Excellencies, distinguished delegates, and members of civil society gathered for the 18th Session of the Conference of States Parties to the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD) heard a statement from Kabale Benon Kitafuna, a mental health and human rights advocate from Uganda. Kitafuna is currently serving as Human Rights Watch’s Marca Bristo Fellow, a fellowship named in honor of the American disability rights activist.
Kitafuna shared personal experiences from 2005 when he sought support for psychological distress while attending university in Uganda. He recounted being secluded in a mental health hospital without basic amenities. “Like many people with psychosocial disabilities,” he said, “while admitted to a mental health hospital, I was secluded for long hours in a cold room, without any light, toilets, or support.”
He highlighted global issues faced by individuals with psychosocial disabilities such as stigma and discrimination. These individuals are at risk of abuse including torture and sexual violence. Kitafuna emphasized that shackling remains prevalent worldwide: “In 60 countries around the world, hundreds of thousands of men, women, and children – some as young as 10 – are chained or locked up simply because they have a psychosocial disability.”
Kitafuna noted positive developments through peer support programs and capacity-building initiatives led by those with lived experience. He founded the Mental Health Recovery Initiative in Uganda to provide peer support and raise awareness following his own experience. Additionally, he mentioned Human Rights Watch’s documentation of the Gerstein Crisis Centre in Toronto which has established rights-based crisis responses.
The advocate called on international communities to adopt approaches grounded in human rights principles as outlined by the CRPD. “We call on members of the international community to support the spirit of the convention,” he urged.
Kabale Benon Kitafuna concluded his address by thanking attendees for their attention.
