Psychiatry and human rights

Doc. 8443

18 June 1999

Psychiatry and human rights

Recommendation 1235 (1994)

Reply from the Committee of Ministers

adopted at the 675^th meeting of the Ministers’ Deputies (15 June 1999)

The Committee of Ministers refers to its interim reply to Parliamentary Assembly Recommendation 1235 (1994) on psychiatry and human rights, adopted at its 533rd meeting (appended thereto) and wished to inform the Assembly of the main developments which have taken place or are under process since then.

At its 16th meeting, (Oviedo, 16-19 May 1999), the CDBI considered the preliminary draft guidelines on psychiatry and human rights, prepared by its Working Group the CDBI-PH, as a follow up to Assembly Recommendation 1235 (1994). It agreed to invite Delegations to the CDBI to send their comments for examination by the Working Group, by the end of June, so that a revised text could be examined by the Steering Committee in December.

The CDBI also prepared a preliminary draft White Book containing the main elements of the draft guidelines and aimed at consulting the interested circles (in particular the professional associations and patients associations and their families). The CDBI agreed in principle with the publication of the White Book. This publication could follow the meeting of the CDBI in December.

Following the public consultation procedure, a final draft Recommendation concerning psychiatry and human rights will be submitted by the CDBI, probably at the end of 2000.

The Committee of Ministers will keep the Assembly informed of future developments in the framework of its statutory report.

APPENDIX

Interim reply to Parliamentary Assembly Recommendation 1235 (1994)

on psychiatry and human rights

(adopted by the Deputies at their 533rd meeting)

(6 April 1995, item 3.1)

The Committee of Ministers wishes to inform the Assembly that, further to its adoption of Recommendation 1235 (1994) on psychiatry and human rights, it decided to transmit the Recommendation to the governments of member States and to seek the opinions of the following committees: Steering Committee for Human Rights (CDDH), European Health Committee (CDSP) and Steering Committee on Bioethics (CDBI).

In the light of the opinions received, the Committee of Ministers wished to make a detailed analysis of the proposals set out in Recommendation 1235 (1994) in order to ascertain whether it was appropriate – and if so to what extent – to revise Committee of Ministers Recommendation No. R (83) 2 on the legal protection of persons suffering from mental disorder placed as involuntary patients.

Accordingly, the Committee of Ministers decided to appoint a committee made up of specialists designated by the CDDH, the CDSP, the CDBI, the European Committee on Legal Co-operation (CDCJ) and the European Committee on Crime Problems (CDPC).

The Committee of Ministers will keep the Assembly informed of the conclusions reached by that committee and the action it has taken on them.