Experts of the Committee on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities Commend Kiribati’s Disability Policy Framework, Ask Questions on Infrastructure Accessibility and Forced Institutionalisation
The Committee on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities today concluded its consideration of the initial report of Kiribati on its implementation of the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities. Committee Experts commended the State’s disability policy framework, while asking questions on the accessibility of infrastructure and services, and on the forced institutionalisation of persons with disabilities.
Rosemary Kayess, Committee Expert and Coordinator of the Country Taskforce for Kiribati, welcomed that Kiribati had a framework for protecting the rights of persons with disabilities, including the disability national action plan and a joint disaster response plan, and that it had prepared “disability monographs” with data that informed State policies.
Ms. Kayess said, however, that accessibility in many areas of the State was problematic, including in transportation, airport facilities, and Government offices. How was the State party addressing these issues? Were there enforcement mechanisms for the Building Code and accessibility standards?
Hiroshi Tamon, Committee Expert and Member of the Country Taskforce for Kiribati, asked whether measures had been taken to abolish the forced institutionalisation of persons with mental disabilities. How did the State party prevent non-consensual psychiatric treatment?
Introducing the report, Kaaro Neeti, Secretary for the Ministry of Justice of Kiribati and head of the delegation, said that, since ratifying the Convention in 2013, Kiribati had made steady progress toward promoting disability rights. The national disability policy 2018–2025 provided the framework for the State’s efforts, with a focus on accessibility, inclusive education, healthcare, employment and empowerment.
On accessibility, Ms. Neeti said the Kiribati building act 2024 mandated accessibility standards in all new public buildings. The State had improved access to public spaces, transport and services through the provision of ramps, accessible toilets, sign language interpretation and Braille signage.
The delegation added that the Government was conducting structural assessments and providing recommendations for buildings that did not have accessible facilities. It planned to seek funding for accessible transportation in the outer islands to support the inclusion of persons with disabilities.
On institutionalisation, the delegation said a new mental health bill, which was awaiting finalisation by the Parliament, specified that persons with psychological disabilities could only be admitted in institutions involuntarily when they posed a threat to themselves or others. The patient could be released to receive treatment in the community once it was deemed safe.
In concluding remarks, Abiteta Teitibwebwe, Interim Head of Mission, Permanent Mission of Kiribati to the United Nations Office at Geneva, said Kiribati had made significant strides in promoting disability rights by implementing accessible infrastructure and education programmes, and strengthening its legal framework. However, challenges persisted, and the State was committed to addressing these through policy reforms. She said Kiribati was committed to translating the Committee’s recommendations into tangible actions that would improve the lives of persons with disabilities.
In his concluding remarks, Mr. Tamon commended the State’s work in implementing the Convention, but noted the need to fast-track this implementation by amending legislation and policies. He welcomed the goodwill expressed by the State party and looked forward to seeing the implementation of its planned actions for persons with disabilities without delay.
Miyeon Kim, Committee Chair, in closing remarks, said that the dialogue had provided insight into the situation of persons with disabilities in the State party. The Committee commended the State party for its efforts and called on it to implement the Committee’s concluding observations to further strengthen the implementation of the Convention.
The delegation of Kiribati consisted of representatives of the Attorney-General’s Office; Ministry of Justice; Ministry of Health and Medical Services; Ministry of Women, Youth and Social Affairs; Office of Te Beretitenti; Quality Control and Inspection Unit; Meeria Ward Department; and the Permanent Mission of Kiribati to the United Nations Office at Geneva.
The Committee will issue its concluding observations on the report of Kiribati at the end of its thirty-third session on 26 August. Summaries of the public meetings of the Committee can be found here, while webcasts of the public meetings can be found here. The programme of work of the Committee’s session and other documents related to the session can be found here.
The Committee will next meet in public on Wednesday, 20 August at 10 a.m. to begin its examination of the initial report of Maldives (CRPD/C/MDV/1).
Report
The Committee has before it the initial report of Kiribati (CRPD/C/KIR/1).
Presentation of Report
KAARO NEETI, Secretary for the Ministry of Justice of Kiribati and head of the delegation, said Kiribati welcomed the recent advisory opinion of the International Court of Justice relating to climate change, which amplified the voices and realities of the citizens of small island developing States, including those of persons with disabilities.
