(الجلسة 5) الدورة 19 لمؤتمر الدول الأطراف في اتفاقية حقوق الأشخاص ذوي الإعاقة (COSP19)
الجمعية العامة
Date: 11 June 2026
Language: Floor (Original)
Transcript: https://transcripts.un.org/ar/asset/k12/k12x9s6byj?lang=floor
Transcripts available through this tool are created by using automatic speech recognition and are not official records nor official documents of the United Nations. Official records and official documents are available on the Official Document System of the United Nations.

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COSPCRPD · Chair [0:03]:

Good morning. I call to order the fifth meeting of the ninetieth session of the Conference of State Paris to the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities. Excellency, ladies and gentlemen, we will continue the general debate under item 5A of the agenda. We still have a long list of speakers inscribed. I would appreciate all the speakers observing the three minute limit for your statements. With this, With this I invite the distinguished representative from Democratic People's Republic of Korea to make a statement.


Democratic People's Republic of Korea [0:55]:

Thank you, Madam President. Delegation of the DPRK expressed its expectation that this meeting will make a contribution to coordinating international cooperation for the realization of the CRPD under your able leadership. Today, protection and promotion of the right person disability is not a merely matter of the social welfare, but important to social task for achieving sustainable development and social integration. As well as essential, sorry, a requirement for ensuring that all persons can participate in social development on equal footing with a dignity and right. DPRK regards the principle of the people first as its fundamental political ideology and maintained it as the highest principle of state activity. In particular, DPRK is paying greater attention to ensuring equal access to education for persons with disabilities through a new educational system. At the same time, necessary measures are being taken to ensure that persons with a disability can receive a higher and professional education tailored to their abilities and aspiration. In addition, efforts are being made to improve exercise accessibility to public facilities, transportation, information, and communication service. So that the person with a disability can participate in social life more independently and without inconvenience. Furthermore, DPRK has regarded protection and promotion of the right of person disabilities as important to national police priority and has continuously strengthened relevant to institutional, legal, and administrative framework. In this process, it newly adopted a law on protection and promotion of the right of person disability in 2023. Madam President, JPLK considers protection of the right of person disability as an important component of the national development and is steadily advancing the improvement of the condition in the field of education, public health, labor, and culture. DPRK will continue to develop its policies for protection and promotion of the right of person disability on the basic of its people first ideology, and will actively advance efforts to build a society where all people may fully enjoy their right and dignity without discrimination. As a state party, to CRPD, DPRK will feasibly fulfill its obligation and expand exchange and cooperation in the various fields, whereby I make an active contribution to international efforts for protection and promotion of the rights of person disabilities I thank you


COSPCRPD · Chair [3:52]:

Thank you very much. I now give the floor to the distinguished representative from Learc International.


L'Arche International · Donald Macklin [4:02]:

Do I start now? Okay.

Hello there. My name is Donald Macklin, and I represent Lars International, a global federation of over 160 communities in 37 countries. Together we share a vision for a world where every person belongs. I am a member of Larsh in Belfast in Northern Ireland. Today we are here to talk about subtheme three, participating participation, leadership, and advocacy. People with different abilities must be supported to share their voices and participate in leadership. But often, advocacy and decision making is not designed to include everyone. For example, when conversations only use traditional speech or document writing, this can block some people from joining. Everyone should be able to share their voices and contribute to conversations and decisions in our world. Theater, music and photography and other arts are ways we can include more people. For example, I love film. And I've noticed over the years that in film, people with abilities have people with different abilities have been misrepresented or underrepresented. But we can change that. The arts are powerful ways to communicate. powerful art can change minds and hearts. For example, Lars Belfast created a photography project and shared important messages like don't dis my ability, I belong, and stronger together. On purpose, the participants did not add labels to their photos. So this is an additional message for the audience. You cannot know a person or their strengths from looking at them from the outside. When diversity in communication is welcomed, we can be more effective in shaping the next phase of our world in ways that are better for all. Thank you.


COSPCRPD · Chair [6:27]:

Thank you. I now give the floor to the distinguished representative from Panama.


Panama · Representante [6:35]:

Gracias señora vicepresidenta. Hace 20 años la convención marcó un hito histórico al reconocer plenamente a las personas con discapacidad como titulares de derechos y promover su participación plena en todos los ámbitos de la sociedad. Como país pionero en la implementación de la convención, Panamá creó la Secretaría Nacional de discapacidad en dos mil siete. Impulsando la implementación de políticas públicas sustentadas en el enfoque de derechos humanos. Destacamos la creación del consejo nacional consultivo de discapacidad. Presidido por su excelencia el presidente de la república y hoy conformado por más de 100 instituciones a nivel nacional y comarcal. Y la participación de más de 120 organizaciones representativas. Bajo el principio de nada sobre nosotros sin nosotros. En dos mil veinticinco la segunda encuesta nacional de discapacidad determinó la prevalencia de la discapacidad en Panamá en un dieciocho por ciento y estableció que las mujeres representan el cincuenta y ocho por ciento de la población. Y las comarcas indígenas señalan la población más vulnerable. Estos resultados nos permitirán fortalecer la toma de decisiones basadas en evidencias. Con el apoyo de socios estratégicos y el sistema de las Naciones Unidas. Nuestro país ha fortalecido sus capacidades institucionales para avanzar en la implementación del plan nacional de accesibilidad universal veintidós treinta y dos. La ejecución del plan estratégico nacional de discapacidad veinticinco veintinueve y la consolidación de un modelo de certificación. de la discapacidad a diez años de su implementación. Basado en la clasificación internacional del funcionamiento de la discapacidad y de la salud. Así mismo hemos desarrollado programas de formación dirigidos a técnicos, cuidadores y familiares, fortaleciendo capacidades para brindar una atención más inclusiva, corresponsable y con enfoque de género. Actualmente reconocemos los avances alcanzados, pero también los desafíos que persisten. En un contexto de profundas transformaciones, la inclusión de las personas con discapacidad debe continuar ocupando un lugar central en la agenda del desarrollo sostenible. Panamá reafirma su compromiso de acelerar la implementación efectiva de la convención. Nuestro objetivo es claro, construir una sociedad más inclusiva, accesible y equitativa sustentada en el respeto irrestricto de los derechos humanos y en la convicción de que nadie debe quedarse atrás. Muchas gracias.


