SGRD-Toegankelijkheidsrapport-2023

(a) Persons with disabilities are not excluded from the general education system on the basis of disability, and that children with disabilities are not excluded from free and compulsory primary education, or from secondary education, on the basis of disability; (b) Persons with disabilities can access an inclusive, quality and free primary education and secondary education on an equal basis with others in the communities in which they live; (c) provided;

Reasonable accommodation of the individual’s requirements is

(d) Persons with disabilities receive the support required, within the general education system, to facilitate their effective education; (e) Effective individualized support measures are provided in environments that maximize academic and social development, consistent with the goal of full inclusion. 3. States Parties shall enable persons with disabilities to learn life and social development skills to facilitate their full and equal participation in education and as members of the community. To this end, States Parties shall take appropriate measures, including: (a) Facilitating the learning of Braille, alternative script, augmentative and alternative modes, means and formats of communication and orientation and mobility skills, and facilitating peer support and mentoring; (b) Facilitating the learning of sign language and the promotion of the linguistic identity of the deaf community; (c) Ensuring that the education of persons, and in particular children, who are blind, deaf or deafblind, is delivered in the most appropriate languages and modes and means of communication for the individual, and in environments which maximize academic and social development. 4.

In order to help ensure the realization of this right, States Parties shall take appropriate measures to employ teachers, including teachers with disabilities, who are qualified in sign language and/or Braille, and to train professionals and staff who work at all levels of education. Such training shall incorporate disability awareness and the use of appropriate augmentative and alternative modes, means and formats of communication, educational techniques and materials to support persons with disabilities. – 17 –

5. States Parties shall ensure that persons with disabilities are able to access general tertiary education, vocational training, adult education and lifelong learning without discrimination and on an equal basis with others. To this end, States Parties shall ensure that reasonable accommodation is provided to persons with disabilities. Article 25 Health States Parties recognize that persons with disabilities have the right to the enjoyment of the highest attainable standard of health without discrimination on the basis of disability. States Parties shall take all appropriate measures to ensure access for persons with disabilities to health services that are gender-sensitive, including health-related rehabilitation.

In particular, States Parties shall: (a) Provide persons with disabilities with the same range, quality and standard of free or affordable health care and programmes as provided to other persons, including in the area of sexual and reproductive health and population-based public health programmes; (b) Provide those health services needed by persons with disabilities specifically because of their disabilities, including early identification and intervention as appropriate, and services designed to minimize and prevent further disabilities, including among children and older persons; (c) Provide these health services as close as possible to people’s own communities, including in rural areas; (d) Require health professionals to provide care of the same quality to persons with disabilities as to others, including on the basis of free and informed consent by, inter alia, raising awareness of the human rights, dignity, autonomy and needs of persons with disabilities through training and the promulgation of ethical standards for public and private health care; (e) Prohibit discrimination against persons with disabilities in the provision of health insurance, and life insurance where such insurance is permitted by national law, which shall be provided in a fair and reasonable manner; (f) Prevent discriminatory denial of health care or health services or food and fluids on the basis of

disability.

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Article 26 Habilitation and rehabilitation 1. States Parties shall take effective and appropriate measures, including through peer support, to enable persons with disabilities to attain and maintain maximum independence, full physical, mental, social and vocational ability, and full inclusion and participation in all aspects of life. To that end, States Parties shall organize, strengthen and extend comprehensive habilitation and rehabilitation services and programmes, particularly in the areas of health, employment, education and social services, in such a way that these services and programmes: (a) Begin at the earliest possible stage, and are based on the multidisciplinary assessment of individual needs and strengths; (b) Support participation and inclusion in the community and all aspects of society, are voluntary, and are available to persons with disabilities as close as possible to their own communities, including in rural areas. 2. States Parties shall promote the development of initial and continuing training for professionals and staff working in habilitation and rehabilitation services. 3. States Parties shall promote the availability, knowledge and use of assistive devices and technologies, designed for persons with disabilities, as they relate to habilitation and rehabilitation. Article 27 Work and employment 1.

States Parties recognize the right of persons with disabilities to work, on an equal basis with others; this includes the right to the opportunity to gain a living by work freely chosen or accepted in a labour market and work environment that is open, inclusive and accessible to persons with disabilities. States Parties shall safeguard and promote the realization of the right to work, including for those who acquire a disability during the course of employment, by taking appropriate steps, including through legislation, to, inter alia: (a) Prohibit discrimination on the basis of disability with regard to all matters concerning all forms of employment, including conditions of recruitment, hiring and employment, continuance of employment, career advancement and safe and healthy working conditions; (b) Protect the rights of persons with disabilities, on an equal basis with others, to just and favourable conditions of work, including equal opportunities and equal remuneration for work of equal value, safe and healthy – 19 –

working conditions, including protection from harassment, and the redress of grievances; (c) Ensure that persons with disabilities are able to exercise their labour and trade union rights on an equal basis with others; (d) Enable persons with disabilities to have effective access to general technical and vocational guidance programmes, placement services and vocational and continuing training; (e) Promote employment opportunities and career advancement for persons with disabilities in the labour market, as well as assistance in finding, obtaining, maintaining and returning to employment; (f) Promote opportunities for self-employment, entrepreneurship, the development of cooperatives and starting one’s own business; (g)

Employ persons with disabilities in the public sector;

(h) Promote the employment of persons with disabilities in the private sector through appropriate policies and measures, which may include affirmative action programmes, incentives and other measures; (i) Ensure that reasonable accommodation is provided to persons with disabilities in the workplace; (j) Promote the acquisition by persons with disabilities of work experience in the open labour market; (k) Promote vocational and professional rehabilitation, job retention and return-to-work programmes for persons with disabilities. 2. States Parties shall ensure that persons with disabilities are not held in slavery or in servitude, and are protected, on an equal basis with others, from forced or compulsory labour. Article 28 Adequate standard of living and social protection 1. States Parties recognize the right of persons with disabilities to an adequate standard of living for themselves and their families, including adequate food, clothing and housing, and to the continuous improvement of living conditions, and shall take appropriate steps to safeguard and promote the realization of this right without discrimination on the basis of disability.

