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 244-247) pp.61-62. held
on 6 October 1997. Extract of the report on the nineteen session of the Committee
of the Rights of the child
CRC/C/80
9 October 1998
COMMITTEE ON THE RIGHTS OF THE CHILD
Report on the nineteenth session
(Geneva, 21 September9 October 1998)
III. OVERVIEW OF THE OTHER ACTIVITIES OF THE COMMITTEE 185
248 43
D. Followup to the day of general discussion on children with
disabilities ..... 244 247 61
244. During the day of general discussion on the rights of children
with disabilities, held on 6 October 1997, it was decided to
establish a working group to promote implementation of the
recommendations arising from the day (see CRC/C/69, paras. 310
339). On 6 October 1998, Mrs. Gerison Lansdown,
Director of the Children's Rights Office (UK) and Rapporteur of the
discussion day, informed the Committee of recent developments
concerning the establishment of the working group. Discussions
between the organizations involved in helping prepare the
thematic day had resulted in the identification of the need for a
coordinator to service the working group.
Disabled People International had agreed that the coordinator
could be based in its office in London. A funding application had
been drafted setting out the aims of the project, which were to:
(a) Form a working group of key disability and children's rights
organizations together with international experts in the field;
(b) Prepare a plan of action in respect of the recommendations of
the Committee on the Rights of the Child;
(c) Develop a strategy for its implementation and implement the
plan.
245. These aims would be pursued through the following
activities: Working closely with the Special Rapporteur of the
Commission on Social Development of the United Nations on
disabilities and the panel of experts on the Standard Rules on the
Equalization of Opportunities for Persons with Disabilities and
supporting their implementation with regard to children with
disabilities, and building up dialogue with disabled children's
groups so that their voices can be heard;
Ensuring that the working group meets and has discussions with
local groups of children whenever they meet, in order that its
work is informed by the perspectives of children;
Raising awareness of the situation of children with disabilities
through provision of statistical and personal evidence on
violations of human rights against them and actively challenging
attitudes and practices such as infanticide, traditional practices
prejudicial to health and development, superstition, the
perception of disability as a tragedy and the segregation of
children with disabilities in separate institutions for care,
treatment and education - all of which practices discriminate
against disabled children and deny them equal opportunities to
the rights guaranteed by the Convention;
Producing examples of good practice for projects, policies and
legislation that upholds the principles and provisions of the
Convention, such as legislation which ensures children with
disabilities the equal right to life, survival and development, and
which abolishes discriminatory laws on abortion and access to
health care.
246. Grants have now been received and provide sufficient
funding to proceed with the working group. It is planned that the
first meeting of the working group will take place in December
1998.
247. Mr. Bengt Lindquist, Special Rapporteur of the Commission
on Social Development of the United Nations on disabilities has
agreed to chair the working group, which will be composed of
representatives of the Committee on the Rights of the Child,
International Save the Children Alliance, Disabled
People International, Inclusion International, the World Blind
Union and the World Federation of the Deaf. There will also be a
wider reference group comprising other interested organizations
and relevant United Nations bodies and agencies.