COSPCRPD · Chair [9:20]:

Thank you very much I now give the floor to the distinguished representative from republic of Moldova.


Republic of Moldova [9:29]:

President excellencies distinguished delegates as we celebrate. 20 years of the Convention of the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, the Republic of Moldova joins the international community in recognizing the remarkable progress achieved in advancing the rights, dignity and inclusion of persons with disabilities. Undeniably, the convention has been a powerful catalyst for transforming policies, institutions, and attitudes. And it continues to guide us, our efforts, towards a more inclusive society. In the Republic of Moldova, we have strengthened our legal and policy framework to ensure equality and non-discrimination. For we adopted the laws on equality on equal opportunities and on social inclusion of persons with disabilities. We have reinforced protection against discrimination and promoted the full participation of persons with disabilities in all areas of life. A key achievement has been the expansion of community based services that support independent living. Today, people with disabilities benefit from a ground network of protected housing, community homes, personal assistance, mobile teams, day centres, and social services. More than 6,000 six hundred personal assistants help persons with disability to live independently and participate actively in their communities. Excellencies, the Republic of Moldova has made important progress in protecting women and girls with disabilities from violence and abuse. In 2005, extensive training was provided to social workers, psychologists, and service providers, while accessibility for victims services was strengthened. New communications channels, including SMS, phone calls, live chat and email counselling have improved access to safe, friendly and accessible space created specifically to provide women and girls with concrete tools for recognition, reporting, and protection against abuse. In 2025, the Republic of Moldova launched its first national platform dedicated to preventing digital violence and supporting women and girls online. It's reflecting our commitment to adapting protection mechanisms to the realities of a rapidly evolving. digital world. Another important achievement is the strengthening of the participation of persons with disabilities in public and political life. From the National Council for the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, and consultation mechanisms, organizations of persons with disabilities are actively involved in shaping policies and monitoring the implementation of the convention. As we look forward the Republic of Moldova is in the process of analyzing the national program for the social inclusion.


COSPCRPD · Chair [12:34]:

Thank you. Next, I give the floor to the distinguished representative from Malawi.


Malawi [12:43]:

Chair Person,

The government of Malawi joins the rest of the member states in commemorating 20 years of the CRPG existence. And would like to congratulate all the countries that are party to the convention. To the for the collaborative and individual efforts that are have taken us this far in promoting the well being of persons with disabilities. Chairperson, in compliance with the convention, the government of Malawi enacted the Persons with Disabilities Act in twenty twenty four. The act domesticates the objective and the aspirations of the convention and provides a robust legal framework for the promotion and protection of their rights. The government also reviewed the 2006 national policy on the equalization and opportunities of the persons with disabilities, and came up with a new national disability policy. This new policy promotes planning of disability interventions by different sectors within their respective budgets, policies, and programs. To enhance access to social services and the financing for the disability persons and the whole sector. The government of Malawi established a disability trust fund that provides additional finances to meet resource gaps that are affecting disability interventions. and services. Malawi has also undertaken measures to promote disability inclusion which includes one, adoption of standards of accessibility including usability of build environment. Two, adoption of sectoral policies, including national medical rehabilitation policy and national inclusive education policy. Three, adoption of national list of Assistive Technology for creation of a national technical work group on disability affairs. Madam Chair, despite recording notable achievements, Malawi shares the belief that CRBT implementation has been widely characterized by equal existence resulting from inadequate resources in accessibility, infrastructure, security, and systemic social stigma. Malawi, like most developing countries, continue to face resource challenges for effective implementation of progressive disability policies and programs. While the government of Malawi continues to allocate resources to disability through national budget. They also do that to they have a big financial gap. Further access to social services among persons with a disability disasiment in law. Due to inaccurate infrastructure and facilities compounded with negative attitudes towards matters of the public, including some from policy makers. In conclusion, I would like to reiterate Malawi's commitment to promote Thank you.


COSPCRPD · Chair [15:50]:

Next, I give the floor to the Distinguished Representative from Korean Disability Forum.


Korean Disability Forum [15:58]:

Annyongasipnika. Hankukjangyeforum. Youngsung. Subscribe. Hankukjangayinjariprengarsenentaçãoen in the empowerment's summer. Jang aeon jang aeon jang aeon jang aeon jang aeon jang aeon, jang aeon jang aeon jang aeon jang aeon jang aeon jang aeon jang aeon jang aeon jang aeon jang aeon jang aeon jang aeon jang aeon jang aeon jang aeon jang aeon. Dangshaja, Jozakai, Dong, Dong, Dong, Dong,


COSPCRPD · Chair [17:10]:

Thank you. Next I give the floor to the distinguished representative from Estonia.