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2. States Parties recognize the right of persons with disabilities to social protection and to the enjoyment of that right without discrimination on the basis of disability, and shall take appropriate steps to safeguard and promote the realization of this right, including measures: (a) To ensure equal access by persons with disabilities to clean water services, and to ensure access to appropriate and affordable services, devices and other assistance for disability-related needs; (b) To ensure access by persons with disabilities, in particular women and girls with disabilities and older persons with disabilities, to social protection programmes and poverty reduction programmes; (c) To ensure access by persons with disabilities and their families living in situations of poverty to assistance from the State with disabilityrelated expenses, including adequate training, counselling, financial assistance and respite care; (d) To ensure access by persons with disabilities to public housing programmes; (e) To ensure equal access by persons with disabilities to retirement benefits and programmes.

Article 29 Participation in political and public life States Parties shall guarantee to persons with disabilities political rights and the opportunity to enjoy them on an equal basis with others, and shall undertake: (a) To ensure that persons with disabilities can effectively and fully participate in political and public life on an equal basis with others, directly or through freely chosen representatives, including the right and opportunity for persons with disabilities to vote and be elected, inter alia, by: (i) Ensuring that voting procedures, facilities and materials are appropriate, accessible and easy to understand and use; (ii) Protecting the right of persons with disabilities to vote by secret ballot in elections and public referendums without intimidation, and to stand for elections, to effectively hold office and perform all public functions at all levels of government, facilitating the use of assistive and new technologies where appropriate;

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(iii) Guaranteeing the free expression of the will of persons with disabilities as electors and to this end, where necessary, at their request, allowing assistance in voting by a person of their own choice; (b) To promote actively an environment in which persons with disabilities can effectively and fully participate in the conduct of public affairs, without discrimination and on an equal basis with others, and encourage their participation in public affairs, including: (i) Participation in non-governmental organizations and associations concerned with the public and political life of the country, and in the activities and administration of political parties; (ii) Forming and joining organizations of persons with disabilities to represent persons with disabilities at international, national, regional and local levels. Article 30 Participation in cultural life, recreation, leisure and sport 1. States Parties recognize the right of persons with disabilities to take part on an equal basis with others in cultural life, and shall take all appropriate measures to ensure that persons with disabilities: (a)

Enjoy access to cultural materials in accessible formats;

(b) Enjoy access to television programmes, films, theatre and other cultural activities, in accessible formats; (c) Enjoy access to places for cultural performances or services, such as theatres, museums, cinemas, libraries and tourism services, and, as far as possible, enjoy access to monuments and sites of national cultural importance. 2. States Parties shall take appropriate measures to enable persons with disabilities to have the opportunity to develop and utilize their creative, artistic and intellectual potential, not only for their own benefit, but also for the enrichment of society. 3. States Parties shall take all appropriate steps, in accordance with international law, to ensure that laws protecting intellectual property rights do not constitute an unreasonable or discriminatory barrier to access by persons with disabilities to cultural materials.

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4. Persons with disabilities shall be entitled, on an equal basis with others, to recognition and support of their specific cultural and linguistic identity, including sign languages and deaf culture. 5. With a view to enabling persons with disabilities to participate on an equal basis with others in recreational, leisure and sporting activities, States Parties shall take appropriate measures: (a) To encourage and promote the participation, to the fullest extent possible, of persons with disabilities in mainstream sporting activities at all levels; (b) To ensure that persons with disabilities have an opportunity to organize, develop and participate in disability-specific sporting and recreational activities and, to this end, encourage the provision, on an equal basis with others, of appropriate instruction, training and resources; (c) To ensure that persons with disabilities have access to sporting, recreational and tourism venues; (d) To ensure that children with disabilities have equal access with other children to participation in play, recreation and leisure and sporting activities, including those activities in the school system; (e) To ensure that persons with disabilities have access to services from those involved in the organization of recreational, tourism, leisure and sporting activities. Article 31 Statistics and data collection 1.

States Parties undertake to collect appropriate information, including statistical and research data, to enable them to formulate and implement policies to give effect to the present Convention. The process of collecting and maintaining this information shall: (a) Comply with legally established safeguards, including legislation on data protection, to ensure confidentiality and respect for the privacy of persons with disabilities; (b) Comply with internationally accepted norms to protect human rights and fundamental freedoms and ethical principles in the collection and use of statistics. 2. The information collected in accordance with this article shall be disaggregated, as appropriate, and used to help assess the implementation of – 23 –

States Parties’ obligations under the present Convention and to identify and address the barriers faced by persons with disabilities in exercising their rights. 3. States Parties shall assume responsibility for the dissemination of these statistics and ensure their accessibility to persons with disabilities and others. Article 32 International cooperation 1. States Parties recognize the importance of international cooperation and its promotion, in support of national efforts for the realization of the purpose and objectives of the present Convention, and will undertake appropriate and effective measures in this regard, between and among States and, as appropriate, in partnership with relevant international and regional organizations and civil society, in particular organizations of persons with disabilities.

Such measures could include, inter alia: (a) Ensuring that international cooperation, including international development programmes, is inclusive of and accessible to persons with disabilities; (b) Facilitating and supporting capacity-building, including through the exchange and sharing of information, experiences, training programmes and best practices; (c) Facilitating cooperation in research and access to scientific and technical knowledge; (d) Providing, as appropriate, technical and economic assistance, including by facilitating access to and sharing of accessible and assistive technologies, and through the transfer of technologies. 2. The provisions of this article are without prejudice to the obligations of each State Party to fulfil its obligations under the present Convention. Article 33 National implementation and monitoring 1. States Parties, in accordance with their system of organization, shall designate one or more focal points within government for matters relating to the implementation of the present Convention, and shall give due consideration to the establishment or designation of a coordination mechanism within government to facilitate related action in different sectors and at different levels.