Since ratifying the Convention in 2013, Kiribati had made steady progress toward promoting disability rights and inclusion. The national disability policy 2018–2025 provided the framework for the State’s efforts, with a focus on accessibility, inclusive education, healthcare, employment and empowerment.
To promote the inclusion of children with disabilities into mainstream education, the State had, through the inclusive education policy, trained teachers, developed accessible learning materials, and promoted inclusive teaching practices. The special school in Tarawa, which served children with diverse disabilities, offered individualised learning and access to assistive technologies. This had led to tangible improvements in academic outcomes, self-esteem and peer interaction. However, challenges remained, such as limited resources, infrastructure gaps and social stigma, which the State was committed to addressing.
Kiribati highly valued its collaboration with “Te Toa Matoa”, the national organization of persons with disabilities. This partnership had been instrumental in legislative and policy change, delivering community support and outreach, raising disability awareness, and ensuring that persons with disabilities were meaningfully involved in decisions affecting them. This partnership embodied the spirit of “nothing about us without us”.
The Kiribati building act 2024 mandated accessibility standards in all new public buildings. The State had also improved access to public spaces, transport and services through the provision of ramps, accessible toilets, sign language interpretation and Braille signage.
To support individuals unable to work due to significant disabilities, the Government introduced a disability support allowance, with 2,569 beneficiaries receiving a total of 10.645 million Australian dollars by 2024. The Ministry of Health and Medical Services had enhanced access to healthcare through the Tungaru Rehabilitation Service, which provided specialist care and assistive devices, and the inclusion of disability considerations in the non-communicable diseases programme.
Vocational training and employment programmes had opened opportunities for persons with disabilities. The Employment and Industrial Relations Code 2015 prohibited discrimination against persons with disabilities in employment settings — a key step toward economic empowerment.
While celebrating its progress, Kiribati was mindful of ongoing challenges: resource constraints, infrastructure limitations and social stigma remained barriers. But it remained steadfast in its commitment to uphold the rights, dignity and full inclusion of persons with disabilities. The Committee’s guidance would help strengthen the State’s implementation of the Convention. Kiribati stood ready to work in partnership with persons with disabilities, civil society and international allies to build a society that was inclusive, just and accessible for all.
Questions by a Committee Expert
ROSEMARY KAYESS, Committee Expert and Coordinator of the Country Taskforce for Kiribati, said Kiribati had one of the most tranquil environments in the world and a warm and welcoming people. However, it was disproportionately impacted by the threats of climate change and private industrial activity, and hindered by its geographic isolation. The Committee welcomed that the State party had a framework for protecting the rights of persons with disabilities, including the disability national action plan, a disability unit within the Ministry of Sport, a joint disaster response plan, and that it had prepared “disability monographs” with data that informed State policies. The Committee would inquire about the implementation of these and other measures to protect the rights of persons with disabilities.
There was a disconnect between the State’s commitments to implement the Convention and practical action taken. Disability had not been recognised as a protected category in the Constitution, nor had it been recognised as grounds for discrimination. The proposed disability inclusion act had not been developed, nor had the next iteration of the national disability inclusion action plan. Was there a timeframe or roadmap for implementing these measures?
Consultation with organizations of persons with disabilities did occur, but often in an ad-hoc and piecemeal way. In some cases, there was no active involvement of these organizations in policies. Were there plans to establish a formal mechanism for engaging with organizations of persons with disabilities?
Reasonable accommodation was defined in the national action plan on disability, but this definition was not in line with the definition in the Convention. How would the State party promote reasonable accommodation? Privately-run vans operating as a bus service reportedly did not always stop for persons with disabilities. How would the State party provide persons with disabilities with opportunities to submit complaints related to this and other forms of discrimination, and to develop an anti-discrimination framework?
How were women and girls with disabilities and organizations of persons with disabilities included in the development and implementation of the national action plan to end gender-based violence? How was the State party identifying and responding to the specific issues of women and girls with disabilities? How were the rights of children with disabilities promoted by the Ministry of Women, Youth, Sport and Social Affairs?
What was being done by the State party to address stigma and prejudice in communities? Awareness raising on the rights of persons with disabilities had been ad-hoc and piecemeal. Were there plans to ensure that awareness raising campaigns were sufficiently resourced, conducted in partnership with organizations of persons with disabilities, and included outer island communities?