Estonia [17:20]:

Excellencies distinguished delegates. estonia aligns itself with the statement of the european union. as we mark the 20th anniversary of the convention on the rights of persons with disabilities estonia reaffirms its strong commitment to its full implementation, in close cooperation with persons with disabilities and civil society. Our crosscutting priority is to advance accessibility and ensure equal participation. This involves strengthening policies to promote equal treatment and remove barriers and improving accessibility to services and digital environments. As social policies increasingly rely on technology and innovation, we are working to make services more personalised and proactive. Automatically organised services reduce administrative burden and free up resources for meaningful support. In Estonia, multiple digital systems are in use that can exchange information with each other. This enables smoother access to services, ranging from applications, assessments such as the degree of disability and workability and entitlement to benefits and allowances. This approach reduces the burden of collecting documents from different authorities. And for instance, means that if a person is entitled to support the state offers it automatically. We are also working towards a society free from exploitation, violence, and abuse, including in digital space. To support safe and equal participation, we continue to strengthen accessibility and provide twenty four seven support through children children's help line and the victim support crisis line. Sign language users can access these services through a solution that enables connection with an interpreter through a dedicated application. Finally, Finally, we are advancing the transition from a large institutional setting towards community based support. Civil society remains a key partner in this effort. To further strengthen this partnership, we recently allocated $1.5 million euros through its strategic partnership framework to the Estonian Chamber of People with Disabilities, representing nearly $300 organizations across Estonia Estonia remains committed to advancing the rights inclusion and full participation of persons with disabilities in all areas of life in line with the convention. Thank you.


COSPCRPD · Chair [20:01]:

Thank you. Next, I give the floor to the distinguished representative from Zambia.


Zambia [20:09]:

Chairperson, distinguished delegates, Zambia is honored to participate in this landmark session marking 20 years of the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities. This occasion provides an opportunity to reflect on progress achieved and renew our commitment to accelerating inclusion. Zambia remains firmly committed to advancing the rights, dignity, and full participation of persons with disabilities, as enshrined in the convention and our national frameworks. We recognize disability inclusion as a key driver of equitable and sustainable development. Over the past year, Zambia has continued to expand social protection, improve access to essential services, and strengthen participation in national development through social cash transfer, community based inclusive development, livelihood programs, and targeted welfare support, we are working to ensure that persons with disabilities are not left behind. We have also further mainstream disability inclusion across education, health, employment, and governance, while working with civil society, traditional leaders, and organizations of persons with disabilities to address stigma and advance equality. Distinct Distinguished delegates. Zambia believes that meaningful inclusion must include self representation in decision making. In this regard, the recent constitutional amendment has introduced mixed member proportional representation system which provides for the representation of persons with disabilities in the National Assembly and local government. This important reform ensures that persons with disabilities are not only beneficiaries of policy, but active participants in shaping it, giving practical effect to the principle of nothing about us without us. Chairperson, as we navigate global challenges, including climate shocks, economic pressure, pressures, public health emergencies, and rapid technological change, Zambia remains committed to building inclusive and resilient systems. Disability inclusion is being integrated across national planning development programs, and disaster preparedness efforts. At the same time, we recognize that challenges remain, particularly for persons with disabilities in rural areas who continue to face barriers to services. assistive technology, accessible infrastructure, and economic opportunities. Excellences, as we commemorate 20 years of the CRPD, Zambia reaffirms its commitment to the Convention, the United Nations and wider partnership. Our vision is a society where every person with a disability can participate fully, contribute meaningfully, and live with dignity. I thank you.


COSPCRPD · Chair [23:02]:

Thank you. Next, I give the floor to the Distinguished Representative from Queensland Advocacy for Inclusion.


Mob for Mob · CEO · Cassie Brophy [23:12]:

Thank you, Chair. My name is Cassie Brophy, and I'm a proud Yerra Yerrant woman from the Kauniama region of Far North Queensland, Australia, and the CEO of Mob for Mob. Queensland's peak body for Indigenous people with disability. We're here today supported by Queensland Advocacy for Inclusion QAI. Today I speak about the voices behind the convention. Before today many of these stories lived in silence held in people's hearts, families, communities and grief. Through our Living Letters project, Indigenous people with disability shared experiences of violence, exclusion, disconnection from culture and systems that failed to see them as whole people. One person told us they were punished for their trauma rather than supported through it. Another shared experiences of detention and solitude solitary confinement isolated from family, culture and support. Another shared the pain of being removed from country after an injury and being unable to return home because culturally safe housing and support simply did not exist. These are not separate issues. When equality is denied, harm grows. Connection to culture, community, and belonging is disrupted. And when systems fail to respond, the impacts are carried across generations. The Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities is more than a collection of articles. Behind every article is a human life. But we cannot continue to place people in solitary confinement however defined, and call it a human rights approach. Back home in Australia, our Disability Royal Commission made two hundred and twenty two recommendations for change. Yet more than two years on, fewer than a dozen of those two hundred 222 recommendations have been completed. Recommendation 8.3 was clear Prohibit the solitary confinement of children in detention. Yet Queensland, home to both mob for mob and QAI, remains the only state that has refused to take a clear position on ending it. Compounding this, the very funding for people with disability is currently under threats by cuts to our national disability insurance scheme. We call on the government to stop the cuts and consult. We need investment in wraparound supports that strengthen the whole person, the whole family, and the whole community. We need connection before problems arise, not after harm has already occurred. Today we ask this do more than listen to our stories. We ask you to act on them to ensure that cultural disability, culture, disability, family and community are recognised as interconnected realities that must shape policy, services, and accountability because the voices you heard today are not asking for special treatment. They are asking for dignity. They are asking for safety. They are asking to remain connected to family, culture, and community. And they are asking for the rights promised by the Convention to become a reality in their everyday lives. Thank you.