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2. States Parties shall, in accordance with their legal and administrative systems, maintain, strengthen, designate or establish within the State Party, a framework, including one or more independent mechanisms, as appropriate, to promote, protect and monitor implementation of the present Convention. When designating or establishing such a mechanism, States Parties shall take into account the principles relating to the status and functioning of national institutions for protection and promotion of human rights. 3. Civil society, in particular persons with disabilities and their representative organizations, shall be involved and participate fully in the monitoring process. Article 34 Committee on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities 1. There shall be established a Committee on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (hereafter referred to as “the Committee”), which shall carry out the functions hereinafter provided. 2. The Committee shall consist, at the time of entry into force of the present Convention, of twelve experts. After an additional sixty ratifications or accessions to the Convention, the membership of the Committee shall increase by six members, attaining a maximum number of eighteen members. 3.

The members of the Committee shall serve in their personal capacity and shall be of high moral standing and recognized competence and experience in the field covered by the present Convention. When nominating their candidates, States Parties are invited to give due consideration to the provision set out in article 4, paragraph 3, of the present Convention. 4. The members of the Committee shall be elected by States Parties, consideration being given to equitable geographical distribution, representation of the different forms of civilization and of the principal legal systems, balanced gender representation and participation of experts with disabilities. 5. The members of the Committee shall be elected by secret ballot from a list of persons nominated by the States Parties from among their nationals at meetings of the Conference of States Parties. At those meetings, for which two thirds of States Parties shall constitute a quorum, the persons elected to the Committee shall be those who obtain the largest number of votes and an absolute majority of the votes of the representatives of States Parties present and voting. 6. The initial election shall be held no later than six months after the date of entry into force of the present Convention. At least four months before the date of each election, the Secretary-General of the United Nations shall – 25 –

address a letter to the States Parties inviting them to submit the nominations within two months. The Secretary-General shall subsequently prepare a list in alphabetical order of all persons thus nominated, indicating the State Parties which have nominated them, and shall submit it to the States Parties to the present Convention. 7. The members of the Committee shall be elected for a term of four years. They shall be eligible for re-election once. However, the term of six of the members elected at the first election shall expire at the end of two years; immediately after the first election, the names of these six members shall be chosen by lot by the chairperson of the meeting referred to in paragraph 5 of this article. 8. The election of the six additional members of the Committee shall be held on the occasion of regular elections, in accordance with the relevant provisions of this article. 9. If a member of the Committee dies or resigns or declares that for any other cause she or he can no longer perform her or his duties, the State Party which nominated the member shall appoint another expert possessing the qualifications and meeting the requirements set out in the relevant provisions of this article, to serve for the remainder of the term. 10.

The Committee shall establish its own rules of procedure.

11. The Secretary-General of the United Nations shall provide the necessary staff and facilities for the effective performance of the functions of the Committee under the present Convention, and shall convene its initial meeting. 12. With the approval of the General Assembly of the United Nations, the members of the Committee established under the present Convention shall receive emoluments from United Nations resources on such terms and conditions as the Assembly may decide, having regard to the importance of the Committee’s responsibilities. 13. The members of the Committee shall be entitled to the facilities, privileges and immunities of experts on mission for the United Nations as laid down in the relevant sections of the Convention on the Privileges and Immunities of the United Nations. Article 35 Reports by States Parties 1. Each State Party shall submit to the Committee, through the SecretaryGeneral of the United Nations, a comprehensive report on measures taken to give effect to its obligations under the present Convention and on the progress – 26 –

made in that regard, within two years after the entry into force of the present Convention for the State Party concerned. 2. Thereafter, States Parties shall submit subsequent reports at least every four years and further whenever the Committee so requests. 3. The Committee shall decide any guidelines applicable to the content of the reports. 4. A State Party which has submitted a comprehensive initial report to the Committee need not, in its subsequent reports, repeat information previously provided. When preparing reports to the Committee, States Parties are invited to consider doing so in an open and transparent process and to give due consideration to the provision set out in article 4, paragraph 3, of the present Convention. 5. Reports may indicate factors and difficulties affecting the degree of fulfilment of obligations under the present Convention. Article 36 Consideration of reports 1. Each report shall be considered by the Committee, which shall make such suggestions and general recommendations on the report as it may consider appropriate and shall forward these to the State Party concerned. The State Party may respond with any information it chooses to the Committee. The Committee may request further information from States Parties relevant to the implementation of the present Convention. 2.

If a State Party is significantly overdue in the submission of a report, the Committee may notify the State Party concerned of the need to examine the implementation of the present Convention in that State Party, on the basis of reliable information available to the Committee, if the relevant report is not submitted within three months following the notification. The Committee shall invite the State Party concerned to participate in such examination. Should the State Party respond by submitting the relevant report, the provisions of paragraph 1 of this article will apply. 3. The Secretary-General of the United Nations shall make available the reports to all States Parties. 4. States Parties shall make their reports widely available to the public in their own countries and facilitate access to the suggestions and general recommendations relating to these reports.

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5. The Committee shall transmit, as it may consider appropriate, to the specialized agencies, funds and programmes of the United Nations, and other competent bodies, reports from States Parties in order to address a request or indication of a need for technical advice or assistance contained therein, along with the Committee’s observations and recommendations, if any, on these requests or indications. Article 37 Cooperation between States Parties and the Committee 1. Each State Party shall cooperate with the Committee and assist its members in the fulfilment of their mandate. 2. In its relationship with States Parties, the Committee shall give due consideration to ways and means of enhancing national capacities for the implementation of the present Convention, including through international cooperation. Article 38 Relationship of the Committee with other bodies In order to foster the effective implementation of the present Convention and to encourage international cooperation in the field covered by the present Convention: (a) The specialized agencies and other United Nations organs shall be entitled to be represented at the consideration of the implementation of such provisions of the present Convention as fall within the scope of their mandate.

