmes, and allocation of adequate resources to guarantee and protect the rights of children with disabilities. The Committee had also urged States parties to take all necessary measures to improve the situation and protect the rights of children in armed conflicts and those affected by landmines. 221. The primary purpose of the first meeting was to develop a plan of action for the 18­month working life of the Group. It was agreed that the primary purpose of the Group would be to strengthen and support the work of the Committee on the Rights of the Child in monitoring and promoting the rights of children with disabilities. Accordingly the following programme was agreed: (a) To organize a series of regional meetings to which disabled children and young people, and local disability organizations would be invited to present their experiences of respect or lack of respect for their rights, what they would like to see changed and their suggestions for future action. Initially, the Group will seek to organize meetings in Latin America and Africa. Further meetings will be held in Western Europe, Eastern Europe and, eventually, in Asia; (b) To collect examples of good practice in promoting the rights of children with disabilities - for example, participation, inclusion, deinstitutionalization - for widespread dissemination. To collate data on social outcomes for children - for example, the proportion of children with access to education, in mainstream education, and supported in the community. The International Save the Children Alliance agreed to undertake this work; (c) To explore the possibility for the Committee on the Rights of theChild to adopt a general comment on article 23 of the Convention; (d) To hold a hearing in Geneva, and possibly also in New York, at which United Nations agencies and bodies would be invited to present to the Group current and planned work designed to promote the rights of children with disabilities; (e) To provide evidence to the pre-sessional working group of the Committee on the Rights of the Child on the situation of children with disabilities in the States parties under discussion; (f) To contribute, through the evidence gathered in the regional meetings, to the Children's Summit planned for 2001; (g) To contribute to the debate on bioethics from the perspective of the rights of children with disabilities; (h) To design a logo and leaflet to promote and explain the role and aims of the working group. It was agreed that the title of the Group would be “Rights of children with disabilities: a working group in consultation with the Committee on the Rights of the Child”. 222. The next meeting of the working group will take place in London on 15 and 16 May 1999.

Previous CRC - Basic Reference Document items

• 16/11/1998: Compilation of the conclusions and recommendations adopted by the Committee on the Rights of the Child at its twentieth session CRC/C/19/Rev.9
• 09/10/1998: Report on the nineteen session of the Committee on the Rights of the Child
• 05/10/1998: Documents submitted for the Day of General Discussion (5 October 1998) on HIV/AIDS
• 21/09/1998: Recommendation adopted by the Committee of the Rights of the Child on children in Armed Conflict (1998)
• 20/08/1998: Report of the Secretary general on status of the convention on the Rights of the Child

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