Portugal - ACAPO discusses implementation of the CRPD in Brussels

As a member of the National Mechanism for Monitoring the Implementation of the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (Me-CDPD), Tomé Coelho, President of ACAPO’s National Board, participated in the Work Forum on 29 May in Brussels on the implementation of the UN Convention. This annual event is aimed at bringing together representatives with responsibilities for implementing and monitoring the Convention: Focal Points, Coordination Mechanisms and Monitoring Mechanisms. Civil society institutions and organizations of people with disabilities have also been part of the debate.

Through this Working Forum, the European Commission, as organizer and sponsor of this event, aims to ensure that the UN Convention is fully respected in the EU and to share experiences on its implementation.

Tomé Coelho stated that ACAPO's participation in the event allowed them to "get in touch with other European experiences but mainly to initiate relations with European institutions that, like us, work to defend the rights of people with disabilities." This edition focused on the theme of health, habilitation and rehabilitation, the role of the UN Committee on the Human Rights of Persons with Disabilities and the defense of rights.