Luxembourg in Dialogue with UN on Rights of Persons with Disabilities

On 22 and 23 August 2017, a Luxembourg delegation particiapted in a dialogue at the offices of the United Nations in Geneva on Luxembourg's implementation of the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD), with experts Of the Monitoring Committee of the Convention.

Due to the transversal nature of disability issues, the delegation was composed of staff from nine different ministries and representatives of the Advisory Commission on Human Rights and Luxembourg civil society.

Luxembourg ratified the CRPDH in 2011, and the implementation of the provisions of the convention is coordinated by the Ministry of Family, Integration and the Greater Region, within an inter-ministerial committee and in collaboration with civil society organisations for people with disabilities. The revision of the national action plan for the implementation of the Convention is planned for the end of 2017.

In his introductory remarks to the dialogue with the Committee in Geneva, Marc Bichler, Ambassador-at-Large for Human Rights, recalled the Grand Duchy's commitment to international multilateral organisations and its commitment to respect for the rules and instruments of law of international organisations, including the CRPD. Reference was made to the areas on which Luxembourg has placed particular emphasis, namely:

• life and inclusion of persons with disabilities in society;

• the inclusion of persons with disabilities in the labour market;

• accessibility;

• inclusive education and the right of expression of persons with disabilities in education.

The dialogue with the committee's experts was carried out on the basis of a written report from the Luxembourg government and an alternative civil society report submitted prior to the meeting and structured into three blocks of questions of the CRPD. The responses from the Luxembourg side were prepared and presented by representatives of the different ministries, under the coordination of the Deputy Head of Delegation, Sandy Zoller of the Ministry of the Family, Integration and the Greater Region.

The conclusions and recommendations resulting from the dialogue with the UN Committee on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities are intended to fuel the Government's future action to complement the implementation of the commitments made within the framework of the CRPD, for a fair and inclusive society at all levels.