Accessibility in many areas was problematic, including in transportation, airport facilities, and Government offices. How was the State party addressing these issues? Was it working with development partners to ensure an accessible infrastructure? Were there enforcement mechanisms for the Building Code and accessibility standards?
Ms. Kayess commended efforts to produce “disability monographs”, which provided the basis for deeper policy analysis of the situation of persons with disabilities. Were there plans to undertake deeper analysis to identify resources and actions needed for a whole-of-Government response to the findings in the monographs? The monographs identified a disability rate of 5.6 per cent, which was far lower than the World Health Organization’s projection of a 15 per cent disability rate worldwide. This suggested limitations in data collection. Were data collectors trained in the Washington Group set of questions and the Convention?
Climate change had an adverse effect on Kiribati. The State party had purchased land in Fiji for potential relocation of the population. Had organizations of persons with disabilities been included in the development of this plan? How did Kiribati ensure that such agreements did not discriminate against persons with disabilities? Did the State party seek donor assistance for disability services and policies, such as sign language interpretation services?
What had been the outcomes of discussions with partners on the establishment of a national human rights institution? What was the membership of the Disability Committee and how did it interact with organizations of persons with disabilities? What were the roles of the National Council for Persons with Disabilities and the Inclusive Disability Unit?
Responses by the Delegation
The delegation said the State party had not progressed on commitments to amend the Constitution and other legislation, but there were plans to carry out that activity once the necessary budget was available. The State party aimed to pass the amendments to the Constitution in the next sitting of Parliament.
Kiribati had made progress in reviewing legislation and promoting disability rights. It had conducted a legislative review, and public officials were being trained on the Convention. The State was exploring options for fast-tracking implementation of the disability inclusion act.
Organizations of persons with disabilities, including organizations from the outer islands, were consulted in the development of all policies. A model inclusive school review had been chaired by organizations of persons with disabilities and had directly involved persons with disabilities. The Government was delivering disability training to stakeholders so that they were aware of disability issues.
Transportation used in the outer islands was not accessible to persons with disabilities. The Government planned to seek funding for accessible transportation in the outer islands to support the inclusion of persons with disabilities.
The Ministry of Women, Youth, Sport and Social Affairs welcomed and received complaints from persons with disabilities concerning discrimination and human rights violations through online and in-person submissions. The State party planned to establish a toll-free hotline to ensure that all complaints reached responsible officers in a timely manner, and a dedicated online form for submitting complaints. There were also plans to train staff to receive complaints.
The State had a gender equality policy that addressed the rights of women and girls with disabilities. The Government planned to improve data collection on women with disabilities who benefitted from State programmes, and develop a programme that directly supported the income generation of women with disabilities. Organizations of persons with disabilities were engaged in efforts to prevent gender-based violence. The Government was working to challenge assumptions about the sexuality of women with disabilities, and to mainstream gender-based violence policies across all ministries. Training for front-line service providers was being provided to bolster responses to gender-based violence and domestic violence, including support for victims with disabilities. Children with disabilities had been included in all State activities and policies for children.
Kiribati was working to integrate disability inclusion in training for church leaders and non-governmental organization members, and to mainstream disability inclusion in all Government programmes and activities.
The Ministry of Infrastructure and Sustainable Energy was in the process of implementing the 2024 Building Code, which called for the provision of ramps and rails and accessible amenities. The Government was also conducting structural assessments and providing recommendations for buildings that did not have accessible facilities. Progress had been made in building the capacity and qualifications of persons assessing the accessibility of infrastructure.
There had been budget increases for disability policies, and there were plans to increase training for data collectors in the lead-up for the next household survey in October, including on the Washington Group of questions, to ensure that integrated data on disability was included.
A mechanism had been put in place that ensured that persons with disabilities were included in disaster risk management plans and policies. The Government had declared climate change as an issue of national concern and had submitted its position on the issue to the International Court of Justice. It sought to leave no-one behind in its climate change policies.
The State party had made progress in securing donor funding for disability policies, including funding for sign language interpreter training for social officers, including in the outer islands.
The Ministry of Justice was working with the South Pacific community and partners to develop a national human rights institution. Training had been provided for members of parliament on the purpose of such an institution. However, further time was needed to set up the institution. The National Council of Persons with Disabilities had been incorporated into the National Taskforce for Human Rights. The Taskforce worked on the implementation and monitoring of human rights conventions to which Kiribati was a party. All concluding observations from the Committee were dealt with by the Taskforce.
