Experts of the Committee on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities Praise Liberia for Ratifying the Convention, Raise Questions on Addressing Harmful Practices against Women and Girls with Disabilities and Combatting Substitutionary Decision-Making
The Committee on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities today concluded its review of the initial report of Liberia on efforts made to implement the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, in the absence of a delegation. Committee Experts praised Liberia for ratifying the Convention, while raising questions on how the State was addressing issues of harmful practices against women and girls with disabilities and combatting substitutionary decision-making.
Jorge Araya, Committee Secretary, said in opening remarks that it was unexpected that the delegation of Liberia was not present. Work had been underway on the review since October 2025 with the Liberian Mission in Geneva. In light of this, the review would take place in the absence of a delegation.
Alfred Kouadio Kouassi, Committee Expert and Country Taskforce Member, said the Committee was pleased that Liberia had ratified the Convention and submitted its report. On the basis of the report, the Committee could see that the State party was committed to implementing the Convention for the benefit of persons with disabilities. It was therefore regrettable that the State party did not meet with the Committee, and it was hoped the Committee would receive written responses.
Gertrude Oforiwa Fefoame, Committee Expert and Country Taskforce Member, asked what legislative and policy measures were in place to address the intersectional discrimination faced by women and girls with disabilities? What was the current status of the national gender policy? How did it integrate the rights of women and girls with disabilities? What was the State party doing to prevent violence against women and girls with disabilities? What steps had been taken to prevent female genital mutilation and other harmful practices? How were women and girls with disabilities involved in decision making at all levels, including in rural areas?
Mr. Kouassi asked what steps the State party was taking to replace the substitutionary decision-making system with one of assisted decision-making? What efforts were being undertaken to review and revise legal measures which prevented persons with psychosocial disabilities from opening a bank account, and conducting other family and financial affairs?
In closing remarks, Mr. Kouassi said the Committee understood that Liberia was recovering from war and faced many challenges. The State party was encouraged to adopt the principle of inclusion as outlined in the Convention, and the authorities were encouraged to use the Committee’s concluding observations as a tool for their future work.
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 thirty-fourth session and other documents related to the session can be found here.
The Committee will next meet in public at 12. p.m. on Thursday, 19 March to commemorate World Down Syndrome Day.
Report
The Committee has before it the initial report of Liberia (CRPD/C/LBR/1).
Questions by Committee Experts
JORGE ARAYA, Committee Secretary, said it was unexpected that the delegation of Liberia was not present. Work had been underway on the review since October 2025 with the Liberian Mission in Geneva. In light of this, the review would take place in the absence of a delegation.
GERTRUDE OFORIWA FEFOAME, Committee Expert and Country Taskforce Member, thanked Liberia for the initial report, though it was regrettable that they were not present. The State party was also yet to respond to the list of issues raised by the Committee. The Committee commended the State party on the adoption of a national action plan on disability inclusion 2023-2027; the adoption of an inclusive education policy in 2018; and that the initial report was prepared under a broad consultation process nationally.
However, the Committee was concerned about discriminatory provisions in pieces of legislation which equated disability with incapacity, which was not in line with the Convention. Furthermore, the State party did not provide a timeline for the review of several pieces of outdated legislation in Liberia, which restricted the exercise of legal capacity of persons with psychosocial disabilities. The Committee was concerned that many persons with disabilities remained out of school. It was also concerned about the use of physical and medical restraints, including shackling, which occurred in all settings. The limited enforcement of the blueprint for the construction of public facilities was a challenge.
What were the State party’s plans to ratify the Optional Protocol to the Convention? What measures were in place to harmonise all pieces of legislation and ensure they adhered to the Convention? The State party had adopted a national action plan on disability inclusion; could more information on the implementation of the plan be provided? How was it monitored and evaluated? What steps had the State party taken to mainstream disability across all frameworks? Organizations of persons with disabilities faced challenges, including resource constraints and stigma. What steps were being taken to address these challenges and ensure these organizations were consulted and actively involved?
Were there plans to amend the Constitution to explicitly prohibit discrimination based on disability? What legislative and policy measures were in place to address the intersectional discrimination faced by women and girls with disabilities? What was the current status of the national gender policy? How did it integrate the rights of women and girls with disabilities? What was the State party doing to prevent violence against women and girls with disabilities? What steps had been taken to prevent female genital mutilation and other harmful practices? How were women and girls with disabilities involved in decision making at all levels, including in rural areas? How was it ensured that children with disabilities benefitted from State programmes? What measures were in place to prevent the institutionalisation of children in Liberia?
