UNHRC 52 Session : An interactive dialogue with SR on the rights of people with disabilities

13 March 2023

Geneva Delegates 

An interactive dialogue session with the Special Rapporteur on the rights of persons with disabilities focused on Tunisia and its implementation of the provisions of the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities on 13 March 2023 at the United Nations Office Geneva. The session addressed various aspects of the challenges faced by persons with disabilities in Tunisia, ranging from sexual and physical violence to media misrepresentation and use of language against persons with disabilities and the excessive number of marriage approvals required for marriages under the age of 18. While explaining the extent to which a number of legislations and provisions enacted by Tunisia are in line with the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD) and how they have been improved since October 2011, the need to raise awareness was once again emphasised, given the low level of awareness of the rights of persons with disabilities in the country. 

On the one hand, for example, in order to protect the rights of persons with disabilities and to further adapt the system to the needs of persons with disabilities, Tunisian law has made it possible to open projects funded up to 22 thousand dollars to protect persons with disabilities from all forms of discrimination and exclusion. Yet, on the other hand, the road to equality has once again proved to be long and requires hard work, with participants raising a number of persistent fundamental problems and the need to take protection and prevention measures. These are :

• The need to increase the use of sign language in all television channels
• The need to protect persons with disabilities from neglect and abuse
• The need to prevent deprivation of their liberty and of their families, i.e. to ensure that neither children nor parents are separated from each other on the grounds of disability 
• The need to train police, courthouse and prison officials to adopt a human rights-based approach towards persons with disabilities. 
• The need to take necessary measures for women and girls subjected to sexual and physical violence
• The need to provide adequate accommodation and housing to persons with disabilities 
• The need to provide guardianship to persons with disabilities 
• The neeed to collect further data on persons with disabilities 

During the interactive dialogue, in response to concerns and questions raised by the participants, particularly in relation to risks to the health of women and girls, it was explained that women with disabilities are provided with priority and free health services as well as facilitated acess to many buildings and events/ and these services are part of the general budget. In fact the speakers pointed dout that 2% of their budget was dedicated to people with disability. Overall, while the speakers reiterated the progress made in Tunisia in terms of advancing the rights of persons with disabilities, external parties showed how much they do no see eye to eye, pointing to flaws in implementation and practice. Thus, the services provided by the State were considered unsatisfactory.