Questions by Committee Experts
A Committee Expert asked about plans to establish a formal mechanism for involving women and girls with disabilities in policy formation and implementation. To what extent could children access disability services and how accessible were birth registration services?
Another Committee Expert said the Attorney-General was working to amend the ordinance on psychiatric treatment, but organizations of persons with disabilities were not involved in the review of this legislation. Was this reform in line with the principles of the Convention? What measures had been taken to prevent early pregnancies among girls with disabilities?
Other Committee Experts asked whether the State party planned to ratify the Optional Protocol to the Convention; how the State party made the public aware of the rights of persons with disabilities and issues that concerned them; whether there were measures to ensure the accessibility of public websites; whether there were measures to prevent harmful cultural practices affecting persons with disabilities; and whether the State party addressed barriers and possible trauma for persons with disabilities caused by climate change.
Responses by the Delegation
The delegation said a mental health bill had been drafted in 2022. It was aligned with the Convention and aimed to protect and promote the rights of persons with disabilities and achieve the aims of the national health plan. It included allowances for persons receiving mental health care and protections from discrimination of such persons. It promoted community-based care with the least possible restriction of patients’ freedom, and included measures supporting families and communities providing support for patients with mental health conditions. The Government would allocate a budget for the implementation of high-quality mental health care services in line with international standards. Training had been provided to care providers and to police and correctional officers who worked with persons with mental health problems.
The Government faced challenges in combatting cultural stereotypes and harmful cultural practices. It sought to include advocates for persons with disabilities in monitoring of such practices in rural and urban areas.
Questions by Committee Experts
HIROSHI TAMON, Committee Expert and Member of the Country Taskforce for Kiribati, asked about progress made in assessments of disaster reduction measures for persons with disabilities. What measures had been taken to set up accessible shelters and communication channels for use in situations of risk, and to promote the international protection of persons with disabilities in such situations?
What measures had the State party taken to establish supported decision-making systems for persons with disabilities and what mechanisms ensured equal recognition before the law for persons with disabilities? What measures promoted persons with disabilities’ right to inherit property?
What measures were in place to establish legislation on access to justice for persons with disabilities? How did the State party promote physical access to judicial buildings and access to accessible information on judicial proceedings?
What measures had the State party taken to repeal articles of the Criminal Procedural Code that declared persons with disabilities unfit to plead to criminal charges? Had measures been taken to abolish forced institutionalisation of persons with mental health disabilities? How did the State party prevent non-consensual psychiatric treatment? How did the State party monitor the use of such treatment and promote the autonomy of persons with mental disabilities?
What progress had been made in reviewing protective measures for women and girls with disabilities in the family peace act of 2014? What measures were in place to enforce the act?
Responses by the Delegation
The delegation said the State party had worked with non-governmental organizations to mainstream disability inclusion in disaster risk reduction measures. The State had built up stocks of assistive devices and had conducted consultations and training on disaster risks on the outer islands that involved persons with disabilities, which had received positive feedback.
Persons with disabilities were covered by inheritance laws. When parents or next-of-kin of a person with disabilities passed away, the person with disabilities could receive the property. The Government had been working to ensure that persons with disabilities were supported within decision making systems. It was consulting with persons with disabilities and involving them in decisions affecting them. Organizations of persons with disabilities were consulted in all decision-making processes.
Building audits had determined that most judicial buildings met accessibility requirements. The State party had worked to increase accessible communication. It had secured funding from Australia for training for sign language interpreter training, which would be provided across the State.
The articles of the Criminal Procedural Code in question had not been revised. The mental health bill, which would address issues with previous legislation, was awaiting finalisation by the Parliament; the State party hoped that this legislation would be passed in November. The bill specified that involuntary in-patient admission of persons with psychological disabilities in institutions could only be applied in cases where the person in question posed a threat to themselves or others. The patient could be released to receive treatment in the community once it was deemed safe. After release into communities, patients needed to be brought into clinics for monitoring once every two weeks. In-home monitoring visits were also conducted.
Kiribati was committed to working within the national and international framework to provide support for survivors of abuse. The family peace act included measures protecting children with disabilities, including referral pathways to support services for such children who were victims of domestic violence.
