On June 24, the 5th Meeting of the Eurasian Ombudsman Alliance dedicated to protection the rights of persons with disabilities was held in Moscow.

In the four years since the founding of the Alliance, the EOA members have managed to help many people, as well as exchange experiences and modern practices. In particular, issues of protecting the rights of persons with disabilities were repeatedly discussed.

In her welcoming speech, High Commissioner for Human Rights in the Russian Federation Tatiana Moskalkova said that the topic of the meeting is gaining special relevance in view of the fifteenth anniversary of the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, which «gave impetus to rethink the attitude of society towards them." During this time, other documents were adopted concerning the rights of persons with disabilities, for example, the Declaration on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, which does not allow discrimination against them.

During the meeting, Tatiana Moskalkova shared her experience in protecting the rights of people with disabilities in the Russian Federation. Over the past three years, about 3 thousand people with impaired mobility have appealed to the Commissioner for help — mainly, the complaints related to issues of social support, housing, the establishment of a disability group, the availability of medical care and urban infrastructure.

In conclusion, Tatiana Moskalkova expressed confidence that the exchange of experience and practices of foreign ombudspersons would serve as an effective solution to problems related to the protection of the rights of persons with disabilities throughout the Eurasian space.