Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights

OFFICE OF THE HIGH COMMISSIONER FOR HUMAN RIGHTS

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CIVIL SOCIETY QUESTIONNAIRE

Dear NGO representatives and other experts,

We are forwarding to you a questionnaire on behalf of the United Nations Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) with a view to strengthening and improving the quality of the relationship between OHCHR and persons with disabilities and their representative organizations.

We have prepared this questionnaire in the context of the recent adoption of the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities and the Optional Protocol. The Convention upholds participation as both a principle and a stand alone right. Moreover, States Parties to the new Convention have an obligation to consult with and actively involve persons with disabilities and their representative organizations in decision-making processes concerning issues relating to persons with disabilities. It is in this spirit that we have prepared this questionnaire as a first step in strengthening the participation of persons with disabilities in the UN human rights system.

Importantly, a new Committee on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities will shortly be established under the Convention. The Committee, consisting of 18 independent experts, will monitor implementation of the Convention and will be supported by staff working at OHCHR. In this context, it will be important that persons with disabilities and their representative organizations understand and are able to access the international human rights system, its mechanisms and the OHCHR.

To this end, the questionnaire has two principal objectives:

1. To enable OHCHR to have a more complete list of organizations and independent experts working in the field of human rights and disability

2. To promote awareness of OHCHR and the international human rights system to persons with disabilities and their representative organizations.

OHCHR is also updating its civil society Handbook – “Working with the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights: A Handbook for NGO’s” so as to include material on the new Convention and its Optional Protocol, as well as material relevant for persons with disabilities. We are therefore interested to hear your comments on the Handbook. You should receive the Handbook with this questionnaire. If not, the Handbook is available at our website at the following page: http://www.ohchr.org/english/about/ngohandbook.htm

The Handbook is currently available in electronic version, in English and Arabic (in word and pdf).

Please fill out and return the questionnaire by 31 August 2007 to the following email address: or by fax, +41 22 928 90 10 addressed to Ms Adriana Zarraluqui.

To save your time, we created the questionnaire which is quick and easy to fill in; in most cases you only have to mark the right answer with an X.

1. NGO original name: (complete)

2. NGO English name: (complete)

3. Acronym: (complete)

4. Organization type: (please mark the relevant answer with an X)

(a) International (if you potentially work on every country/region in the world)

(b) Regional (if you work on an entire region or on several countries within a region)

(d) Community-based (you focus on a smaller area within one country)

(e) Human rights defender (if you are not linked to any organization)

5. Does your organization work solely in the field of disability? (Please put a Y or N)

6. Is your NGO a Disabled People’s Organization (DPO), i.e. an organization of persons with disabilities, run by and for persons with disabilities? (Please put a Y or N)

7. Office type: (please mark the relevant answer with an X)

(a) Headquarters

(b) Regional Office

(d) Umbrella/Network/Coalition (if you are a secretariat of a network or of a coalition of NGOs)

(e) Individual (if you are a human rights defender working individually)

(f) Affiliate of an international NGO (if you are identified predominantly as an affiliate of a larger NGO)

8. The organization was established in year: (complete)

9. Address: (please write in one line the P.O. Box or street, postal code, town; complete)

10. Country of the NGO: (complete)

11. Phone number: (please start with + and then country code; in case of more than one, separate them with a comma)

12. Fax number: (please start with + and then country code; in case of more than one, separate them with a comma)

13. General email of the organization:

14. Home page: (complete)

15. Contact person (you can add more below if needed)

(Please indicate Mr or Ms and complete with the name)

16. Other contact persons (you can add more below if needed)

(a) Mr/Ms (please indicate Mr or Ms and complete with the name)

(b) Title: (complete)

(c) Phone number: (please start with + and country code; in case of more than one, separate them with a comma; add mobile numbers if possible)

(d) Fax number: (please start with + and country code; in case of more than one, separate them with a comma)

(e) Email address: (in case of more than one; separate them with a comma)

17. Head of the organization:

(a) Please indicate Mr or Ms and complete with the name:

(b) Title: (complete)

(c) Phone number: (please start with + and country code; in case of more than one, separate them with a comma; add mobile numbers if possible)