Questions by Committee Experts
HIROSHI TAMON, Committee Expert and Member of the Country Taskforce for Kiribati, asked about practical measures that the State party had implemented to ensure the citizenship rights of persons with disabilities, and to revise provisions of the 1979 Citizenship Ordinance that hindered those rights.
What measures were in place to ensure that persons with disabilities had access to a range of in-home and community support services, including personal assistants managed by persons with disabilities themselves? How was the State party raising the awareness of persons with disabilities regarding the availability of support services? What measures were in place to increase access to mobility aids and devices, including through international cooperation?
INMACULADA PLACENCIA PORRERO, Committee Expert and Member of the Country Taskforce for Kiribati, asked whether there was an emergency telephone number in Kiribati, and whether it was accessible for persons with disabilities, including those with hearing impairments.
Another Committee Expert said that the national policy for eliminating sexual and gender-based violence did not address forced sterilisation. Legislation also allowed for contraceptive pills to be administered without consent. What was meant by “local cultural sterilisation methods” referred to in legislation? How did the State party ensure that consent was sought from persons subjected to such methods? Why were sterilisation and forced terminations of pregnancy seen as mechanisms for preventing gender-based violence? What steps had been taken to revise the national sexual and gender-based violence policy?
One Committee Expert asked whether the safety network for victims of domestic violence could be accessed by persons with disabilities.
Responses by the Delegation
The delegation said Kiribati would this year launch a new initiative that promoted the inclusion of persons with disabilities through a disability support allowance and home food deliveries, which would be provided to persons with severe disabilities. The State party was working to increase awareness of support services in collaboration with organizations of persons with disabilities, and this would be a focus of the upcoming review of the national disability policy.
Section 11 of the 1979 Citizenship Ordinance stated that all persons could apply for citizenship, and it was up to the responsible minister to determine who was qualified. Persons who had been adopted by citizens of Kiribati could apply for naturalisation and citizenship. The Ordinance mentioned that applications could be declined if persons were unable to speak due to a disability. The State party planned to amend this in line with the Convention.
The Government allocated around 180,000 Australian dollars annually to the provision of assistive devices. It maintained partnership with donors, including from Australia, which had allowed for the provision of around 300 devices annually, including around 70 prostheses.
Kiribati had established emergency phone lines, including lines for women and children placed within the police sector and within non-governmental organizations. These lines had not yet been designed for use by persons with hearing impairments; the Government was working on improving them.
The Ministry of Health operated emergency lines for hospitals and mental health patients. Victims of gender-based violence were provided with medical examinations and medication to prevent pregnancies due to unprotected sexual contact.
The State party drafted a revision to the sexual and gender-based violence policy in 2023. The revision included measures focused on protecting women and girls with disabilities, to be implemented in collaboration with civil society. The revised policy also focused on training for front-line service providers and counsellors for victims of domestic violence.
Questions by a Committee Expert
INMACULADA PLACENCIA PORRERO, Committee Expert and Member of the Country Taskforce for Kiribati, asked what measures were in place to reach out to persons with disabilities on the outer islands. What opportunities were there for deaf persons and persons with intellectual disabilities to receive messages from the Government and respond?
How was the provision of the Constitution concerning the protection of privacy implemented in practice for the benefit of persons with disabilities? What had Kiribati done to enable persons with disabilities, particularly persons with psychosocial disabilities, to enjoy their rights to marriage, family and parenthood on an equal basis with others? Could the State party provide data on the number of cases of sexual assault against persons with disabilities and the results of investigations?
The Committee welcomed Kiribati’s efforts to advance inclusive education. What was being done to transition from special schools to inclusive schools? What support was provided to children with disabilities and their families to attend school, including in the outer islands? How did the State monitor the educational outcomes of children with disabilities?
How was the right of persons with psychosocial disabilities to access healthcare guaranteed? What steps had been taken to implement the recommendations of the legislative review related to healthcare? How were persons with psychosocial disabilities involved in reviewing healthcare services? How could these persons access healthcare services on the outer islands on an equal basis with others?
Were there plans to step up the availability of rehabilitation services, particularly in the outer islands? How was the State party training people to use assistive devices and supporting their repair? Was it providing screen readers and other devices to assist communication for persons with disabilities?