COSPCRPD · Chair [26:12]:

Thank you Next I give the floor to the distinguished representative from Kazakhstan


Kazakhstan [26:23]:

Thank you Madam Vice President. distinguished delegates. At this session, marking the 20th anniversary of the CRPD, we stand at a historic juncture. The milestone allows us to celebrate our collective achievements and strategically shape the next phase of implementation within a rapidly changing global landscape. For Kazakhstan, the principle of leaving no one behind is fundamental. It is actively embodied within President Tokayev's Fair Kazakhstan concept, driving our systemic shift from medical model of disability to a rights based approach. Following CRPD ratification, Kazakhstan solidified its legal accountability by ratifying its optional protocol. Our initial review before the UN CRPG Committee provided a comprehensive roadmap for ongoing domestic reform, anchored by our new social code, which modernized Social Security and targeted care. Through our modernized social services portal, citizens can directly choose and receive customized rehabilitation devices and services bypassing bureaucratic obstacles. We have also expanded digital medical social assessments to streamline accessibility for remote regions, ensuring personal assistance and sign language services to those in need. True inclusion, however, demands representation and decision making. Guided by the principle, nothing about us without us, Kazakhstan implemented mandated mandatory legislative quotas for persons with disabilities in national and local legislative bodies. Working alongside the Senate Council on Inclusion, these leaders are directly authorizing the laws that shape their lives. Concurrently, we have tightened our laws to enforce zero tolerance against exploitation and abuse, expanding national preventive mechanisms to guarantee safety in all institutions. Reflecting this commitment on the global stage, we're deeply honored by the election of Madam Kaltaeva on June 9th as the first ever representative from Kazakhstan and Central Asia to the CRPG. Dear colleagues, the next phase of CRPG implementation requires us to proactively counter the new vulnerabilities of a changing world. We must ensure that rapid digitalization serves as an instrument of empowerment, closing the digital divide for all. Furthermore, as we face economic shifts, our strategies must prioritize inclusive and resilient social safety nets that shield the most vulnerable. In conclusion, Kazakhstan reaffirms its strong commitment to working with the governments, civil society, and UN entities to turn those commitments into resilient, systemic action. I thank you.


COSPCRPD · Chair [29:15]:

Thank you. Next, I give the floor to the distinguished representative from Liberia.


Liberia [29:28]:

Thank you, Madam Chair. As we gather today to reflect on progress made in advancing the rights, dignity, and inclusion of persons with disabilities, Liberia reaffirms its commitment to the full implement implementation of the convention on the rights of persons with disabilities and the optional protocol. We remain guided by the principles of dignity, equality, and non discrimination, accessibility, and the meaningful participation of persons with disabilities in all aspects of society. Liberia recognizes that recognizes that disability inclusion is essential to achieving the 2030 development agenda. 2030 agenda for sustainable development and its pledge to leave no one behind. We are equally guided by the aspirations of the African Union's agenda twenty sixty three and the protocol to the African Charter on Human and People's Rights. on the rights of persons with disability in Africa, which called for inclusive, equitable, and accessible societies. Since ratifying rectifying the convention in 2012, Liberia has undertaken important legislative policy and institutional reforms to advance the rights of persons with disabilities. The National Commission on Disabilities established in 2005, continues to play a central role in coordinating disability inclusion efforts, and promoting the rights and welfare of persons with disabilities across the country. We are collaborating with organizations of persons with disabilities to provide access to training and livelihood opportunities for persons with disability. Why progress has been made? Significant challenges of multidimensional nature remain. Persons with disabilities continue to face barriers. related to poverty, limited accessibility, inadequate infrastructure, stigma discrimination, among others. These challenges are further exacerbated by climate change, public health emergencies, humanitarian crisis, humanitarian crisis, and economic vulnerabilities. Liberia therefore calls for strengthening international cooperation, enhanced capacity building, and increased investment in disability inclusive development. In conclusion, Liberia remains firmly committed to fulfilling its obligations under the CRPD and to working collaboratively with member states, the United Nations system, civil society, and organizations of persons with disabilities to advance a world in which all persons with disabilities can fulfill, can fully enjoy the human rights, realize their potential, and contribute meaningfully to Sustainable Development, Peace, and prosperity. And I thank you.


COSPCRPD · Chair [32:09]:

Thank you. Next, I give the floor to the Distinguished Representative from Belarus.


Belarus · Представитель [32:20]:

