September 12–13, 2019

This conference is closed to the public.

This workshop focuses on decision making and mental health in the era of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD). The introduction of the CRPD has been a notable step forward in promoting, protecting, and fulfilling the rights of persons with disabilities, including psychosocial disabilities. Notwithstanding this substantial progress, disagreement still exists, relating particularly to the application of Article 12 of the CRPD and the subsequent General Comment. The assertion of equal recognition before the law and the requirement to move towards a regime of supported decision making have been met with concern, and there continue to be challenges in implementing these provisions in laws, policies, and clinical practice. The aim of the workshop is to bring together key thinkers on this subject, including clinicians, human rights lawyers, public policy specialists, researchers, and most importantly, people with psychosocial disabilities themselves, in order to engage on the way forward in this key debate that affects millions of lives. We intend to have a constructive dialogue that focuses on the importance of legal capacity as a human right, its relationship with the right to health, efforts to engage with legal and policy reform in light of the CRPD, and measures to advance supported decision making regimes.

An anonymized report as well as an outcome statement that represents the views of all present are envisaged as part of the workshop. An edited volume will also be produced following the event.