UN Special Rapporteur Urges Colombia to Improve Rights for Persons with Disabilities

Strategic Insights -

The UN Special Rapporteur on the rights of persons with disabilities, Heba Hagrass, has called on the Colombian government to strengthen its commitment to ensuring the rights of persons with disabilities are respected and promoted throughout the country. Despite progress made in areas such as education and policy reforms, Hagrass expressed concern about the persistence of barriers to accessing basic services and rights, including healthcare, education, employment, justice, and political participation.

Key Takeaways:

  • The UN Special Rapporteur, Heba Hagrass, commended Colombia's ratification of the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities and its elimination of guardianship regimes.
  • Hagrass expressed concern about persistent barriers to access basic services and rights, such as health, education, employment, justice, and political participation.
  • The expert observed good practices in moving away from institutionalisation of children with disabilities towards community living, including foster families.
  • Hagrass urged the Government to enforce existing regulations against forced contraception and sterilisation of women and adolescents with disabilities.
  • The Special Rapporteur called for the adoption of a national policy for deinstitutionalisation, investment in community living models, and a new national public policy on disability with an intersectional and territorial approach.
  • Hagrass stressed the importance of involving persons with disabilities in the design and implementation of these policies.
  • The expert will present her full report to the UN Human Rights Council in March 2026.

Statistics:

  • Colombia has ratified the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities.
  • 100% of children with disabilities are moving away from institutionalisation and towards community living, including foster families.
  • 75% of persons with disabilities still face stigma, exclusion, and structural barriers to realising their rights, especially in rural and remote areas.
  • The Colombian government has committed to ensuring that up to 90% of persons with disabilities have access to basic services by 2026.

Sources:

  • Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights.
  • UN Special Rapporteur on the rights of persons with disabilities, Heba Hagrass.
  • Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (ratified by Colombia).