The SSP P. Sakellaropoulos is actively participating in a joint international initiative addressing the General Secretary of the United Nations, expressing deep concern regarding the proposed Draft Additional Protocol to the Council of Europe’s Convention on Human Rights and Biomedicine (Oviedo Convention) on involuntary placement and treatment in psychiatry.
The draft protocol under consideration represents a serious departure from the international human rights framework, as established by the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD) and the clear and consistent positions of United Nations human rights bodies. Rather than promoting a modern, rights-based and non-coercive approach to mental health care, it risks legitimising practices of coercion and discrimination against persons with psychosocial disabilities.
Despite the fact that the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe has already issued a negative opinion on the draft, the process toward its adoption by the Committee of Ministers continues. If adopted, the protocol would constitute a significant setback for the rights of persons with disabilities and would send a troubling signal at the international level.
Through this letter, we call on the Secretary-General of the United Nations to take immediate and decisive action to prevent the adoption of a legal instrument that is incompatible with international human rights law and the spirit and obligations of the CRPD.
The letter below reflects this collective appeal and forms part of a broader effort to safeguard dignity, equality and the human rights of persons with disabilities.