Report on participation in political and public life by persons with disabilities
Published:
21 December 2011
Presented:
To the HRC at its 19th session, 1 March 2012
Background
At the request of the Human Rights Council (resolution 16/15) the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights prepared a thematic study on participation of persons with disabilities in political and public life for consideration at the
19th session of the
Council in March 2012.
Summary
Participation in political and public life is a human right as well as an important step in the process of enjoying other human rights. It encompasses the right to vote and the right to be elected. However, it goes beyond formal democratic processes and includes broader participation, such as participation in decision-making on law and policy as well as participation in development and humanitarian assistance.
According to the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD), States Parties shall guarantee to persons with disabilities political rights and the opportunity to enjoy them on an equal basis with others. States Parties shall undertake 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. This is to be done inter alia by:
- Ensuring that voting procedures, facilities and materials are appropriate, accessible and easy to understand and use;
- 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;
- 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;
Inputs received
In preparation of the study, OHCHR invited States and relevant stakeholders to present submissions by transmitting a set of questions related to existing legislation, policies and practices regarding participation in political and public life by persons with disabilities. As a result, OHCHR received the responses listed below.
Member States:
Intergovernmental organizations
National human rights institutions
-
Austrian Monitoring Committee
- Commission Consultative des Droits de l'Homme, Luxembourg
1 |
2 |
3 |
4 |
5
- Comisión Nacional de Derechos Humanos, Mexico
1 |
2
-
Danish Institute for Human Rights
-
Defensoría del Pueblo, Argentina
-
Defensoría del Pueblo, Colombia
-
Defensoría del Pueblo, Ecuador
-
Defensoría del Pueblo, Panama
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German Institute for Human Rights
-
Human Rights Commission, New Zealand
-
National Commission on Human Rights and Freedoms, Cameroon
-
National Human Rights Commission, India
-
Ombudsman, Azerbaijan
-
Ombudsman, Finland
-
Ombudsman, Portugal
-
Ombudsman, Serbia
-
Ontario Human Rights Commission
- Procuraduría de los Derechos Humanos, Guatemala
1 |
2
-
Procuraduría para la Defensa de los Derechos Humanos, El Salvador
-
Scottish Human Rights Commission
-
South African Human Rights Commission
-
Ukrainian Parliament Commissioner for Human Rights
United Nations human rights field presences
NGOs and Civil society organizations
Individuals