Was employment legislation aligned with the Convention? How could persons with disabilities receive reasonable accommodation in workplaces, including through digital accessibility measures? How did the State party intend to improve the employment rate of persons with disabilities in the open labour market?
The State party had committed to developing social protection and poverty alleviation strategies for persons with disabilities. What steps had been taken toward that end? How had organizations of persons with disabilities been involved in designing poverty alleviation programmes? How did the disability allowance help to bring persons with disabilities out of poverty? Were social workers and occupational therapists involved in disability assessments?
Were there plans to address barriers to voting for persons with disabilities, especially persons with psychosocial disabilities? Could persons with disabilities decide who supported them in the voting process? How was the privacy of persons with disabilities in the voting process protected? What steps had been taken to implement the recommendations of the legislative review to better align election rules with the Convention?
Were cultural activities and sports for the general population accessible to persons with disabilities? Was the State party working to ratify and implement the Marrakesh Treaty?
Responses by the Delegation
The delegation said social welfare officers in the outer islands facilitated the delivery of information to island communities. The Kiribati Public Broadcasting Authority was working to expand news and other broadcasts to the outer islands and to make them accessible to persons with hearing impairments.
The Constitution spelled out the human rights of persons in Kiribati, including rights to privacy. All persons were treated equally under the Constitution. The Mental Health Service worked to protect the privacy of persons with psychological disabilities. Patients had to be assessed in closed rooms and patients’ information was treated confidentially. Under the Penal Code, when offences were committed against citizens, any person could report the offence to the police on behalf of the victim.
Some families were supportive of persons with psychological disabilities having children. If they were not, their babies needed to be placed in foster care.
The education sector strategy and plan included a goal for implementing inclusive education. In recent years, the Ministry of Education had trained teachers to deliver inclusive education, and set up model inclusion schools at all levels of education. Parents of children with disabilities from the outer islands were encouraged to send their children to special schools in the capital. There were plans to expand model inclusion schools on the outer islands, but this depended on financial support received.
The national health strategy and plan 2024-2027 aimed to improve the accessibility of health care on the outer islands. A mobile health team had been established last year to provide support for persons on the outer islands, including persons with disabilities. An outreach programme had also been conducted that provided mental health screenings to persons on the outer islands.
Many measures had been taken to improve rehabilitation for persons with disabilities. A rehabilitation centre had been established on Christmas Island in 2019. The State party was working with donor partners to secure and equip storage containers for assistive devices. It provided hearing aids, but did not provide screen readers or other communicative devices for persons with visual impairments. There were plans to provide such devices in the future.
The State employment policy sought to promote reasonable accommodation in the workplace, including through measures such as the revision of the Building Code to make workplaces more accessible. The Employment and Industrial Relation Code enforced employers’ obligation to provide reasonable accommodation to employees with disabilities.
The disability support allowance was provided to persons with disabilities monthly. Recipients determined how they used this allowance. No monitoring had been conducted regarding the impact of the allowance, but this could be done when funding was available. Persons with psychosocial disabilities who had received at least six months of treatment and could not find a job were eligible to receive the allowance. Psychiatrists conducted disability assessments.
The Electoral Commission ensured the integrity and transparency of electoral processes. To improve the participation of persons with disabilities in the voting process, an assessment of the accessibility of elections was conducted last year. Persons with disabilities could determine who assisted them during the voting process. Persons with severe disabilities were assisted to travel to voting stations, and proxy and mobile voting services were also provided.
There were several initiatives that promoted the increased participation of persons with disabilities in sports and cultural activities. A paralympic committee that included persons with disabilities had been set up to create and conduct inclusive sports activities. The State party was considering the ratification of the Marrakesh Treaty.
Questions by Committee Experts
ROSEMARY KAYESS, Committee Expert and Coordinator of the Country Taskforce for Kiribati, said there were plans to bring the State’s special school under the authority of the Ministry of Education. Was this part of a plan to transition it into an inclusive school? Could persons with disabilities who did not need other rehabilitation services access repairs and replacements for assistive devices?
Other Committee Experts asked questions on whether the State provided parents with disabilities and parents of children with disabilities with financial support and guidance regarding child-rearing; measures to provide sexual health education to girls with disabilities; measures to stop the abuse of schoolgirls travelling to and from school; the number of deaf-blind learners in inclusive education programmes; and the climate change adaption and mitigation initiatives that targeted persons with disabilities, particularly those in situations of poverty.
