The UN Committee on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities is meeting in Geneva from 15 August to 2 September to review the following countries: Uruguay (15-16 Aug); Ethiopia (16-17 Aug); Bolivia (17-18 Aug); United Arab Emirates (18-19 Aug); Guatemala (22-23 Aug); Colombia (23-24 Aug); Italy (24-25 Aug).

The above are among the 166 States that have ratified the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, and so are required to submit regular reports to the Committee, which is composed of 18 international independent experts.

During the meetings in Geneva, Committee members will hold question and answer sessions with the respective State delegations. They will also hear from organisations representing disabled persons, NGOs and national human rights institutions.

Venue: Palais Wilson, Geneva
Time: Each review runs from 15:00 to 18:00 Geneva time and continues the following day from 10:00 to 13:00.  The public sessions will be webcast at http://webtv.un.org/

The issues likely to be discussed, the States’ reports, plus information from civil society organisations can be found here: http://tbinternet.ohchr.org/_layouts/treatybodyexternal/SessionDetails1.aspx?SessionID=1052&Lang=en The Committee will publish its findings here on Friday 2 September.

In addition to reviewing these States, CRPD members are also set to publish two General Comments on 26 August, giving their authoritative interpretation of the Convention regarding two key issues: the situation of women and girls with disabilities (Article 6) and the right to inclusive education (Article 24).