Благодарю, госпожа Председатель. Беларусь присоединяется к совместному заявлению, сделанному Азербайджаном. Подчеркиваем важность интеграции вопросов инвалидности в реализацию повестки дня до 2030 года, включая профилактику приобретенной инвалидности и эффективную противоиммунную деятельность. Беларусь последовательно реализует социальную политику, направленную на поддержку людей с инвалидностью. В стране искоренена крайняя нищета, а уровень малообеспеченности в две тысячи двадцать пять году составил три четыре процента. Люди с инвалидностью составляют около 6% населения. Государство гарантирует инвалидам пенсии, пособия, социальные услуги, льготы и обеспечение техническими средствами реабилитации. Особое внимание уделяется семьям, воспитывающим детей инвалидов, включая сохранение мер поддержки после достижения ребенком совершеннолетия. В 2024 2025 годах Беларусь продолжила совершенствование законодательства в сфере противодействия домашнему насилию, включая создание системы учета таких фактов, подготовку специалистов и внедрение материалов на ясном языке для работы с уязвимыми категориями граждан. В рамках государственной программы Общество равных возможностей на 2026 2030 годы приоритетами являются развитие социальной реабилитации, доступной среды, цифровой грамотности и занятости инвалидов. Планируется увеличить охват социальной реабилитации до 95% к 2030 году. Ежегодно более 75 тысяч граждан обеспечиваются техническими средствами реабилитации. Продолжается разработка новых современных изделий и цифровых решений для повышения качества жизни инвалидов. Создание доступной среды остается одним из ключевых направлений государственной политики. С 2025 года действует автоматизированная система Доступная среда, позволяющего оценивать доступность объектов социальной инфраструктуры. К 2030 году долю полностью доступных объектов планируется увеличить до 36%. Сегодня в экономике Беларуси занято около 71 1000 лиц с инвалидностью. Для содействия трудоустройства внедрена услуга сопровождаемого трудоустройства, эффективность которой достигает 28%. Беларусь продолжит реализацию национального плана действий по выполнению Конвенции о правах инвалидов на 2030 е годы, укрепляя принципы равенства, доступности и полноценного участия инвалидов во всех сферах жизни. Благодарю за внимание.


COSPCRPD · Chair [35:17]:

I gave the floor to the distinguished representative from Proyecto Filippide.


Proyecto Filippide [35:24]:

Thank you, moderator, excellencies, distinguished delegate, ladies and gentlemen, their friends, it is my immense pleasure that I have the great honor today to be able to speak at a general debate as NGO.


Proyecto Filippide · President [35:40]:

All of us over these 20 years have worked together to affirm the Convention on the Rights of the Person with Disabilities. We have come a long way, but look in the future, we still have a lot of work we do all together. I'm the president of Progetto Filippi Deo Vitali International NGO and a special sport

Program for persons with severe autism, who run a marathon 42 kilometers of Marathon, 21 kilometers and 10 kilometers race. And we are affiliated at the cost. The situation 20 years ago is not the situation today, but still the rights of the person with disabilities are affirmed, at least not all. Now I think only if all us together can work to affirm the Convention, we will be able to affirm return rights. If 20 years have passed, we do not want to wait another 20 years for the convention to be established. We can wait another 10 years, perhaps is too much better five years. But we would really like to apply the convention. Thank you to all for you for each of you for the wonderful work who have done over the years. Now we still have a wonderful job to do together, all together. Thank you at all.


COSPCRPD · Chair [37:15]:

Thank you Next I give the floor to the distinguished representative from Pakistan


Pakistan [37:25]:

I thank you

Madam president. Madam President, as we mark 20 years of the Convention, our rights of persons with disabilities, we must recognize both progress and unfinished work. Persons with disabilities continue to face barriers in education, employment, health care, transport, information, digital technologies, political participation, and humanitarian response. These barriers are not created by disability disability itself, but by inaccessible systems. In inadequate resources, and persistent stigma. The CRPD has helped shift the global approach from charity to rights, but implementation remains uneven and must now be accelerated. As a state party to the Convention on Rights of Persons with Disabilities, Pakistan continues to fulfil its obligations. Efforts have been made to strengthen legal and institutional frameworks for the protection and empowerment of persons with disabilities, promote inclusive education, expand social protection, improve access to assistive devices, and enhance participation of persons with disabilities. Madam President, as we shape the next phase of implementation, we would like to suggest the following. First, states must move from policy commitments to measurable implementation through policy legal and administrative measures with timelines budgets Institutional responsibility and independent monitoring. Second, accessibility must be treated as a legal and development obligation. Public buildings, transport, schools, hospitals, polling stations, digital platforms, and emergency information must comply with universal design and accessibility standards. Third, disability inclusions must be adequately financed. International cooperation should support developing countries through concessional financing, capacity building, technology transfer, and investment in accessible infrastructure, assistive technology, and community based services. Madam President, fourth, the sustainable development goals must be implemented through a disability inclusive lens particularly in poverty eradication health education decent work Thank you.


COSPCRPD · Chair [40:29]:

Next I give the floor to the distinguished representative from the Leprosy Mission International.


The Leprosy Mission International [40:38]:

Delegates and dignitaries

And friends Greetings from Papua New Guinea, where I represent a newly formed organization of persons affected by leprosy. I want to speak today to anyone connected with my country whether that is a partner or funding government, has a regional partner, a UN agency, or representative of the PNG government. Together we urgently need to find solution to the epidemic of violence against women in PNG that is affecting almost all women, but especially women with disabilities. Two out of every three women in Papua New Guinea report experiencing physical or sexual violence in their lifetime. I think we can all imagine that the number is even higher for women with disability. I am one of those women. My husband attacked me with a bush knife and years later with an axe. After decades of fear, I fled with my children to the capital city to survive. At the UN, we recognize the value of every person and essential need to each of us to access our rights. How far away is P&G from achieving this if two out of every three women experience violence. We desperately need your help. How can you help? In any way you can contribute so that a nation can address gender stereotypes, build education and skills for women, and ensure financial independence. We need to establish disability desks in police stations and hospitals. We need to train HR divisions in government and the private sector to adopt disability inclusion policies. We must fund safe houses and counseling services that are accessible to persons with disability. Crucially, for a nation with a violence epidemic, we must integrate disability inclusion into national gender based violence strategies, ensuring that the voice of a woman ahead in that process. Last year, the government of P&G passed the National Disability Service Bill. The bill calls to the for the establishment of the National Advisory Committee on Disability, and I hope many women will find their voices there. If we manage to stem the tide of gender based violence in PNG, I pray that the women with disability won't be the last ones to feel the benefit. I ask you to help us make this possible. Thank you.