The Committee may invite the specialized agencies and other competent bodies as it may consider appropriate to provide expert advice on the implementation of the Convention in areas falling within the scope of their respective mandates. The Committee may invite specialized agencies and other United Nations organs to submit reports on the implementation of the Convention in areas falling within the scope of their activities; (b) The Committee, as it discharges its mandate, shall consult, as appropriate, other relevant bodies instituted by international human rights treaties, with a view to ensuring the consistency of their respective reporting guidelines, suggestions and general recommendations, and avoiding duplication and overlap in the performance of their functions. Article 39 Report of the Committee The Committee shall report every two years to the General Assembly and to the Economic and Social Council on its activities, and may make – 28 –

suggestions and general recommendations based on the examination of reports and information received from the States Parties. Such suggestions and general recommendations shall be included in the report of the Committee together with comments, if any, from States Parties. Article 40 Conference of States Parties 1. The States Parties shall meet regularly in a Conference of States Parties in order to consider any matter with regard to the implementation of the present Convention. 2. No later than six months after the entry into force of the present Convention, the Conference of States Parties shall be convened by the Secretary-General of the United Nations. The subsequent meetings shall be convened by the Secretary-General biennially or upon the decision of the Conference of States Parties. Article 41 Depositary The Secretary-General of the United Nations shall be the depositary of the present Convention. Article 42 Signature The present Convention shall be open for signature by all States and by regional integration organizations at United Nations Headquarters in New York as of 30 March 2007. Article 43 Consent to be bound The present Convention shall be subject to ratification by signatory States and to formal confirmation by signatory regional integration organizations.

It shall be open for accession by any State or regional integration organization which has not signed the Convention. Article 44 Regional integration organizations 1. “Regional integration organization” shall mean an organization constituted by sovereign States of a given region, to which its member States have transferred competence in respect of matters governed by the present Convention. Such organizations shall declare, in their instruments of formal – 29 –

confirmation or accession, the extent of their competence with respect to matters governed by the present Convention. Subsequently, they shall inform the depositary of any substantial modification in the extent of their competence. 2. References to “States Parties” in the present Convention shall apply to such organizations within the limits of their competence. 3. For the purposes of article 45, paragraph 1, and article 47, paragraphs 2 and 3, of the present Convention, any instrument deposited by a regional integration organization shall not be counted. 4. Regional integration organizations, in matters within their competence, may exercise their right to vote in the Conference of States Parties, with a number of votes equal to the number of their member States that are Parties to the present Convention. Such an organization shall not exercise its right to vote if any of its member States exercises its right, and vice versa. Article 45 Entry into force 1. The present Convention shall enter into force on the thirtieth day after the deposit of the twentieth instrument of ratification or accession. 2. For each State or regional integration organization ratifying, formally confirming or acceding to the present Convention after the deposit of the twentieth such instrument, the Convention shall enter into force on the thirtieth day after the deposit of its own such instrument.

Article 46 Reservations 1. Reservations incompatible with the object and purpose of the present Convention shall not be permitted. 2.

Reservations may be withdrawn at any time. Article 47 Amendments

1. Any State Party may propose an amendment to the present Convention and submit it to the Secretary-General of the United Nations. The SecretaryGeneral shall communicate any proposed amendments to States Parties, with a request to be notified whether they favour a conference of States Parties for the purpose of considering and deciding upon the proposals. In the event that, within four months from the date of such communication, at least one third of – 30 –

the States Parties favour such a conference, the Secretary-General shall convene the conference under the auspices of the United Nations. Any amendment adopted by a majority of two thirds of the States Parties present and voting shall be submitted by the Secretary-General to the General Assembly of the United Nations for approval and thereafter to all States Parties for acceptance. 2. An amendment adopted and approved in accordance with paragraph 1 of this article shall enter into force on the thirtieth day after the number of instruments of acceptance deposited reaches two thirds of the number of States Parties at the date of adoption of the amendment. Thereafter, the amendment shall enter into force for any State Party on the thirtieth day following the deposit of its own instrument of acceptance. An amendment shall be binding only on those States Parties which have accepted it. 3. If so decided by the Conference of States Parties by consensus, an amendment adopted and approved in accordance with paragraph 1 of this article which relates exclusively to articles 34, 38, 39 and 40 shall enter into force for all States Parties on the thirtieth day after the number of instruments of acceptance deposited reaches two thirds of the number of States Parties at the date of adoption of the amendment.

Article 48 Denunciation A State Party may denounce the present Convention by written notification to the Secretary-General of the United Nations. The denunciation shall become effective one year after the date of receipt of the notification by the Secretary-General. Article 49 Accessible format The text of the present Convention shall be made available in accessible formats. Article 50 Authentic texts The Arabic, Chinese, English, French, Russian and Spanish texts of the present Convention shall be equally authentic. IN WITNESS THEREOF the undersigned plenipotentiaries, being duly authorized thereto by their respective Governments, have signed the present Convention. – 31 –

OPTIONAL PROTOCOL TO THE CONVENTION ON THE RIGHTS OF PERSONS WITH DISABILITIES The States Parties to the present Protocol have agreed as follows: Article 1 1. A State Party to the present Protocol (“State Party”) recognizes the competence of the Committee on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (“the Committee”) to receive and consider communications from or on behalf of individuals or groups of individuals subject to its jurisdiction who claim to be victims of a violation by that State Party of the provisions of the Convention. 2. No communication shall be received by the Committee if it concerns a State Party to the Convention that is not a party to the present Protocol. Article 2 The Committee shall consider a communication inadmissible when: (a) (b) (c) (d) (e) (f)

The communication is anonymous; The communication constitutes an abuse of the right of submission of such communications or is incompatible with the provisions of the Convention; The same matter has already been examined by the Committee or has been or is being examined under another procedure of international investigation or settlement; All available domestic remedies have not been exhausted. This shall not be the rule where the application of the remedies is unreasonably prolonged or unlikely to bring effective relief; It is manifestly ill-founded or not sufficiently substantiated; or when The facts that are the subject of the communication occurred prior to the entry into force of the present Protocol for the State Party concerned unless those facts continued after that date. Article 3

Subject to the provisions of article 2 of the present Protocol, the Committee shall bring any communications submitted to it confidentially to the attention of the State Party. Within six months, the receiving State shall submit to the Committee written explanations or statements clarifying the matter and the remedy, if any, that may have been taken by that State.

