Mr. Chairperson, Excellencies,
Ladies and Gentlemen,
Let me congratulate Bulgaria for its lead on the Convention, and H.E. Ambassador Georgi Panayotov, Permanent Representative of Bulgaria for chairing this very important conference – it is a great team that have come together on this occasion.
We are proud of Hungarian expert Dr László Lovászy, who is fulfilling his second mandate as Member of the Committee on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, and also of Mr Ádám Kósa, Member of the European Parliament. These excellent and successful experts, both living with disabilities, are great examples of what we discuss this year here in New York: “inclusion and full participation of persons with disabilities and their representative organizations in the implementation of the Convention”. It is also an honor for me to meet all the incredible participants of the Conference.
It is an honor to share with you all the steps taken by the Hungarian Government in this regard.
The promotion, protection and monitoring of the implementation of the CRPD in Hungary is coordinated by the National Disability Council, in line with Article 33(1) of the CRPD. The Council is an advisory body consisting of representatives of the Ministry of Human Capacities and of organizations of persons with disabilities.
The high-level Inter-ministerial Committee on Disability, established in 2015, is the framework for governmental coordination on the promotion, protection and monitoring of the implementation of the Convention, as set out in Article 33(2). The Committee’s working groups focus on specific topics, such as accessibility of public transportation, accessible housing, right to vote, and so on.
Moreover, the inclusion and full participation of persons with disabilities and their representative organizations in the monitoring process, in accordance with Article 33(3) of the Convention, are guaranteed by the following instruments.
The Thematic Working Group Responsible for the Rights of Persons with Disabilities is one of the eleven working groups of the Human Rights Working Group established in 2012 to monitor the human rights situation in Hungary and the implementation of related legislation and recommendations made by UN bodies, in consultation with civil society organisations, representative associations and other professional and constitutional bodies.
Finally, the National Expert Group on Disability is responsible for preparing strategic proposals concerning issues related to disability.
Besides institutional arrangements, Hungary has several best practices to share on the advancement of the rights of persons with disabilities.
For examples, last year, a ministerial Decree was passed to ensure equal access to financial services in credit institutions for persons with disabilities. The new rules require credit institutions to shape a strategy to facilitate access, with compulsory elements set out in the Decree.
Another crucial development is the transition, by 2036, from institutional care to community-based services, as set out in a recently adopted Government Decree. Main measures include the prohibition of new admissions to institutional places as well as employment-supporting services and initiatives, among others. The oversight of the deinstitutionalization process is guaranteed by the National Body for the Coordination of Deinstitutionalization, consisting of delegates of
the Committee on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, the National Disability Council, the Ministry of Human Capacities, the Office of the Commissioner for Fundamental Rights, which is the national Human Rights Institution, and the National Disability Expert Group. A new call for tenders, with a budget of 21.8 billion Forints, was launched, supporting the creation of community-based service forms of high quality, responding to residents' needs.
Excellencies,
Hungary is committed to the implementation of the Convention, and will use this Conference of the State parties to discuss challenges, explore opportunities and share best practices in this regard.
