A/HRC/26/24 cooperation with UNDP and the national human rights institution, the Ministry of Health and other government entities in improving protection of the rights of persons with psychosocial disabilities held in mental institutions, resulting in an agreement to establish an independent institutional complaint review mechanism, namely an Ombudsperson in psychiatric institutions. A pilot Office of the Ombudsperson was created to cover three main psychiatric hospitals. 51. The Regional office for Europe: At the regional level, the Regional Office has engaged European Union institutions and member States in the region, particularly on the rights of persons with disabilities. The Regional Office has identified common ground between the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities and the Convention on the Rights of the Child – namely the issue of independent living for persons with disabilities (article 19 of the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities) and the issue of alternative care of children. Through its active membership in a coalition of NGO and inter-governmental organization stakeholders representing NGOs and intergovernmental organizations (the European Expert Group on Transition from Institutional to Community-based Care), the Regional Office has contributed significantly to policy changes at the level of the European Union, including policy documents guiding the use of European Union Structural Funds and the regulations for the Structural Funds. These Regulations represent a significant achievement in terms of increased compliance by the European Union with international human rights standards, including the Convention. The Regulations contain specific language on the promotion of transition to community-based services, and include an ex-ante conditionality that will serve as a basis to take measures for the shift from institutional to community-based care, and one to ensure implementation of article 9 of the Convention, in the context of European Structural Funds investments. As a member of the European Expert Group, the Regional Office supported these changes, and provided technical assistance, vis-à-vis relevant officials at European Union and national levels. The Regional Office, moreover, has taken an active role in organizing European Expert Group seminars, in close cooperation with national authorities and the European Commission, on the use of European Union Structural Funds to support the transition from institutional to community-based care. Such events took place in Latvia, Estonia, Hungary, Croatia, Romania, Bulgaria, Slovakia and Poland, and will be organized in the Czech Republic, Lithuania, Slovenia, Greece and Serbia in 2014. The European Regional Office 2012 publication on the implications of article 19 of the Convention for the use of European Union Structural Funds was actively disseminated and used as a tool in raising awareness among European Union officials and national authorities as well as civil society and rights holders. The Regional Office participated in a regional consultation in preparation for the High Level Meeting on Disability and Development, emphasizing the importance of using the Convention as the framework for all European Union input to the High Level Meeting. The final written contribution of the European Union to the High Level Meeting included language proposed by OHCHR and the Regional Office. 52. The Russian Federation ratified the Convention in 2012, upon which began a process of amending Russian legislation in accordance with Convention provisions. The establishment of a national implementation and monitoring mechanism as stipulated in the Convention is still under discussion by Russian stakeholders. OHCHR provides technical support and guidance in these processes. Through partnership with OHCHR, the Regional Organization of Persons with Disabilities, Perspektiva, and its partners were able to increase awareness amongst over 400 stakeholders – government officials, education professionals, legislators, organizations of persons with disabilities, civil society organizations and experts, journalists, students, people with disabilities and members of their families – about the Convention, in particular article 24, and current Russian legislation and policies which require amendments. Following advocacy efforts undertaken by OHCHR, a new federal law on education contains language on inclusive education and 13