UNDP-OHCHR Toolkit

module overview

Chapter 1
Introducing National Human
Rights Institutions

Chapter 2
Models of NHRIs

Chapter 3
Roles and Responsabilities of
NHRIs

Chapter 4
The Rule of Law and the NHRI

Chapter 5
NHRIs, Development and
Democratic Governance

module overview

Chapter 6
Situating NHRI Support in the UN Planning & Programming Process

Chapter 7
Pre-establishment Phase of NHRIs

Chapter 8
Establishing NHRIs

Chapter 9
Consolidation Phase:
Strengthening the Mature NHRI

Chapter 10
Paris Principles and Accreditation

9.5.4 Persons with Disabilities

Table 3: Disability and NHRIs5

The following queries can be used in a capacity assessment regarding the NHRI's work in promoting the equality of persons with disabilities and its own capacity to address this area.

Disability Convention

If the NHRI been designated as an independent national mechanisms to promote, protect and monitor the implementation of the Disability Convention, what steps has it taken to promote, protect, monitor and implement the rights of persons with disabilities?

Have persons with disabilities been integrated in decision-making and priority setting?

Even if an NHRI has not been specifically designated, it still may have general jurisdiction to promote, protect and monitor disability issues. NHRIs should support the implementation of the Disability Convention:

promotion: education, awareness-raising, encouraging further and better implementation of the Convention;
protection: assisting with and taking cases, strategic litigation; and
monitoring: reflecting periodically on domestic implementation and commenting on or proposing legislation that best fits local circumstances, in close consultation with NGOs and persons with disabilities.

At Establishment, concern is directed towards ensuring that the NHRI has the structural capacity to support activities in this area. At Consolidation, assessment should, in addition, look at accomplishments.

Activities	Has the NHRI been engaged in ensuring that the issues facing persons with disabilities are priority issues for the Government and government organizations?
	Has the NHRI, whether it is a designated independent national mechanism or not, monitored and reported on the implementation of the Disability Convention?
	Has the NHRI contributed to human rights monitoring as a basis for effective programmes (for example, monitoring the accessibility of public buildings, the availability of important public documents in accessible formats, etc.?
	Has the NHRI received and handled complaints from persons with disabilities?
	Has the NHRI developed and delivered promotional programming dealing directly with the priority issues of persons with disabilities?
	Has the NHRI reviewed and developed its own policies for supporting staff and for citizens seeking to access the NHRI?