The last concluding day took place in Latvia as part of the participation in the Riga Academy, focusing on the theme of shadow reporting. Lecturer Janina Arsenjeva, a UN expert on disability issues, acquainted participants with shadow reports and how they function. Within the UN, there is a Committee on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities consisting of 18 representatives from various countries, responsible for reviewing official reports submitted by countries on the implementation of the Convention. On the other hand, non-governmental organizations can write shadow reports to assess the actual situation in a country. The report of the Ukrainian government will be reviewed in August of the following year, making it the right time for Ukrainian civil society organizations to start preparing their shadow reports.
Continuing the theme of “Monitoring the Rights of Persons with Disabilities,” Gunta Anča covered:
- Committees, overseeing treaty implementation, complaints, and petitions.
- Relevance of all treaty bodies.
- What the European Union does for its citizens and its advantages.
- The functions of the European Parliament and the Council of Europe.
- The European Commission and its work.
In conclusion, all participants shared their impressions and exchanged thoughts. It was extremely pleasant for colleagues from the NGO Sustento to receive certificates and gifts!
We sincerely thank the entire team at Sustento and personally Gunta Anča for the interesting, informative, valuable, and extremely important experience that you generously shared with us.
Until we meet again, charming Riga!