(d) Fax number: (please start with + and country code; in case of more than one, separate them with a comma)

(e) Email address (in case of more than on, separate them with a comma):

18. What is the working language of your organization? (Please also specify UN official languages: Arabic, Chinese, English, French, Russian or Spanish; complete)

19. Do you have a consultative status with the Economic and Social Council? (Please put a Y or N)

20. What is your geographic focus? (Please mark the relevant answer with an X):

A. Global (meaning that your NGO does not limit itself geographically in the regions where you could work)

B. Regional: (please indicate which region and if possible, also list which countries; complete)

(a) Africa

(b) Middle East and North Africa

(d) Europe

(e) Latin America and Caribbean

(f) North America

C. National: (please indicate the country; complete)

21. Who are the direct beneficiaries of the work of your organization? (Please mark the relevant answer with an X):

(a) Women, men and children with all type of disabilities

(b) Women, men and children hearing disabilities, deaf persons

(d) Women, men and children with intellectual disabilities

(e) Women, men and children with psychosocial disabilities

(f) Women, men and children with physical disabilities

(g) Solely women with disabilities

(h) Solely men with disabilities

(i) Solely children with disabilities

22. Which activities is your NGO doing? (Please mark the relevant answer with an X)

(a) Advising/consulting

(b) Advocacy

(d) Conflict prevention

(e) Sponsoring human rights projects

(f) Human Rights campaigning

(g) Human Rights monitoring/investigating/reporting

(h) Legal Assistance/Litigation

(i) Mediation/Conflict resolution

(j) Policy Development/Lobbying

(k) Project management/implementation

(l) Protection (e.g. shelters, hotlines)

(m) Researching/Publishing

(n) Training/Education

(o) Victims’ assistance/rehabilitation

(p) Information sharing/networking

23. What are the issues you are working on? (please mark the relevant subcategories and then each specific field with an X)

A. PERSONS WITH DISABILITIES

(a) Discrimination based on disability

(b) Lobby for the ratification of the Convention on the rights of Persons with Disabilities and its Optional Protocol

(c) Promotion of the Convention on the rights of Persons with Disabilities and its Optional Protocol among persons with disabilities, NGO community, civil society and government

(d) Legal capacity of persons with disabilities

(e) Accessibility

(f) Reasonable accommodation

(g) Universal design

(i) Inclusive education

(j) Special education

(k) Mental health

(l) Access to health

(m) Rehabilitation, habilitation

(n) Income generating activities, right to work

(o) Development

(p) Sports

(q) (If others please specify)

B. DMINISTRATION OF JUSTICE AND THE RULE OF LAW

(a) Accountability

(b) Arbitrary detention

(d) Independence of the judiciary

(e) Law enforcement/police conduct

(f) Prison administration

(g) Reparations

(h) Right to a fair trial

(i) Right to the truth/truth mechanisms

(j) Transitional justice

C. CHILDREN

(a) Children with disabilities

(b) Children belonging to minorities

(d) Child rights

(e) Children in armed conflicts/child soldiers

(f) Juvenile justice

(g) Sale of children, child prostitution and child pornography

(h) Violence against the children

(i) Youth

D. CIVIL AND POLITICAL RIGHTS

(a) Capital punishment

(b) Civil society

(d) Democracy and human rights

(e) Enforced or involuntary disappearances

(f) Extrajudicial, summary or arbitrary executions

(g) Free and fair elections

(h) Freedom of association and assembly

(i) Freedom of movement

(j) Freedom of opinion and expression

(k) Freedom of religion and belief

(l) Freedom of the press and media

(m) Human rights defenders

(n) Privacy;

(o) State of emergency

(p) Security (incl. terrorism/counterterrorism)