Questions were also posed on actions taken to strengthen recognition of Kiribati sign language; how the State communication policy addressed the accessibility of communications provided by the Government; how the revision of the inclusive education policy addressed reasonable accommodation in schools; the number of persons with disabilities who were employed in Kiribati; how the State party was assisting persons with visual impairments to access voting processes; and the number of persons with disabilities who held elected positions in the State.
Further, Experts asked how the State’s international agreements supported the employment of persons with disabilities through international agreements; whether allowances provided to families of persons with disabilities were comparable to average family incomes; whether the State had protocols for the appropriate use of wheelchairs; whether accessible spaces were provided for tourists in Kiribati; and whether persons with disabilities had opportunities to provide services for tourists.
Responses by the Delegation
The delegation said there was a sexual and reproductive health programme that educated students about how to protect themselves from becoming pregnant and about where to receive sexual health services. The programme currently only covered the south island; there were plans to extend it to the outer islands.
There was a programme delivered by the State party that promoted gender equality and respectful behaviour in schools. The programme had been rolled out in six outer islands. The special school was currently regarded as a non-governmental organization, but there were plans to mainstream it within the school system under the management of the Ministry of Education. Assistive devices were provided to students at the school.
The State provided repair and maintenance services for wheelchairs free of charge. Custom modifications were made to wheelchairs to accommodate for specific disabilities, and follow-up and monitoring was provided in all assistive programmes.
The State party could not provide numbers of employed persons with disabilities. The national census planned for later this year would collect this data. The revised national employment policy would address the promotion of job opportunities for persons with disabilities, implementing a quota for the employment of persons with disabilities and calling on employers to conduct needs assessments for employees with disabilities.
The electoral process included in-home voting for persons who could not commute to election areas. Sign language interpreters assisted persons with disabilities during elections. The State party sought to make electoral services more inclusive in the future, but required additional funding to achieve this.
The disability allowance was higher for persons with severe disabilities. The State party also provided unemployment and senior allowances, which persons with disabilities could access.
The State party had implemented measures to improve the inclusiveness of climate adaption measures. Vulnerability assessments, which had been conducted across Kiribati, assessed the challenges faced by persons with disabilities related to climate change. The State advised such persons on how to protect themselves during climate emergencies.
All public buildings connected to the tourism industry were required to comply with the Building Code.
Closing Remarks
ABITETA TEITIBWEBWE, Interim Head of Mission, Permanent Mission of Kiribati to the United Nations Office at Geneva, said Kiribati had made significant strides in promoting disability rights by implementing accessible infrastructure and education programmes and strengthening its legal framework, ensuring equal access to healthcare, employment and social services. However, challenges persisted, and the State was committed to addressing these through policy reforms. As a member of the Pacific Island Forum, Kiribati would continue its work with regional partners to advance disability-inclusive development.
Kiribati looked forward to the Committee’s recommendations, which would guide the State party’s work for the next four years. It was committed to translating the recommendations into tangible actions that would improve the lives of persons with disabilities. The State party would prioritise the implementation of accessible infrastructure, inclusive education, and employment programmes, and would work to address the social and economic barriers facing persons with disabilities. This required sustained financial support and technical assistance from partners, who Kiribati thanked for their continued assistance.
The State also planned to strengthen partnerships with civil society organizations and community groups to ensure that the voices of persons with disabilities were heard and represented in decision-making processes.
Kiribati reaffirmed its commitment to promoting disability rights domestically and in the region.
HIROSHI TAMON, Committee Expert and Member of the Country Taskforce for Kiribati, commended the State’s commitment to the dialogue and work in implementing the Convention, but noted the need to fast-track this implementation by amending legislation and policies. The Committee called on Kiribati to consult closely with and to involve actively organizations of persons with disabilities in decision-making processes regarding the implementation of the Convention. It welcomed the goodwill expressed by the State party and looked forward to seeing the implementation of its planned actions for persons with disabilities without delay. He anticipated that the State party’s policies and programmes would develop in accordance with the Convention.
MIYEON KIM, Committee Chair, said that the dialogue had provided insight into the situation of persons with disabilities in the State party. The Committee commended the State party for its efforts and called on it to implement the Committee’s concluding observations to further strengthen the implementation of the Convention.
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CRPD25.012E