Article 4 1. At any time after the receipt of a communication and before a determination on the merits has been reached, the Committee may transmit to the State Party concerned for its urgent consideration a request that the State Party take such interim measures as may be necessary to avoid possible irreparable damage to the victim or victims of the alleged violation. 2. Where the Committee exercises its discretion under paragraph 1 of this article, this does not imply a determination on admissibility or on the merits of the communication. Article 5 The Committee shall hold closed meetings when examining communications under the present Protocol. After examining a communication, the Committee shall forward its suggestions and recommendations, if any, to the State Party concerned and to the petitioner. Article 6 1. If the Committee receives reliable information indicating grave or systematic violations by a State Party of rights set forth in the Convention, the Committee shall invite that State Party to cooperate in the examination of the information and to this end submit observations with regard to the information concerned. 2.

Taking into account any observations that may have been submitted by the State Party concerned as well as any other reliable information available to it, the Committee may designate one or more of its members to conduct an inquiry and to report urgently to the Committee. Where warranted and with the consent of the State Party, the inquiry may include a visit to its territory. 3. After examining the findings of such an inquiry, the Committee shall transmit these findings to the State Party concerned together with any comments and recommendations. 4. The State Party concerned shall, within six months of receiving the findings, comments and recommendations transmitted by the Committee, submit its observations to the Committee. 5. Such an inquiry shall be conducted confidentially and the cooperation of the State Party shall be sought at all stages of the proceedings.

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Article 7 1. The Committee may invite the State Party concerned to include in its report under article 35 of the Convention details of any measures taken in response to an inquiry conducted under article 6 of the present Protocol. 2. The Committee may, if necessary, after the end of the period of six months referred to in article 6, paragraph 4, invite the State Party concerned to inform it of the measures taken in response to such an inquiry. Article 8 Each State Party may, at the time of signature or ratification of the present Protocol or accession thereto, declare that it does not recognize the competence of the Committee provided for in articles 6 and 7. Article 9 The Secretary-General of the United Nations shall be the depositary of the present Protocol. Article 10 The present Protocol shall be open for signature by signatory States and regional integration organizations of the Convention at United Nations Headquarters in New York as of 30 March 2007. Article 11 The present Protocol shall be subject to ratification by signatory States of the present Protocol which have ratified or acceded to the Convention. It shall be subject to formal confirmation by signatory regional integration organizations of the present Protocol which have formally confirmed or acceded to the Convention.

It shall be open for accession by any State or regional integration organization which has ratified, formally confirmed or acceded to the Convention and which has not signed the Protocol. Article 12 1. “Regional integration organization” shall mean an organization constituted by sovereign States of a given region, to which its member States have transferred competence in respect of matters governed by the Convention and the present Protocol. Such organizations shall declare, in their instruments of formal confirmation or accession, the extent of their competence with respect to matters governed by the Convention and the present Protocol. –3–

Subsequently, they shall inform the depositary of any substantial modification in the extent of their competence. 2. References to “States Parties” in the present Protocol shall apply to such organizations within the limits of their competence. 3. For the purposes of article 13, paragraph 1, and article 15, paragraph 2, of the present Protocol, any instrument deposited by a regional integration organization shall not be counted. 4. Regional integration organizations, in matters within their competence, may exercise their right to vote in the meeting of States Parties, with a number of votes equal to the number of their member States that are Parties to the present Protocol. Such an organization shall not exercise its right to vote if any of its member States exercises its right, and vice versa. Article 13 1. Subject to the entry into force of the Convention, the present Protocol shall enter into force on the thirtieth day after the deposit of the tenth instrument of ratification or accession. 2. For each State or regional integration organization ratifying, formally confirming or acceding to the present Protocol after the deposit of the tenth such instrument, the Protocol shall enter into force on the thirtieth day after the deposit of its own such instrument. Article 14 1. Reservations incompatible with the object and purpose of the present Protocol shall not be permitted. 2.

Reservations may be withdrawn at any time. Article 15

1. Any State Party may propose an amendment to the present Protocol and submit it to the Secretary-General of the United Nations. The SecretaryGeneral shall communicate any proposed amendments to States Parties, with a request to be notified whether they favour a meeting of States Parties for the purpose of considering and deciding upon the proposals. In the event that, within four months from the date of such communication, at least one third of the States Parties favour such a meeting, the Secretary-General shall convene the meeting under the auspices of the United Nations. Any amendment adopted by a majority of two thirds of the States Parties present and voting shall be –4–

submitted by the Secretary-General to the General Assembly of the United Nations for approval and thereafter to all States Parties for acceptance. 2. An amendment adopted and approved in accordance with paragraph 1 of this article shall enter into force on the thirtieth day after the number of instruments of acceptance deposited reaches two thirds of the number of States Parties at the date of adoption of the amendment. Thereafter, the amendment shall enter into force for any State Party on the thirtieth day following the deposit of its own instrument of acceptance. An amendment shall be binding only on those States Parties which have accepted it. Article 16 A State Party may denounce the present Protocol by written notification to the Secretary-General of the United Nations. The denunciation shall become effective one year after the date of receipt of the notification by the SecretaryGeneral. Article 17 The text of the present Protocol shall be made available in accessible formats. Article 18 The Arabic, Chinese, English, French, Russian and Spanish texts of the present Protocol shall be equally authentic. IN WITNESS THEREOF the undersigned plenipotentiaries, being duly authorized thereto by their respective Governments, have signed the present Protocol.

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VN-Verdrag inzake de rechten van personen met een handicap

Nederlandse vertaling

September 2007

Preambule De Staten die Partij zijn bij dit Verdrag, a. Indachtig de beginselen vastgelegd in het Handvest van de Verenigde Naties, waarin de inherente waardigheid en waarde en de gelijke en onvervreemdbare rechten van alle leden van de mensheid worden erkend als de grondvesten van vrijheid, gerechtigheid en vrede in de wereld, b. Erkennend dat de Verenigde Naties in de Universele Verklaring van de Rechten van de Mens en de internationale mensenrechtenverdragen hebben verklaard en zijn overeengekomen dat eenieder aanspraak heeft op alle daarin genoemde rechten en vrijheden, zonder enig onderscheid van welke aard dan ook, c. Opnieuw het universele en ondeelbare karakter bevestigend van, alsmede de onderlinge afhankelijkheid en de nauwe samenhang tussen alle mensenrechten en fundamentele vrijheden, en de noodzaak dat personen met een handicap gegarandeerd wordt dat zij deze ten volle en zonder discriminatie kunnen uitoefenen, d.