COSPCRPD · Chair [43:33]:

Thank you Next I give the floor to the distinguished representative from Lebanon.


Lebanon · ممثل [43:44]:

يشارك لبنان في هذه الدورة، وهو يجدد التزامه الكامل باتفاقية حقوق الأشخاص ذوي الإعاقة. وبمبدأ أساسي مفاده أن الأشخاص ذوي الإعاقة هم أصحاب حقوق وشركاء كاملون في التنمية وصنع القرار. غير أن لبنان يتحدث اليوم من واقع أزمة إنسانية معقدة ما زالت تلقي بظلالها على الفئات الأكثر هشاشة. وفي مقدمتها الأشخاص ذوي الإعاقة. اليوم، ومن بين مليون نازح يواجه آلاف الأشخاص ذوي الإعاقة تحديات متفاقمة في الوصول إلى الخدمات الأساسية والرعاية الصحية وخدمات إعادة التأهيل والحماية الاجتماعية. كما يجد العديد منهم أنفسهم في ظروف في ظروف نزوح صعبة داخل مراكز مراكز الإيواء الجماعية، حيث يقيم حاليا أكثر من 2600 شخص من ذوي الإعاقة. وتبقى النساء والفتيات ذوات الإعاقة الأكثر عرضة للمخاطر في ظل تزايد احتمالات التعرض للعنف القائم على النوع الاجتماعي وصعوبات الوصول الى خدمات الحماية والصحة الجنسية والانجابية. الى جانب الاعباء الاضافية التي يفرضها الفقر وفقدان شبكات. الدعم. ورغم هذه التحديات تواصل الدولة اللبنانية العمل على الوفاء بالتزاماتها وواجباتها تجاه الأشخاص ذوي الإعاقة. فقد نفذت وزارة الشؤون الاجتماعية برامج حماية اجتماعية مستجيبة للصدمات، بما يضمن استمرار المساعدات النقدية وشبكات الأمان الاجتماعي. كما أقرت الحكومة اللبنانية أول استراتيجية وطنية لاستراتيجية وطنية لحقوق وإدماج الأشخاص ذوي الإعاقة للفترة 2026 2030. وهي خارطة طريق لترجمة مبادئ الاتفاقية إلى سياسات وإجراءات ملموسة، قائمة على الحقوق والمساواة والمواطنة الكاملة. السيد الرئيس، إن الاستجابة اليوم أصبحت أيضا جسرا نحو العودة والتعافي وإعادة الإعمار. ومن هذا المنطلق، مدد الأسبوع الماضي النداء الإنساني العاجل للفترة الممتدة من حزيران إلى آب 2026. بهدف الوصول إلى 1.4 مليون شخص من الأكثر حاجة، بمن فيهم الأشخاص ذوي الإعاقة وأسرهم، وضمان استمرار الخدمات الأساسية والحماية للفئات الأكثر هشاشة. كما أن إعادة الإعمار لا يمكن أن تكون مستدامة ما لم تكن شاملة ومتاحة للجميع منذ البداية. لكن بينما تتزايد الاحتياجات، تتباطأ المساعدات المخصصة لقطاعات أساسية كالصحة، والحماية الاجتماعية. ولبنان يحتاج الى تمويل مرن ومتعدد السنوات بما يتيح الانتقال من الاستجابة Thank you.


COSPCRPD · Chair [46:49]:

Next, I give the floor to the distinguished representative from Ukraine.


Ukraine [46:56]:

Madam President, as this conference discusses including inclusion, accessibility, and independent living, Ukraine continues to confront the war that produces the exact opposite injury, trauma, exclusion, and disability on a massive scale. Russia's full scale aggression continues to inflict immense suffering on our people. Since twenty twenty two, the number of people with disabilities in Ukraine has increased by more than fifty percent and now exceeds three point six million people. Every missile strike on the residential building, every attack on civilian infrastructure, every injury caused by explosive weapons creates new amputations, blindness, mobility impairments, and psychological trauma. In the occupied territories, institutions became deadly traps. Thousands of residents of psychoneurogical and geriatric facilities were left behind without opportunities for evacuation. Forced deportations denial of existential care, torture, and conflict related sexual violence have been documented. Many Ukrainian prisoners of war returned from Russian captivity with severe physical and psychological injuries requiring long term rehabilitation and support. Russia also continues to hold Ukrainian political prisoners with disabilities, despite serious medical conditions, and in some cases, contrary even to its own legislation. These realities have reinforced an important lesson for our country. Disability inclusion cannot be postponed until after a crisis. It must be integrated into humanitarian response recovery, and reconstruction from the outset. Just two weeks ago, Ukraine marked National Accessibility Week as part of implementing the national strategy for creating a barrier free environment through 2030. Across the country, public institutions, civil society organizations, and local communities promoted accessibility and equal opportunities for all. Ukraine is also implementing its deinstitutional deinstitutionalization strategies through 2034, replacing outdated models with community based services, supported living, and home based care. More than 280 resilience centers have been providing psychological support to over 700,000 people. We continue expanding early intervention services for children and families. New employment legislation strengthens workplace inclusion through financing of reasonable accommodation. The government has also approved a roadmap for reforming the prosthetics and rehabilitation system, introducing greater transparency, accessibility and digitalization. These reforms are important, but they are not enough. As long as Russia continues its aggression against Ukraine, it will continue to create new disabilities, destroy the infrastructure on which the person with disabilities depend and undermine the very principle this convention seeks to uphold. It is our common duty to ensure that.


