NHRIs and the Rights of Persons with Disabilities: Recent developments and way forward Rebecca Hilsenrath, Chief Legal Officer, Equality and Human Rights Commission (Great Britain)

EHRC - Britain’s independent national monitoring mechanism Designated as the article 33.2 Independent Mechanism to ‘promote, protect and monitor’ implementation of the UNCRPD in Great Britain Works separately and together with UK Independent Mechanism (UKIM) partners Equality Commission for Northern Ireland, Northern Ireland Human Rights Commission and Scottish Human Rights Commission

EHRC – Our Work on UNCRPD Promotion - ‘UNCRPD - What does it mean for you? A guide for disabled people and disabled people’s organisations’ Protection - Using regulatory powers: legal cases and interventions; formal inquiries into deaths in custody of adults with mental health conditions, disability- related harassment, home care of older people Monitoring - List of Issues report: Interim assessment published December 14

Involvement of Disabled People and their Organisations Awareness raising and capacity building Events across GB and on-line seminars Call for evidence - involving disabled people and disabled people’s organisations in List of Issues report ‘Harder to reach’ groups

ENNHRI’s CRPD Working Group European Network of NHRIs set up CRPD Working Group in chaired by the EHRC Members: NHRIs appointed, or expected to be appointed, as article 33.2 Independent Mechanisms Observers: Equinet-National Equality Bodies, EU Agency for Fundamental Rights, European Disability Forum, European Ombudsman, OHCHR-Europe

ENNHRI CRPD Working Group - Aims Point of contact on disability rights among NHRIs in Europe Develop and promote good practice guidance on the role and actions of NHRIs in promoting, protecting and monitoring implementation of the UNCRPD within Europe and internationally Promote ratification and implementation of the UNCRPD throughout Europe and by the European Union Influence the interpretation of the Convention by the CRPD Committee and by the European Court of Human Rights and Court of Justice of the European Union Promote and support the use of the Optional Protocol

Inaugural meeting between NHRIs and the CRPD Committee – Way forward (1) CRPD WG proposals for guidelines on NHRI participation in the work of the Committee: Participation at all stages of the Committee’s work Independent speaking rights Greater use of remote participation Clarify NHRIs’ role under the simplified reporting procedure Endorse A status NHRIs as ‘best practice’ model IM

Inaugural meeting between NHRIs and the CRPD Committee – Way forward (2) Priorities for future cooperation and dialogue with the CRPD Committee Role of States Parties to resource NHRIs appointed as IM Developing core indicators; data and statistics Capacity building role of the CRPD Committee Involvement of Disabled People’s Organisations General comment on article 33 Collective action incl. via proposed ICC working group on disability

Thank you for your attention. Contacts: Rebecca Hilsenrath, Chief Legal Officer, For more information about the ENNHRI CRPD Working Group, please contact the chair of the Group:

Selected Resources EHRC website resources on UNCRPD disabilities Monitoring implementation of the UNCRPD: The UK Independent Mechanism list of issues interim report disabilities/monitoring-implementation-uncrpd Webpages of the ENNHRI CRPD WG (see also ENNHRI website) disabilities/european-network-national-human-rights-institutions Preventing Deaths in Detention of Adults with Mental Heath Conditions – an EHRC Inquiry adults-mental-health-conditions Inquiry into Disability-related Harassment harassment Inquiry into Home Care of Older People