The rights of persons with disabilities is an important area of work for European National Human Rights Institutions (NHRIs), both individually and collectively through ENNHRI. Persons with disabilities must enjoy all human rights on an equal basis with others. However, they may face multiple barriers and discrimination, such as a lack of access to inclusive education, discrimination when seeking employment and being subjected to violence and abuse.

Many European NHRIs are designated to promote, protect and monitor the implementation of the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD). When establishing such mechanisms, States parties must take into account the UN Paris Principles. Even where NHRIs do not have this formal mandate, they make use of their broad human rights mandate to ensure that persons with disabilities can enjoy their rights in equal basis with others.

European NHRIs’ work in this area can include: making recommendations to governments and parliament for reforming legislation and policy affecting persons with disabilities, raising awareness and conducting research on the implementation of the rights of persons with disabilities, and reporting to regional and international bodies on the national implementation of the UN CRPD. Some NHRIs also regularly monitor and report on the treatment of persons with disabilities in care institutions and may investigate individual complaints.

We bring together over 30 European NHRIs through our Working Group on the Convention on Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD Working Group).

In addition to all EU Member States, the EU itself is a party to the UN CRPD. In order to monitor the its implementation of the Convention, the EU has designated a Monitoring Framework currently composed of: the European Parliament, the European Ombudsman, the EU Agency for Fundamental Rights and the European Disability Forum.

The members of the EU Monitoring Framework are observers to our CRPD Working Group. They have worked alongside European NHRIs in the implementation of the UN CRPD both at the EU and national levels.

Also, we participate in the annual CRPD Work Forum on the EU’s implementation of the UN CRPD, which brings together a wide range of civil society organisations, NHRIs and EU actors.