Human rights are not optional. They are binding commitments.
The decision of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe to reject the draft Additional Protocol on involuntary measures in mental health is more than just a procedural outcome. It reaffirms human rights as the foundation of public policy.
For Inclusion Europe, this decision confirms what has been consistently and clearly stated for years: this Protocol was not compatible with the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD).
Our position and understanding of the topic is grounded in lived experience, international law, and democratic accountability.
Stop Oviedo campaign
We have been active in the Withdraw Oviedo campaign, alongside Mental Health Europe, the European Disability Forum and many other organisations, ensuring that the voices of persons with disabilities were not ignored.
For example in Portugal, years ago, the Me-CDPD (National Mechanism for Monitoring the CRPD) recommended that Portugal should not sign this Protocol. Precisely because it does not comply with the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD).
The CRPD is clear
Systems built on coercion, substitute decision-making, and involuntary treatment are incompatible with a rights-based approach to mental health.
No “safeguards” can compensate for a framework that starts from restriction rather than autonomy, dignity, and legal capacity.
PACE’s decision yesterday sends a clear signal:
- Disability rights are human rights
- International obligations must be respected
- Civil society expertise matters
Europe must invest in voluntary, community-based, rights-respecting mental health support
This is not about ideology. It is about legal coherence, accountability, and respect for the voices of persons with disabilities, who have consistently warned against legitimising coercive practices under the banner of care.
We know the way forward: Europe must invest in voluntary, community-based, rights-respecting mental health support to ensure people’s rights are fully respected.
Anything less would be a step backwards.