(q) Torture and inhuman treatment

E. ECONOMIC, SOCIAL AND CULTURAL RIGHTS

(a) Adequate housing

(b) Bioethics

(d) Environment

(e) Family rights

(f) Forced eviction

(g) Human rights education

(h) Intellectual property

(i) Labour rights

(j) Poverty

(k) Right to adequate standard of living

(l) Right to education

(m) Right to food

(n) Right to health

(o) Right to water

(p) Science, technology and technological development

(q) Social security

(r) Land and property rights

(s) Culture and arts

F. INDIGENOUS PEOPLE

G. ISSUES IN INTERNATIONAL LAW

(a) Armed incidents and conflicts

(b) Asylum

(d) Disarmament

(e) Economic sanctions

(f) Human rights law

(g) Humanitarian assistance

(h) Internally displaced persons

(i) International courts and tribunals

(j) International criminal law

(k) International humanitarian law

(l) Mass exoduses

(m) Mercenaries

(n) Migration/population transfers

(o) Nationality and statelessness

(p) Peace building; peacekeeping operations

(q) Refugee law

(r) Refugees

(s) Self-determination

H. MINORITIES

(a) Afrodescendants

(b) Dalits

(d) Linguistic minority

(e) National minority

(f) Religious minority

(g)Roma

I. NONDISCRIMINATION AND EQUALITY

(a) Disability;

(b) HIV/AIDS;

(d) older persons;

(e) racism/racial discrimination/xenophobia and related intolerance;

(f) religious discrimination;

(g) sexual orientation/sexual minorities;

(h) work and descent

J. DEVELOPMENT

(a) Globalization and human rights;

(b) good governance;

(d) resource allocation;

(e) right to development;

(f) structural adjustment policies and foreign debt;

(g) trade and investment;

(f) transnational corporations/business and human rights;

K. SLAVERY

(a) Commercial sexual exploitation;

(b) forced or bonded labour;

L. WOMEN

(a) Affirmative action;

(b) discrimination against women;

(d) girl children;

(e) harmful traditional practices;

(f) reproductive rights;

(g) violence against women – general;

(h) violence against women family;

(i) violence against women – community;

(j) violence against women – state;

(k) women belonging to minorities;

(l) women with disabilities

(m) women’s human rights

M. OTHER ISSUES (Please specify)

24. List the key activities of your organization (no more than 10 lines)

25. Is your organization familiar with the UN system? (Please mark the relevant answer with an X)

(a) Very familiar;

(b) familiar;

(d) not at all familiar

(e) Would like to learn more

26. Is your organization familiar with the UN Human Rights Protection system? (Please mark the relevant answer with an X)

(a) Very familiar;

(b) familiar;

(d) not at all familiar

(e) Would like to learn more

27. Is your organization aware of the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR)? (Please mark the relevant answer with an X)

(a) Very aware

(b) aware

(d) not at all aware

(e) Would like to learn more

28. Is your organization aware of the OHCHR civil society handbook? (Please mark the relevant answer with an X )

(a) Very aware

(b) aware

(d) not at all aware

(e) Would like to learn more

29. Do you think that the OHCHR civil society Handbook provides relevant information for persons with disabilities and their representative organizations? (Please mark the relevant answer with an X)

(a) Yes

(b) sufficient information;

(d) no

30. Is your organization aware of the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD) and its Optional Protocol (OP)?

(Please mark the relevant answer with an X)

(a) Very aware

(b) aware

(d) not at all aware

(e) Would like to learn more

31. Do you think that the CRPD and its OP will help you in your work? (Please put a Y or N)

Why? (Please briefly described in no more than 5 lines)

32. Are you aware that there will be a new Committee on the rights of persons with disabilities? (Please mark the relevant answer with an X)

(a) Very aware

(b) aware

(d) not at all aware

(e) Would like to learn more

33. Do you have any planned activity involving the CRPD and its OP? If so, please describe briefly.

34. What information would you like to receive on OHCHR?

35. What information would you like to receive on the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities?

36. Does your organization feel able to engage with the UN human rights mechanisms and OHCHR?

37. What information or materials would your organization need in order to strengthen engagement with the UN human rights system and OHCHR?

38. Have you worked with the OHCHR before? (Please describe previous cooperation, partnership etc.; complete)

39. What additional information, if any, would you like to see included in the OHCHR Civil Society Handbook?

40. Comments: (please put here any information which may be relevant to us, such as numbers of member NGOs if you are an umbrella organization or answers to our questions if you did not find them among the above options; complete)

Thank you very much for filling in the questionnaire!