COSPCRPD · Chair [49:59]:

Thank you. Next I give the floor to the Distinguished Representative from Commonwealth Disabled People's Forum.


CDPF · Sarah Kamau [50:11]:

Excellencies, ladies and gentlemen, my name is Sarah Kamau from Commonwealth Disabled People Forum, and a member of the United Disabled Persons of Kenya. As we celebrate and mark 20 years of the CRPD, CDPF is calling for no attacks on human rights for inclusion and advocating for protection and defending disabled people's rights. Representatives of government and OPDs meet for COSP 19 at a time of dangerous and unstable political economy. political, economic, and social crisis. Disabled people are still marginalized at the best of times, are severely impacted by food shortages, rising prices, war and conflict, floods, droughts, natural disasters, and climate emergencies. How much more we are impacted is a measure of how far governments of the world still have to go to implement our full human rights. These are not a further political fashion to be attacked as war. work, diversity, equality, and inclusion, but are our fundamental rights as human beings that prior to the UNCRPD had previously been ignored. We all need to redouble and combine our efforts to achieve substantial substantial progress on the goals of UNCRPD in this anniversary year, and stand firm against the populist and neo fascist forces that deny our rights. The Commonwealth promotes democracy and equality across its member states with over 2.5 billion citizens. That includes over 430 million persons with disabilities who are mainly youth. The Commonwealth Charter in these times of growing autocracy and security and inequality, though not perfect, provides an alternative way of maintaining parliamentary democracy, independent judiciary, and a free media. The self advocacy the self advocacy advocacy of CDPF and its collaboration, capacity building and advocacy play a crucial role in implementing the CRPD and the SDGs. CDPF has over 100 member DPOs across 56 countries including fifty DPOs, National Umbrella Organizations, and have found that although fifty five of our member countries have ratified the UNCRPD, implementation of the rights, protections, and freedoms from discrimination for disabled people is not happening or is very patchy. And we call for those states that have not ratified to do so. The Commonwealth has now developed the Commonwealth Disabled Inclusion Action Plan with support from CDPF, which will be presented to the Commonwealth Heads of Government during Chogom in Antigua November 2026 for approval. This can be viewed on our website, Commonwealth DPF.org. And I welcome you to a side event today on promoting its implementation in Conference Room C from 115 to 230. The action plan coming in the 20th year of UNCRPD will mark a new era of fast tracking disability rights implementation, and a one day symposium in Antigua on 5th of November, during Chogm and governments are requested to support DPOs to attend.


COSPCRPD · Chair [53:21]:

Thank you. Next, I give the floor to the Distinguished Representative from Fiji.


Fiji [53:31]:

Madam president, distinguished representatives.

The government of the republic Madam President, distinguished representatives, the government of the Republic of Fiji reaffirms its commitment to advancing the rights, dignity, and full participation of persons. with disabilities is a central pillar of our national development agenda, and our global commitments under the 2030 agenda for sustainable development. Fiji's ratification of the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities in 2017, and robust national legislative reform is part of ensuring the protection and security of vulnerable marginalized groups are considered towards meaningful participation nationally and internationally. Further positioning Fiji as a regional leader in rights based disability governance. Fiji's transformative steps to leaving no one behind is a commitment that fully integrates disability inclusion in the National Development Plan 2025 to 29. and the Vision 2050 that recognizes inclusive development in achieving sustainable economic growth, social cohesion, and resilience. Fiji has therefore included the following six preconditions accessibility assistive technology, support services, non-discrimination, community based inclusive development, and social protection, thus directing directly contributing to the achievement of sustainable development goals. One, four, five, eight, ten, and sixteen. Fiji recognized that disability inclusion is not the responsibility of a single agency, but a shared national obligation and civil responsibility that involves institutional strengthening of the Fiji National Council for Disabled Persons and formal partnerships with civil society, development partners, and organization of persons with disabilities in policy design, monitoring, and implementation. The 2025, 2035 Fiji disability policy and Fiji's National Election Plan to Prevent Violence Against Women and Girls has demanded inclusivity financing and evidence based framework integrating the needs of all genders and disabilities to establish measurable targets and accountability mechanisms across the whole of government. Fiji has also embedded disability inclusions across lifecycle social protection framework, ensuring that persons with disabilities are supported at all stages of life. Fiji's disability allowance scheme, social pension scheme, family assistance scheme, and targeted grants to OPDs for community outreach and awareness have advanced national plans and policies. Fiji's transitioning from medical model to rights based approach, whereby services are centered on dignity, autonomy, and individual needs, with the assistance of the Fiji Human Rights and Anti Discrimination Commission's critical role in safeguarding rights, addressing discrimination, and promoting accountability. The government acknowledges that there are gaps in disability desegregated data and data from 0 to 5 year olds with disability, and it is working to strengthen data systems to inform evidence based policymaking. In closing, disability inclusion requires political will, sustained investment and policy coherence, and partnership partnerships with persons with disabilities


COSPCRPD · Chair [56:48]:

Thank you Next I give the floor to the distinguished representative from Switzerland. You have four minutes.


