Ombudsman’s Office participates in the dialogue with the UN Committee on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities
On Tuesday, September 2, Anete Ilves, Head of the Discrimination Prevention Division of the Ombudsman’s Office, participated in a meeting of the United Nations (UN) Committee on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities and informed the Committee representatives about the implementation of the rights of persons with disabilities in Latvia.
In 2022, the Ombudsman submitted an alternative report to the UN Committee on the monitoring of the implementation of the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities in Latvia. For the Committee to prepare the list of issues, it invited civil society organizations and the Ombudsman’s Office, as the national human rights institution, to provide information on current developments in the field of the rights of persons with disabilities.
The representative of the Ombudsman’s Office drew attention to shortcomings in ensuring accessibility, pointing to the formal nature of the accessibility implementation system, which is not actually monitored, as well as the situation where it is difficult for persons with disabilities to defend their rights.
Regarding inclusive education, Ms Ilves emphasized that the education reform has promoted the acquisition of special education closer to child’s place of residence, however, several municipalities still do not provide even those special education programs that do not require significant material investments. Similarly, information in educational institutions about the support the child needs is often general and does not provide understanding whether and how a personalized approach is provided in accordance with the actual needs of the child.
The Committee was also informed about the deinstitutionalization process that took place in Latvia from 2015 to 2023, attracting EU funding of EUR 114 million. The services established for people with mental disorders are very uniform – they are mainly day centres, group apartments, special workshops, and home care. There are almost no services for people with severe and very severe mental disorders.
Ms Ilves also explained to the Committee the Ombudsman’s recommendation to the responsible authorities to provide paid assistant services to prisoners with disabilities or significant health problems to help them with their daily living needs.
Background information
Latvia acceded to the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities in 2010. The implementation of the UN Convention is monitored by the UN Committee on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, with participation of high-level experts on the rights of persons with disabilities. The state is obliged to submit reports on the implementation of the UN Convention in Latvia. The Ombudsman has the right to submit alternative reports to point out shortcomings in the implementation and observance of the rights of persons with disabilities. After reviewing the reports, the UN Committee on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities provides recommendations that the state should implement to improve respect for the rights of persons with disabilities.