In herinnering roepend het Internationaal Verdrag inzake Economische, Sociale en Culturele Rechten, het Internationaal Verdrag inzake Burgerrechten en Politieke Rechten, het Internationaal Verdrag inzake de uitbanning van alle vormen van rassendiscriminatie, het Verdrag inzake de uitbanning van alle vormen van discriminatie van vrouwen, het Verdrag tegen foltering en andere wrede, onmenselijke of onterende behandeling of bestraffing, het Verdrag inzake de rechten van het kind en het Internationaal Verdrag inzake de bescherming van de rechten van alle migrerende werknemers en hun gezinsleden, e. Erkennend dat het begrip handicap aan verandering onderhevig is en voortvloeit uit de wisselwerking tussen personen met functiebeperkingen en sociale en fysieke drempels die hen belet ten volle, effectief en op voet van gelijkheid met anderen te participeren in de samenleving, f. Het belang erkennend van de beginselen en beleidsrichtlijnen, vervat in het Wereldactieplan met betrekking tot personen met een handicap en in de Standaardregels voor het bevorderen van gelijke kansen voor personen met een handicap bij het beïnvloeden van de bevordering, formulering en beoordeling van het beleid, de plannen, programma’s en maatregelen op nationaal, regionaal en internationaal niveau teneinde gelijke kansen voor personen met een handicap verder te bevorderen, g.

Het belang benadrukkend van de integratie van aan handicap gerelateerde vraagstukken in het beleid als integraal onderdeel van de relevante strategieën voor duurzame ontwikkeling, h. Tevens erkennend dat discriminatie van iedere persoon op grond van handicap een schending vormt van de inherente waardigheid en waarde van de mens, i. Zich voorts rekenschap gevend van de diversiteit van personen met een handicap, j. De noodzaak erkennend de mensenrechten van alle personen met een handicap, met inbegrip van hen die intensievere ondersteuning behoeven, te bevorderen en beschermen, k. Bezorgd over het feit dat personen met een handicap ondanks deze uiteenlopende instrumenten en initiatieven overal ter wereld nog steeds geconfronteerd worden met obstakels die hun participatie in de samenleving als gelijkwaardige leden belemmeren, alsmede met schendingen van hun mensenrechten, l. Het belang onderkennend van internationale samenwerking ter verbetering van de levensomstandigheden van personen met een handicap in alle landen, in het bijzonder in ontwikkelingslanden, m.

De gewaardeerde bestaande en potentiële bijdragen erkennend van personen met een handicap aan het algemeen welzijn en de diversiteit van hun gemeenschappen, en onderkennend dat bevordering van het volledige genot van de mensenrechten en fundamentele vrijheden en de volwaardige participatie door personen met een handicap ertoe zal leiden dat zij sterker gaan beseffen dat zij erbij horen en zal resulteren in wezenlijke vorderingen in de humane, sociale en economische ontwikkeling van de maatschappij en de uitbanning van armoede,

n. Het belang voor personen met een handicap erkennend van individuele autonomie en onafhankelijkheid, met inbegrip van de vrijheid hun eigen keuzes te maken, o. Overwegend dat personen met een handicap in de gelegenheid moeten worden gesteld actief betrokken te zijn bij de besluitvormingsprocessen over beleid en programma’s, met inbegrip van degenen die hen direct betreffen, p. Bezorgd over de moeilijke situaties waarmee personen met een handicap worden geconfronteerd die het slachtoffer zijn van meervoudige en/of zeer ernstige vormen van discriminatie op grond van hun ras, huidskleur, sekse, taal, religie, politieke of andere mening, nationale, etnische of sociale herkomst, vermogen, geboorte, leeftijd of andere status, q. Erkennend dat het risico het slachtoffer te worden van geweld, verwonding of misbruik, verwaarlozing, nalatige behandeling, mishandeling of uitbuiting voor vrouwen en meisjes met een handicap, zowel binnens- als buitenshuis, vaak groter is, r. Erkennend dat kinderen met een handicap op voet van gelijkheid met andere kinderen alle mensenrechten en fundamentele vrijheden ten volle moeten kunnen genieten, daarbij in herinnering roepend de toezeggingen die de Staten die Partij zijn bij het Verdrag inzake de rechten van het kind in dat verband hebben gedaan, s.

De noodzaak benadrukkend dat bij alle pogingen om het volledige genot van de mensenrechten en fundamentele vrijheden door personen met een handicap te bevorderen rekening dient te worden gehouden met het genderperspectief, t. Met nadruk wijzend op het feit dat de meerderheid van personen met een handicap in armoedige omstandigheden leeft en in dit verband erkennend dat het zeer noodzakelijk is dat de negatieve gevolgen van armoede voor personen met een handicap worden aangepakt, u. Indachtig het feit dat vreedzame en veilige omstandigheden op basis van eerbiediging van alle doelstellingen en beginselen vervat in het Handvest van de Verenigde Naties en naleving van de van toepassing zijnde mensenrechteninstrumenten onontbeerlijk zijn voor de volledige bescherming van personen met een handicap, in het bijzonder tijdens gewapende conflicten en buitenlandse bezetting, v. De noodzaak erkennend van een toegankelijke fysieke, sociale, economische en culturele omgeving, de toegang tot gezondheidszorg, onderwijs en tot informatie en communicatie, teneinde personen met een handicap in staat te stellen alle mensenrechten en fundamentele vrijheden ten volle te genieten, w.

