A/HRC/44/41 C. Participation 31. Internally displaced persons with disabilities have the right to participate in all matters affecting them, including in relation to the general impact of displacement on their lives and the specific obstacles they face as persons with disabilities. 16 Ensuring participation in all decision-making processes helps overcome protection, accessibility and communication barriers, and reduces discriminatory and exclusion impacts. Participation ensures good governance and social accountability and helps reduce stigma (A/HRC/31/62, para. 13). 32. Participatory approaches are essential for national Governments, local authorities and all humanitarian, development and other relevant actors to effectively prevent and address internal displacement (A/72/702, paras. 11 and 33). At all phases of displacement, stakeholders must closely consult with and actively involve persons with disabilities and promote an environment for their effective and full participation in decision-making processes, without discrimination. Accessibility is a precondition for full participation. Every effort should be made to ensure representation of the full diversity of persons with disabilities who are identified in the displaced population. 33. The Special Rapporteur has previously observed that internally displaced persons are typically not adequately informed or consulted throughout the various phases of displacement (ibid., para. 11). That applies to displaced persons with disabilities, who are more likely to be limited by physical and/or communication barriers in providing their opinion in matters that affect their lives, and face discrimination, prejudice and stereotyping in camp settings and in the wider society. 17 Moreover, concerns or suggestions raised by persons with disabilities appear rarely to reach humanitarian actors and coordination mechanisms or are disregarded. 34. Repeated and regular engagement by authorities, through appropriate and accessible mechanisms and processes that avoid excessively “top-down” decision-making approaches can better integrate the views, needs, capacities and priorities of internally displaced persons with disabilities. To be meaningful, participation requires two-way communication between humanitarian actors and people with disabilities, with clear responses given to concerns raised by persons with disabilities and their representative organizations. Organizations of persons with disabilities must also be included in monitoring and evaluation. 18 States and humanitarian actors should give priority to voices coming from organizations “of” persons with disabilities, to be distinguished from organizations “for” persons with disabilities (A/HRC/31/62, para. 38).19 35. The active participation of internally displaced persons with disabilities is paramount in assistance and protection programming, monitoring and evaluation, and in camp coordination and management when internally displaced persons live in camps or camp-like settings. Community-based approaches to assistance foster their mobilization. 20 The participation of women, who are generally the main caregivers, in any decision regarding household and living should be made a priority.21 Building the capacities of organizations of persons with disabilities at the community level helps to develop their leadership skills and the capacity to influence policies and practices, including by joining humanitarian coordination mechanisms. Such mechanisms should also ensure their participation by answering reasonable accommodation22 and accessibility requirements. Additionally, efforts 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 8 See Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, articles 3 (c), 4 (3) and 29; principle 28 of the Guiding Principles on Internal Displacement; and Committee on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, general comment No. 7 (2018) on the participation of persons with disabilities, including children with disabilities, through their representative organizations in the implementation and monitoring of the Convention. See contributions from Light for the World and Amnesty International. See Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, article 33 (3). See also Committee on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, general comment No. 7. See contribution from Light for the World. See contribution from Amman Centre for Human Rights Studies. See article 2 of the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities for a definition of reasonable accommodation.