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Article 6 - Statistics and data collection
Background Documents | Article 6 Background
Fourth Session | Third Session | Working Group | References
Working Group
Draft Article 6
STATISTICS AND DATA COLLECTION23
In order to formulate and implement appropriate policies to protect and
promote the rights of persons with disabilities, States Parties should encourage
the collection, analysis, and codification of statistics and information
on disabilities and on the effective enjoyment of human rights by persons
with disabilities. The process of collecting and maintaining this information
should:
a. respect the right to privacy, the dignity and the rights of persons with
disabilities, and the information collected from persons with disabilities
should be on a voluntary basis;
b. be kept only in a statistical format without identifying individuals
and should be kept secure to prevent unauthorised access or misuse of information;
c. ensure that the design and implementation of data collection is done
in partnership with persons with disabilities, their representative organisations
and all other relevant stakeholders;
d. be disaggregated according to the purpose of the collection of information
and should include age, sex and type of disability;
e. include detailed information on their access to public services, rehabilitation
programs, education, housing and employment;
f. adhere to established ethics regarding respect for anonymity and confidentiality
in the collection of statistics and data.
Footnotes:
23. There were differing views within the Working Group regarding the inclusion of this draft Article. Some delegations strongly supported the inclusion of an article on statistics and data collection in the text of the convention for several reasons. Data collection is recommended in Rule 13 of the Standard Rules on the Equalisation of Opportunities for Persons with Disabilities. Its inclusion could allow States to respond more effectively to the needs of persons with disabilities and to have an accurate assessment of the situation of the persons concerned so as to implement programs for their benefit. General Assembly Resolution 58/132 of 22 December 2003, in paragraph 8, also deals with the issue of data and statistics. In the present draft Article, the respect for the right to privacy is fundamental.
Other delegations opposed the inclusion of an article on statistics and
data collection in the convention, for several reasons. They expressed a
concern for the respect of the right to privacy and the risk of misusing
the information, and considered that such an article did not belong in a
human rights treaty. They considered that statistics were not useful as
a policy tool, and that resources spent in data collection should be used
instead in programs for persons with disabilities. There should be a mainstreaming
of surveys and not just surveys for persons with disabilities.
Other delegations suggested that the draft article should be re-titled.
One suggestion was "Collection and Protection of Statistics and Data".
It was clearly considered that any data collected on disabilities must not
infringe on the human rights of persons with disabilities.