Rights Council concludes meeting with discussion on disabled children in education

Maria Soledad Cisternas Reyes, Special Envoy of the Secretary-General on Disability and Accessibility, regretted the fact that in the twenty-first century, children with disabilities continued to suffer, emphasizing the need to move from diagnosis to action.

The Human Rights Council this afternoon concluded its annual full-day meeting on the rights of the child with a panel discussion on including children with disabilities in education settings: good practices and accountability.

At the beginning of the meeting, the Council heard a statement by Hassan Ali Khayre, Prime Minister of Somalia, who said that Somalia's election to the Council was an encouragement and support by the global human rights community towards the institutionalization of the promotion and protection of human rights in Somalia and the rest of the world. Somalia continued to engage in a structured peace and state-building process as a strategy to return the country to a functional post-conflict State.

Walter Stevens, Permanent Representative of the European Union to the United Nations Office at Geneva and discussion moderator, said that this session would be an opportunity to look into good examples on how to respect, protect and fulfil the rights of children with disabilities. The Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union stated that the European Union respected the rights of persons with disabilities to benefit from measures designed to ensure their independence.

Maria Soledad Cisternas Reyes, Special Envoy of the Secretary-General on Disability and Accessibility, regretted the fact that in the twenty-first century, children with disabilities continued to suffer, emphasizing the need to move from diagnosis to action. This was why the Special Representative had been preparing a campaign for the good treatment of girls, boys and adolescents with disabilities from around the world together with the United Nations Children's Fund.

The Council then watched a video produced by the United Nations Children's Fund on the 10 principles from the campaign for the good treatment of girls, boys and adolescents with disabilities from around the world. Ms Soledad Cisternas called on States to disseminate the materials.

Afshan Khan, Regional Director for Europe and Central Asia of the United Nations Children's Fund, emphasized that the empowerment of children with disabilities started by ensuring that all children with disabilities had access to learning and education from an early age. Quality inclusive education was about appreciating learners' diversity, valuing their well-being, respecting their inherent dignity and autonomy, and acknowledging individual requirements.

Bushra Zulfiqar, Education Director, Save the Children Bangladesh, regretted that 30 years after the adoption of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child, there was limited progress in reducing the number of out of school children. Children with disabilities were more likely to be out of school or to leave school before completing primary and secondary school than their typically developing peers. She stressed that children with disabilities and civil society were key actors in holding governments accountable.

In the ensuing discussion, some speakers emphasized that the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities and the Convention on the Rights of the Child both required education to be provided to all children. Speakers noted that school had to be a school for everyone, offering a chance for every child. They also emphasized that it was fundamental to train teachers, exchange best practices and experiences, and develop awareness campaigns to address the negative attitudes towards disability. Other speakers stressed that inclusive and quality education was needed so that children with disabilities could achieve their rights. Some speakers pointed to the challenge posed by the fact that the vast majority of children with disabilities did not receive adequate support to access education. Finally, some speakers emphasized that the protection of human rights, based on the principles of inclusion and non-discrimination, was more important than ever as the global community had made the promise to work towards sustainable development without leaving anyone behind.

Speaking during the discussion were the European Union, Angola on behalf of the African Group, Italy, Morocco, Saudi Arabia, Russia, Ecuador, Venezuela, Mexico, Qatar, Luxembourg, Oman, Republic of Moldova, Monaco, Azerbaijan, United Arab Emirates, South Africa, Egypt, Maldives, Bahamas, Greece, China, Fiji, and Trinidad and Tobago.

The following civil society organizations also took the floor: National Human Rights Council of Morocco, Child Rights Connect (in a joint statement withSave the Children International, International Catholic Child Bureau, and International Movement ATD Fourth World), International Catholic Child Bureau, Action Canada for Population Development, Maarij Foundation for Peace and Development, and Indigenous People of Africa Coordinating Committee.

The first part of the day-long annual meeting was held this morning and a summary can be found here.

The Council will reconvene on Tuesday, 5 March at 9 a.m., when it will hold a clustered interactive dialogue with the Special Rapporteur on freedom of religion or belief, and with the Special Rapporteur on the sale of children, child prostitution and child pornography.

(With Inputs from APO)