Belgium
Representative bodies and power levels
Federal Belgium has created a federal State, three Regions and three Communities. At each of these levels exists or could exist a representative body of people with disabilities:
- Federal State: National High Council for Persons with Disabilities (NHCPD)
- Brussels-Capital Region: Conseil Consultatif Bruxellois Francophone des Personnes Handicapées (CCBFPH) (Brussels Francophone Advisory Council for Persons with Disabilities)
- Brussels-Capital Region: Section "Persons with Disabilities" of the Brussels Communal Community Commission
- Walloon Region: Commission Wallonne de la Personne Handicapée (CWPH) (Walloon Commission for Persons with Disabilities)
- Flanders: NOOZO - Vlaamse Adviesraad Handicap (Flemish Advisory Council for Persons with Disabilities)
- German-speaking community: No representative body
- Francophone community: No representative body
Key partners
Federal Belgium representative bodies are essential working partners for BDF: whenever BDF takes a stand at European level on the topic of equal opportunities, for instance, it must do so in close cooperation with federal and regional bodies...
The key element: the distribution of powers
Each level of government has exclusive competence. This means that no other level of government can intervene in how it exercises its powers. They are clearly on an equal footing and act in different domains
In a federal State, it would be logical to have a representative body for each level of government. This would also be in line with the spirit of the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities
To understand the workings of Federal Belgium, you must keep in mind the distribution of powers. The federal portal will allow you to learn more: