Reporting Mechanism - Committee on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities

last updated 12 June 2013 – Information subject to change. Please check the Committee website for updates.

Type of Mechanism	Reporting and Monitoring
Scope of the Procedure	The rights enumerated in the International Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities
How the Reporting Procedure Works[1]	After ratifying the Convention, State parties are required to submit an initial report on compliance within two years; thereafter, periodic reports every four years. The Committee currently meets twice a year to consider State reports (February and October). The Committee adopts a list of issues, which is submitted to the State party for response in advance of the session. At the session, the State party has the opportunity to present its report and responses to the list of issues to the Committee and address questions posed by Committee members. At the conclusion of the session, the Committee holds closed meetings to discuss and adopt concluding observations and recommendations.
Role of Advocates[2]	Provide country-specific information to the Committee which draws their attention to issues of concern, advocate for concluding observations and recommendations that address those issues, place pressure on State parties to take action consistent with the Committee’s recommendations, and inform the Committee where a State party has failed to take action. There are many opportunities for advocates to participate in the reporting and monitoring process. NGOs are encouraged to submit "shadow" or alternative reports to the Committee to provide ant alternate view of the state’s fulfillment of its obligations under the Convention or to bring attention to human rights violations not reflected in the state’s report. NGOs are encouraged submit information early in the process so that it may be used to inform the development of the list of issues and questions, which states are asked to respond to in advance of the session. Such issues tend to be the focus of constructive dialogue in the session, thus it is advantageous to provide information early in the proceedings. The Committee invites credible NGOs (based on written submissions) to participate in the meetings. NGOs are invited to give oral briefings to the Committee in a public meeting or at informal meetings scheduled for that purpose. Such meetings offer a unique opportunity for NGOs to provide a more detailed analysis of the issues of concern and give Committee members an opportunity to ask questions that have not been addressed. Attendance at the sessions is not limited to NGOs with ECOSOC accreditation, but those wishing to attend must contact the Committee secretariat at least two weeks in advance to attain the appropriate credentials. After the Committee has adopted its concluding observations, NGOs are encouraged to monitor and provide reports on any steps taken or not taken by the Government in response to the Committee’s recommendations. NGOs are also encouraged to raise awareness—locally and nationally—of the Committee’s concluding observations. Additional information is provided on the Committee’s website as the introduction to each scheduled Committee session.
Articles of the Covenant Concerning Violence Against Women[3]	Article 16 of the Convention specifically addresses freedom from exploitation, violence and abuse. The Committee requests that all State parties provide, in their reports to the Committee, information regarding legislation and practice protecting persons with disabilities from all forms of exploitation, violence, and abuse, both within and outside of the home, in accordance with Article 16 of the Convention.
Submitting a Report[4]	There is no single format for shadow reports. They may be comprehensive, covering each article in the Covenant, or thematic, addressing only a particular issue of concern, but should analyze particular problems rather than merely describe them. NGOs are encouraged to review the guidelines for State reporting for specific information the Committee requests that State parties provide. Additional information on writing and using shadow reports strategically as well as a sample of NGO reports can be found in the Human Rights Investigation and Documentation section of this website. The Disability Council International also provides “A Practical Guide for NGOs” to support NGOs in preparing shadow reports to the Committee on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities. NGOs are encouraged to collaborate with other NGOs and consolidate reports whenever possible to show broad consensus amongst numerous groups. Reports may be submitted to the Committee secretariat.
Where to Send Communications	Committee on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities UNOG-OHCHR CH-1211 Geneva, Switzerland E-mail: crpd@ohchr.org Tel: + 41 22 917 97 03 Fax: +41 22 917 90 08

[1] Committee on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, Working methods of the Committee on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities adopted at its fifth session (11-15 April 2011), UN Doc. CRPD/C/5/4, 2 Sept. 2011.

[2] Ibid.

[3] Committee on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, Guidelines on treaty-specific document to be submitted by states parties under article 35, paragraph 1, of the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, UN Doc. CRPD/C/2/3, 18 Nov. 2009, accessed at http://www.ohchr.org/Documents/HRBodies/CRPD/CRPD-C-2-3.pdf.

[4] Committee on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, Working methods of the Committee on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities adopted at its fifth session (11-15 April 2011), UN Doc. CRPD/C/5/4, 2 Sept. 2011.