Were there structured awareness raising campaigns in the State party? What was planned to combat stigma and harmful attitudes towards persons with disabilities? Was there systematic training, including on the Convention, to public officials such as teachers, health workers, and law enforcement workers? What sign language provisions were in place in the State party? What measures were in place to ensure public accessibility for persons with disabilities? What steps were in place to address barriers in the digital environment for persons with disabilities, including on Government websites? What efforts had been made to address complaints so far?
There were concerns about gaps in the systematic collection of data on persons with disabilities. What mechanisms were in place to resolve these gaps and ensure effective data collection across all agencies? There was limited inclusion of disability in international cooperation agreements; how were issues of disability mainstreamed within internationally funded programmes? How were organizations of persons with disabilities consulted in the design and integration of international programmes?
What steps was the State taking to ensure central focal points for the implementation of the Convention? How was coordination on disability issues ensured across all Government sectors? What measures were in place to ensure that the National Human Rights Commission in Liberia was focusing its mandate on the rights of persons with disabilities? How were organizations of persons with disabilities involved in implementing the Convention?
A Committee Expert said there was a growing and worrying trend among some States to not present themselves to be interrogated about their State party report. This was concerning as direct answers were needed for some of the issues. The State party had a history of ongoing war which had directly led to a rise in persons with disabilities. It was regretful that the State party was not present to explain its strategy for making the country accessible to persons with disabilities, and elaborate on the rise in number of persons with disabilities due to the conflict. It was important to ensure that public buildings and sidewalks were accessible.
One Committee Expert asked what steps had been taken to repeal discriminatory provisions of the Constitution which permitted removal of persons from elected office on the basis of disability?
ALFRED KOUADIO KOUASSI, Committee Expert and Country Taskforce Member, asked what awareness raising campaigns had been rolled out to eradicate prejudicial cultural practices which could lead to the death of persons with disabilities? What steps had been taken to update the disaster risk management programme to ensure it was in line with the Convention and the Sendai Framework? How was it ensured that there was a humanitarian strategy in place which responded to persons with disabilities? What steps was the State party taking to replace the substitutionary decision-making system with one of assisted decision-making? What efforts were being undertaken to review and revise legal measures which prevented persons with psychosocial disabilities from opening a bank account, and conducting other family and financial affairs?
What measures were being taken to provide persons with disabilities with appropriate accommodation to facilitate their participation in judicial processes which concerned them? How was it ensured that there were accessible communications channels in all prisons? How was training on disability ensured for all prison and judicial staff? What measures had been put in place to guarantee the freedom and safety of persons with disabilities? What measures were intended to prohibit non-consensual treatment, such as forced medication, particularly for those with psychosocial disabilities? What measures had been put in place to guarantee reasonable accommodation for persons with disabilities in contact with the law?
What steps had been taken to put an end to all forms of torture and degrading treatment and punishment, including use of restraints in mental health institutions and the family setting? What was being done to carry out investigations of persons with disabilities in prayer and healing camps? The Committee had heard reports of children with deformed feet having them beaten. What means were available to persons with disabilities which enabled them to flag cases of abuse? Were there refuges, legal aid and support services available across the State party for persons with disabilities? What had been done to gather disaggregated data by sex and region concerning the abuse of persons with disabilities?
Could updated information be provided to ensure that women with disabilities were not subject to any forced hospitalisation, forced female genital mutilation, or forced abortion? What had been done to ensure that all children with disabilities were registered at birth? What measures were undertaken to ensure that persons with disabilities could fully exercise their right to independent living, and how was it ensured that this and other rights were monitored? What was the strategy for the deinstitutionalisation of children and adults living in institutions? What legislative measures had been enacted?
A Committee Expert asked what measures were being taken to deinstitutionalise people residing in a certain facility in the State party? Was the State party aware that there needed to be a moratorium to ensure that no more people with psychosocial disabilities were integrated into the existing hospital? What had been done to reduce instances of violence and rape of persons with disabilities?
Another Expert asked to what extent the State party provided awareness raising programmes, including training to persons with disabilities, to enable them to identify instances of exploitation and abuses, and to educate them on how to complain in cases of abuse? What support had been provided by the State party to persons with disabilities to enable them to live independently in the community?