Beseffend dat mensen, die verantwoordelijkheid dragen tegenover hun medemensen en de gemeenschap waartoe zij behoren, verplicht zijn te streven naar de bevordering en eerbiediging van de rechten die erkend worden in het Internationaal Statuut van de Rechten van Mens, x. Ervan overtuigd dat het gezin de natuurlijke hoeksteen van de samenleving vormt en recht heeft op bescherming door de samenleving en de Staat en dat personen met een handicap en hun gezinsleden de nodige bescherming en ondersteuning dienen te ontvangen, teneinde hun gezinnen in staat te stellen bij te dragen aan het volledige genot van de rechten van personen met een handicap en wel op voet van gelijkheid met anderen, y. Ervan overtuigd dat een allesomvattend en integraal internationaal verdrag om de rechten en waardigheid van personen met een handicap te bevorderen en te beschermen, een wezenlijke bijdrage zal vormen aan het aanpakken van de grote sociale achterstand van personen met een handicap en hun participatie in het burgerlijke, politieke, economische, sociale en culturele leven met gelijke kansen, in zowel ontwikkelde landen, als ontwikkelingslanden zal bevorderen, Zijn het volgende overeengekomen:

Artikel 1

Doelstelling Doel van dit Verdrag is het volledige genot door alle personen met een handicap van alle mensenrechten en fundamentele vrijheden op voet van gelijkheid te bevorderen, beschermen en waarborgen, en ook de eerbiediging van hun inherente waardigheid te bevorderen. Personen met een handicap omvat personen met langdurige fysieke, mentale, intellectuele of zintuiglijke beperkingen die hen in wisselwerking met diverse drempels kunnen beletten volledig, effectief en op voet van gelijkheid met anderen te participeren in de samenleving. Artikel 2

Begripsomschrijvingen Voor de toepassing van dit Verdrag: ”communicatie” omvat talen, weergave van tekst, braille, tactiele communicatie, grootletterdruk, toegankelijke multimedia, alsmede geschreven teksten, audioteksten, eenvoudige taal, gesproken tekst, ondersteunende communicatie en alternatieve methoden, middelen en vormen voor communicatie, waaronder toegankelijke informatie- en communicatietechnologieën; ,,taal’’ omvat gesproken taal, gebarentaal alsmede andere vormen van niet-gesproken taal; ,,discriminatie op grond van handicap’’: elk onderscheid en elke uitsluiting of beperking op grond van een handicap dat of die ten doel of tot gevolg heeft dat de erkenning, het genot of de uitoefening, op voet van gelijkheid met anderen van de mensenrechten en fundamentele vrijheden in het politieke, economische, sociale, culturele of burgerlijke leven, of op andere gebieden aangetast of onmogelijk gemaakt wordt.

Het omvat alle vormen van discriminatie, met inbegrip van de weigering van redelijke aanpassingen; ,,redelijke aanpassingen’’: noodzakelijke en passende wijzigingen, en aanpassingen die geen disproportionele of onevenredige, of onnodige last opleggen, indien zij in een specifiek geval nodig zijn om te waarborgen dat personen met een handicap alle mensenrechten en fundamentele vrijheden op voet van gelijkheid met anderen kunnen genieten of uitoefenen; ,,universeel ontwerp’’: ontwerpen van producten, omgevingen, programma’s en diensten die door iedereen in de ruimst mogelijke zin gebruikt kunnen worden zonder dat aanpassing of een speciaal ontwerp nodig is. ’’Universeel ontwerp’’ omvat tevens ondersteunende middelen voor specifieke groepen personen met een handicap, indien die nodig zijn. Artikel 3

Algemene beginselen De grondbeginselen van dit Verdrag zijn: a. Respect voor de inherente waardigheid, persoonlijke autonomie, met inbegrip van de vrijheid zelf keuzes te maken en de onafhankelijkheid van personen; b. Non-discriminatie; c. Volledige en daadwerkelijke participatie in, en opname in de samenleving; d. Respect voor verschillen en aanvaarding dat personen met een handicap deel uitmaken van de mensheid en menselijke diversiteit; e. Gelijke kansen; f. Toegankelijkheid; g. Gelijkheid van man en vrouw; h. Respect voor de zich ontwikkelende capaciteiten van kinderen met een handicap en eerbiediging van het recht van kinderen met een handicap op het behoud van hun eigen identiteit.

Artikel 4

Algemene verplichtingen 1. De Staten die Partij zijn verplichten zich te waarborgen en bevorderen dat alle personen met een handicap zonder enige vorm van discriminatie op grond van hun handicap ten volle alle mensenrechten en fundamentele vrijheden kunnen uitoefenen. Hiertoe verplichten de Staten die Partij zijn zich: a. tot het aannemen van alle relevante wetgevende, bestuurlijke en andere maatregelen voor de implementatie van de rechten die in dit Verdrag erkend worden; b. tot het nemen van alle relevante maatregelen, met inbegrip van wetgeving, teneinde bestaande wetten, voorschriften, gebruiken en praktijken aan te passen, of af te schaffen die discriminatie vormen van personen met een handicap; c. bij al hun beleid en programma’s rekenschap te geven van de bescherming en bevordering van de mensenrechten van personen met een handicap; d. te onthouden van elke handeling of praktijk die onverenigbaar is met dit Verdrag en te waarborgen dat de overheidsautoriteiten en -instellingen handelen in overeenstemming met dit Verdrag; e. tot het nemen van alle passende maatregelen om discriminatie op grond van een handicap door personen, organisaties of particuliere ondernemingen uit te bannen; f.

tot het uitvoeren of bevorderen van onderzoek naar en ontwikkeling van universeel ontworpen goederen, diensten, uitrusting en faciliteiten zoals omschreven in artikel 2 van dit Verdrag, die zo min mogelijk behoeven te worden aangepast en tegen de laagste kosten, om te beantwoorden aan de specifieke behoeften van personen met een handicap, het bevorderen van de beschikbaarheid en het gebruik ervan, en het bevorderen van universele ontwerpen bij de ontwikkeling van normen en richtlijnen; g. tot het uitvoeren of bevorderen van onderzoek naar en ontwikkeling van, en het bevorderen van de beschikbaarheid en het gebruik van nieuwe technologieën, met inbegrip van informatie- en communicatietechnologieën, mobiliteitshulpmiddelen, instrumenten en ondersteunende technologieën, die geschikt zijn voor personen met een handicap, waarbij de prioriteit uitgaat naar betaalbare technologieën; h. tot het verschaffen van toegankelijke informatie aan personen met een handicap over mobiliteitshulpmiddelen, instrumenten en ondersteunende technologieën, met inbegrip van nieuwe technologieën, alsmede andere vormen van hulp, ondersteunende diensten en faciliteiten; i.

