On 21st and 22nd March 2018, the Disabled People’s Association (DPA), and Center for Ars Vivendi of Ritsumeikan University (Kyoto, Japan) co-organised a workshop for advocates with disabilities. The workshop focussed on preparing and submitting a Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD) Parallel Report. Professor Nagase Osamu, Eminent Professor of Ritsumeikan University, ran the workshop and shared his experience of working on CRPD Parallel Reports.
Singapore signed the United Nations CRPD on 30th November 2012. The Agreement was then ratified on 18 July 2013 and came into effect for Singapore on 18 August 2013. The Government submitted its first report to the Committee on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities on 13 July 2016. Article 33 of the CRPD states that persons with disabilities shall be involved and participate fully in the monitoring process of the CRPD implementation.
For every country that has ratified the CRPD, the disability community is expected to come together to write a parallel report that is a check and balance of Singapore’s country level report. The parallel report is the only way for Disability Advocates to ensure that the perspective of persons with disabilities are heard alongside that of the Government when the UN Committee on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities considers the Government’s progress in realising the CRPD in Singapore.
The workshop session was meant to be act as a catalyst for the development of the parallel report. The parallel report will be built on the recommendations by various disability advocates and will focus on the most pressing issues and what more should to be done to strengthen disability rights protection within Singapore.
DPA would also like to thank Singapore Pools for sponsoring the venue for both days of the workshop.
If you, or someone you know is interested in being a part of the working group for the Parallel Report, please feel free to get in touch with [email protected].
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