CHRISTOPHER NWANORO, Committee Vice Chair and Country Taskforce Member, asked what steps had been taken to officially recognise Liberian sign language within the law, and increase the number of qualified sign language interpreters in close consultation with the deaf communities? What measures had been taken to improve access to information in all accessible formats, including Braille? What measures were being taken to enforce the Constitutional provisions mentioned in the State party report, including by raising awareness among family members? What efforts were being made by the Liberian Government to address cultural and religious beliefs which negatively impacted persons with disabilities?
What measures were being taken to ensure quality and inclusive education for persons with disabilities? What efforts and been made so far to provide accessible educational materials, including Braille and easy read? What budget was allocated to staff working in the educational system? What measures were being taken to make comprehensive health care, including access to comprehensive insurance, affordable for persons with disabilities?
What mechanisms or steps were being taken to ensure that rehabilitation services for persons with disabilities were based on a human rights approach? What mechanisms were in place to improve employment rates among persons with disabilities? What was the situation of employment for persons with disabilities in the country? How were they ensured a safe working environment and equal pay?
What measures were being taken to safeguard adequate standards of living and social protection for persons with disabilities, particularly women and those in rural areas? What steps were being taken to ensure the electoral infrastructure processes were fully accessible to persons with disabilities? How was it ensured that they could participate in elections on an equal basis with others?
What steps were being taken to ensure that persons with disabilities participated actively in cultural life? How was it ensued that children with disabilities could participate actively in play, recreation and sporting activities?
ABDELMAJID MAKNI, Committee Vice Chair, said substantial efforts had been made to contact the Permanent Mission of Liberia to ascertain why the delegation was absent, but no clear responses had been received.
An Expert said it was a real lack of courtesy from the delegation of Liberia to not have notified the Committee. How many children with disabilities had been adopted in the State party? What measures were being taken to train health care professionals on treating persons with disabilities?
GERTRUDE OFORIWA FEFOAME, Committee Expert and Country Taskforce Member, asked whether sexual and reproductive health information was available in accessible and age-appropriate formats for persons with disabilities? Education for children with disabilities was largely provided through residential or special schools supported by development partners. What measures were in place for the school to ensure that children with disabilities could access inclusive education in mainstream schools? Could children with disabilities enrol in mainstream schools without discrimination? What were the opportunities for those who were deaf and blind in Liberia?
Another Expert asked how was it was ensured that deaf blind communication was promoted and offered to deaf blind civilians?
A Committee Expert asked what efforts had been made to provide assistive mobility devices to persons with disabilities? What data had been collected on the needs of persons with disabilities and the health services provided to meet those needs? Was there a possibility of collecting complaints of persons with disabilities regarding difficulties in accessing health services and assistive devices?
An Expert said in 2017, an inclusive education policy was adopted, alongside a five-year strategy, but persons with disabilities did not yet benefit from this document. Had the State party undertaken an assessment to analyse the effectiveness of this strategy? What support was provided to persons with disabilities in higher education?
Another Expert asked for more information about the employment of persons with disabilities in the private sector? How did the State enforce the non-discrimination rule, including equal pay for work of equal value? Would the State party adopt a plan for providing support services in the community? Would accessible housing be provided for persons with disabilities? How much did the State plan to invest in ensuring a decent standard of living? There were guardianship measures in place in the State party which limited the right to vote; how did Liberia plan to recognise the legal capacity of persons with disabilities? In the case of supported voting, how was it ensured that the vote was independent and confidential?
A Committee Expert said there was a high number of persons with disabilities due to war and violence. What plans were there to rehabilitate these persons so they could engage in gainful employment?
Closing Remarks
ALFRED KOUADIO KOUASSI, Committee Expert and Country Taskforce Member, said this exercise was supposed to be a dialogue with Liberia. The report had been received from Liberia, as well as shadow reports from civil society organizations that could not join the Committee in Geneva due to visa refusals. Mr. Kouassi thanked these organizations for their engagement and assistance, as well as the International Disability Alliance, and the Secretariat for having made extensive efforts to contact the State party. The Committee was pleased that Liberia had ratified the Convention and submitted its report. On the basis of the report, the Committee could see that the State party was committed to implementing the Convention for the benefit of persons with disabilities. It was therefore regrettable that the State party did not meet with the Committee, and it was hoped that the Committee would receive written responses. The Committee understood that Liberia was recovering from war and faced many challenges. The State party was encouraged to adopt the principle of inclusion as outlined in the Convention, and the authorities were encouraged to use the Committee’s concluding observations as a tool for their future work.
ABDELMAJID MAKNI, Committee Vice Chair, said the Committee had done all it could and would wait for the State party to respond to their questions, which were to benefit persons with disabilities.
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CRPD26.005E