Inclusion International (II) has published a report on Article 12 of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (UN CRPD), concerning the right to decide of people with intellectual disabilities and their families.

Carmen Jiménez Recena is 23 years old.  She is from Spain and she has Down Syndrome.  She is a pharmacy technician.  Pharmacy technicians    assist pharmacists in their work.  Carmen took part in the Erasmus programme  and went to Portugal. 

On 16 October 2013, the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe adopted Recommendation CM/Rec(2013)2 on ensuring full inclusion of children and young persons with disabilities into society. Inclusion Europe welcomes the Recommendation which brings the attention of the European governments towards better implementation of the rights of children and young people with disabilities.

Inclusion Europe went to Barcelona for a meeting of the Human Rights working group at the offices of our member Som Fundació.  This meeting was a great opportunity to update members about our work, but also to learn their news.  

José Smits is part of the team of Inclusion Europe. She is also the founder of Inclusion Europe’s Dutch member Inclusie Nederland. Some time ago José was invited to a conference in Leipzig, in Germany.

Mental Disability Advocacy Center (MDAC) and the United Nations Partnership on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (UNPRPD) released a report last week on the human rights of persons with intellectual disabilities and/or mental health problems in the Republic of Moldova.

Inclusion Europe's President Jyrki Pinomaa went to Manchester to meet with Learning Disability England and attend their conference. His thoughts and impressions about the organisation were very positive.

The first African Leaders Forum on Disability committed to take up the steps necessary to improve the access of people with disabilities to fundamental rights. The forum hosted by Joyce Banda, the President of Malawi, and Special Olympics on 10 February in Lilongwille, the capital of Malawi, established the African Leadership Alliance on Intellectual Disabilities with an aim to boost the rights of people with intellectual disabilities in African countries.