This side event will focus on deinstitutionalisation as a fundamental component of the implementation of the right to independent living and inclusion in the community, as guaranteed under Article 19 of the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD).
Despite the obligations arising from the CRPD, many persons with disabilities continue to face structural barriers to community inclusion, including continued reliance on institutional forms of care and insufficient community-based support systems. The event will explore current standards, challenges and developments related to deinstitutionalisation and independent living, drawing on perspectives from international and national human rights actors. National Human Rights Institutions (NHRIs), Independent Monitoring Mechanisms established under Article 33(2) CRPD, organisations of persons with disabilities, United Nations mechanisms and regional human rights networks, such as the European Network of National Human Rights Institutions (ENNHRI), play an important role in monitoring, reporting and advocating for the transition from institutional care to community-based support systems in line with CRPD standards. Speakers will include representatives of NHRIs (members of the ENNHRI Working Group on the CRPD), as well as representatives of the CRPD Committee, organisations of persons with disabilities and the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR). The event aims to strengthen awareness of deinstitutionalisation as a human rights obligation under the CRPD, promote exchange of experiences and perspectives among relevant stakeholders, and contribute to ongoing international discussions on independent living and community inclusion of persons with disabilities.
