The Disability Information and Resource Centre

In late June 2011, Women With Disabilities Australia (WWDA) submitted a formal communication to the United Nations regarding the ongoing practice of forced sterilisation in Australia. WWDA’s Submission was sent simultaneously to four of the United Nations Special Rapporteurs, Mr. Shuaib Chalklen (Special Rapporteur on Disability); Mr. Anand Grover (Special Rapporteur on the Right to the Highest Attainable Standard of Physical and Mental Health); Ms. Rashida Manjoo (Special Rapporteur on Violence against Women); and Mr. Juan E Méndez (Special Rapporteur on Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment). Special Rapporteurs often conduct fact-finding missions to countries to investigate allegations of human rights violations.

WWDA’s Submission has requested that the Special Rapporteurs urgently intervene to urge the Australian Government to comply with the recommendations of the Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women (July 2010), the Committee on the Rights of the Child (October 2005), and the UN Human Rights Council (January 2011) and act immediately to prohibit the non-therapeutic and forced sterilisation of women and girls with disabilities in Australia.

The Submission is available for download in both Word and PDF from WWDA’s website at: http://www.wwda.org.au/sterilise2011.htm.

Australia ratified the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities 17 July 2008. The Convention entered into force for Australia on 16 August 2008. The Attorney‑General’s Department’s (AGD) initial report under the Convention is due on 16 August 2010. The draft report has been prepared by the AGD in consultation with Commonwealth agencies, and State and Territory Governments.

The Attorney‑General’s Department is now seeking public comment on the draft report.

You can access the draft report in HTML, PDF and Word formats.

Under the guidelines on reporting issued by the United Nations Committee on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities Australia is required to limit the report to 60 pages, excluding annexes. A copy of the reporting guidelines can be found on the Committee on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities page on the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights website. As a result of this page, there is limited capacity to be able to expand on the material provided in the report. However, the AGD will endeavour to address any comment or concerns raised during the public consultation process in the final report.

Non-government organisations (NGOs) and the public will also have the opportunity to submit information on Australia’s implementation of the Convention directly to the CRPD Committee before Australia appears before them to answer questions about the report. This appearance has yet to be scheduled, but is expected to take place during 2011.

Please limit submissions to 10 pages, and indicate which paragraphs of the report you are commenting on.

Please send any comments to crpdreport@ag.gov.au by 6 August 2010. Due to the need to finalise the report, this deadline cannot be extended.

Leading disability organisations have partnered to form a project group which is compiling a Shadow Report on Australia’s implementation of the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD).

The overall aim of the report is to make recommendations to the United Nations Committee on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, and to determine the extent to which Australia has implemented its obligations under the CRPD.

The project group would like people with experience with disability to complete a survey outlining their experiences. The survey, as well as further information  can be found here.

You can also view the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons With Disabilities.

The release of the Shadow Report outlining the information collated, including recommendations, is expected prior to the Federal Government submitting its Progress Report to the United Nations in August 2010.