de training te bevorderen van vakspecialisten en personeel die werken met personen met een handicap, op het gebied van de rechten die in dit Verdrag worden erkend, teneinde de door deze rechten gewaarborgde hulp en diensten beter te kunnen verlenen. 2. Wat betreft economische, sociale en culturele rechten, verplicht elke Staat die Partij is zich maatregelen te nemen met volledige gebruikmaking van de hem ter beschikking staande hulpbronnen en, waar nodig, in het kader van internationale samenwerking, teneinde steeds nader tot een algehele verwezenlijking van de in dit Verdrag erkende rechten te komen, onverminderd de in dit Verdrag vervatte verplichtingen die volgens het internationale recht onverwijld van toepassing zijn. 3. Bij de ontwikkeling en implementatie van wetgeving en beleid tot uitvoering van dit Verdrag en bij andere besluitvormingsprocessen betreffende aangelegenheden die betrekking hebben op personen met een handicap, plegen de Staten die Partij zijn nauw overleg met personen met een handicap, met inbegrip van kinderen met een handicap, en betrekken hen daar via hun representatieve organisaties actief bij. 4.

Geen enkele bepaling van dit Verdrag tast bepalingen aan die in sterkere mate bijdragen aan de verwezenlijking van de rechten van personen met een handicap en die vervat kunnen zijn in het recht van een Staat die Partij is, of in het internationale recht dat voor die Staat van kracht is. Het is niet toegestaan enig mensenrecht dat, of fundamentele vrijheid die in een Staat die Partij is bij dit Verdrag, ingevolge wettelijke bepalingen, overeenkomsten, voorschriften of gewoonten wordt erkend of bestaat, te beperken of ervan af te wijken, onder voorwendsel dat dit Verdrag die rechten of vrijheden niet of in mindere mate erkent.

5. De bepalingen van dit Verdrag strekken zich zonder beperking of uitzondering uit tot alle delen van federale Staten. Artikel 5

Gelijkheid en non-discriminatie 1. De Staten die Partij zijn, erkennen dat eenieder gelijk is voor de wet en zonder aanziens des persoons recht heeft op dezelfde bescherming door, en hetzelfde voordeel van de wet. 2. De Staten die Partij zijn, verbieden alle discriminatie op grond van handicap en garanderen personen met een handicap op voet van gelijkheid effectieve wettelijke bescherming tegen discriminatie op welke grond dan ook. 3. Teneinde gelijkheid te bevorderen en discriminatie uit te bannen, nemen de Staten die Partij zijn alle passende maatregelen om te waarborgen dat redelijke aanpassingen worden verricht. 4. Specifieke maatregelen die nodig zijn om de feitelijke gelijkheid van personen met een handicap te bespoedigen of verwezenlijken, worden niet aangemerkt als discriminatie in de zin van dit Verdrag. Artikel 6

Vrouwen met een handicap 1. De Staten die Partij zijn erkennen dat vrouwen en meisjes met een handicap onderworpen zijn aan meervoudige discriminatie en nemen in dat verband maatregelen om hen op voet van gelijkheid het volledige genot van alle mensenrechten en fundamentele vrijheden te garanderen. 2. De Staten die Partij zijn nemen alle passende maatregelen om de volledige ontwikkeling, positieverbetering en mondigheid van vrouwen te waarborgen, teneinde hen de uitoefening en het genot van de mensenrechten en fundamentele vrijheden, vervat in dit Verdrag, te garanderen. Artikel 7

Kinderen met een handicap 1. De Staten die Partij zijn nemen alle nodige maatregelen om te waarborgen dat kinderen met een handicap op voet van gelijkheid met andere kinderen ten volle alle mensenrechten en fundamentele vrijheden genieten. 2. Bij alle beslissingen betreffende kinderen met een handicap vormen de belangen van het kind de eerste overweging. 3. De Staten die Partij zijn waarborgen dat kinderen met een handicap het recht hebben vrijelijk blijk te geven van hun opvattingen over alle aangelegenheden die hen betreffen, waarbij op voet van gelijkheid met andere kinderen en in overeenstemming met hun leeftijd en ontwikkeling naar behoren rekening wordt gehouden met hun opvattingen en waarbij zij bij hun handicap en leeftijd passende ondersteuning krijgen om dat recht te realiseren. Artikel 8

Bevordering van bewustwording 1. De Staten die Partij zijn verplichten zich onmiddellijke, doeltreffende en passende maatregelen te nemen: a. teneinde binnen de gehele maatschappij, waaronder ook op gezinsniveau, de bewustwording te bevorderen ten aanzien van personen met een handicap, en de eerbiediging van de rechten en waardigheid van personen met een handicap te stimuleren; b. om op alle terreinen van het leven stigmatisering, vooroordelen en schadelijke praktijken ten opzichte van personen met een handicap te bestrijden, met inbegrip van die gebaseerd op grond van sekse en leeftijd; c. om de bewustwording van de capaciteiten en bijdragen van personen met een handicap te bevorderen. 2. Maatregelen daartoe omvatten:

a. het initiëren en handhaven van effectieve bewustwordingscampagnes om: i. ervoor zorg te dragen dat de samenleving openstaat voor de rechten van personen met een handicap; ii. een positieve beeldvorming van, en grotere sociale bewustwording ten opzichte van personen met een handicap te bevorderen; iii de erkenning van de vaardigheden, verdiensten en talenten van personen met een handicap en van hun bijdragen op de werkplek en arbeidsmarkt te bevorderen; b. het op alle niveaus van het onderwijssysteem, dus ook onder jonge kinderen, bevorderen van een respectvolle houding ten opzichte van de rechten van personen met een handicap; c. het aanmoedigen van alle onderdelen van de media, personen met een handicap te portretteren op een wijze die verenigbaar is met het doel van dit Verdrag; d. het aanmoedigen van het organiseren van programma’s voor bewustwordingstrainingen met betrekking tot personen met een handicap en de rechten van personen met een handicap. Artikel 9