Switzerland · Représentant [57:02]:

Madame la présidente, cette année marque le vingtième anniversaire de la convention relative aux droits des personnes handicapées. Notre conférence constitue une occasion privilégiée de réaffirmer notre attachement à la Convention et de rappeler la nécessité de renforcer, des droits des personnes handicapées. La Suisse se réjouit que cette conférence nous permette de mesurer des progrès accomplis, de mettre en lumière les déficits qui subsiste et de façonner ensemble les prochaines étapes. La suite s'est associée à la déclaration commune du groupe d'amis des personnes handicapées. Comme le souligne cette déclaration, la participation pleine et entière des personnes handicapées reste une priorité. Sa réalisation exige des mesures cohérentes et une collaboration étroite avec les personnes handicapées et les organisations qui les représentent. La Suisse attache, par ailleurs, une grande importance à la protection effective des personnes handicapées, en particulier des femmes et des enfants handicapés, contre la violence et d'exploitation. Et Elle accorde une attention particulière à l'accessibilité des mesures de prévention et des offres de protection destinées aux victimes de violences en situation de handicap. La Suisse est convaincue que la lutte contre les discriminations, la promotion d'une participation pleine et entière et le renforcement de l'autonomie des personnes handicapées contribuent de manière significative à réduire leur exposition à la violence et à l'exploitation. Tarsuif continuera de s'engager pour garantir aux personnes handicapées le plein exercice de leurs droits politiques et leur participation sans entrave à la vie politique. Elle veille également à, associer étroitement les personnes handicapées et leur organisation au processus décisionnel. Madame la vice-présidente, la prise de conscience croissante de l'importance des droits des personnes handicapées se reflète dans les initiatives populaires actuellement débattues en Suisse. Cette initiative, qui vise à inscrire plus explicitement le principe d'égalité dans la Constitution fédérale est le fruit de l'engagement de nombreuses personnes handicapées et de leur organisation. Le gouvernement et le Parlement examine actuellement des suites à lui donner. La Suisse continuera de s'engager en faveur d'une mise en œuvre de la convention relative aux droits de personnes handicapées fondés sur des politiques inclusives et proposant des progrès mesurables. Je vous remercie de votre attention.


COSPCRPD · Chair [1:00:27]:

Thank you Next I give the floor to the Distinguished Representative from Nepal


Nepal [1:00:35]:

Thank

You

Madam Chair Excellencies. distinguished delegates. Around the world, persons with disabilities continue to confront barriers that diminish lives and limit potential. For Nepal, providing every human being with equal dignity, equal rights, and equal worth is not an abstract principle. It is a constitutional guarantee, a moral imperative, and a development priority. Our constitutions guarantees equality, social justice, and inclusion for persons with disability. It ensures their representations in parliament and secures reservations quotas in the civil service. It prohibits discrimination on the grounds of disability. It mandates affirmative measures for protections, empowerment, and sustainable livelihoods. We have continued to strengthen our legal and influential architectures. We have introduced national accessibility standards for public infrastructure and public services. Similarly, we have expanded social protection and disability allowances which have delivered a meaningful and measurable impact Madam chair, its challenges remain and they are real. Nepal faces persistent resource constraint as the least developed and landlocked developing countries. Accessibility gaps endured across sectors and geographies. So does the technology gap. Similarly, institutional capacity must be further reinforced to fully implement the conventions and to accelerate progress towards the sustainable development goals. Against this backdrop, madam chair, allow me to underscore the following points. First, disability inclusion must be embedded across all policies, bodies and development programs supported by stronger national institutions and global partnerships. Second, the voice and meaningful participation of persons with disabilities are essential to designing effective, right based and sustainable solutions. Third, accessible infrastructure, services, technologies, and digital systems unlock opportunities, drive economic gains, and strengthen communities. Fourth, we must invest in inclusive educations, accessible health care, decent work, social protection, and digital accessibility backed by robust disability disaggregated data and evidence based policymaking. Fifth, stronger international cooperations through financing, technical assistance, capacity building, and policy support is vital to implement the CRPD and align national frameworks with global digital standards In conclusion Madam Chair Nepal reaffirms this Thank you.


COSPCRPD · Chair [1:03:41]:

Next, I give the floor to the Distinguished Representative from United Nations Association of Australia, Incorporated.


CDPF · Assistant Secretary for Equalities · Claire Gibellini [1:03:54]:

Thank you, Chair. My name is Claire Gibellini, a member of the United Nations Association of Australia and the Assistant Secretary for Equalities with the Commonwealth Disabled People's Forum. But I'm also here to today to speak on behalf of my friends and colleagues who are not able to be here, not by choice, but by design and deliberate exclusion. We welcome the theme of moving from participation to representation. But we must be clear. Representation cannot be achieved while certain voices are being actively erased. Across UN spaces, we are witnessing a pattern of systematic sideline of LGBT persons with disabilities. This is not always explicit. More often it occurs through omission, removal from negotiated text, sidelines side events quietly being reshaped, or speakers excluded to avoid political discomfort. In recent UN negotiations, agreed language referencing Sojiesque identity has been challenged or stripped, even when it is essential to understanding the intersection discrimination discrimination that we face. At the same time, LGBT organisations, particularly those led by persons with disabilities, face barriers to accreditation, reduced access to funding and limited speaking opportunities in official forums. This erasure has consequences. When LGBT persons with disabilities are not visible in policy discussions, our experience of violence, abuse and exclusion from services remains unaddressed. In humanitarian settings, we're excluded from protection mechanisms. In civic life, we face compounded barriers to leadership and participation shaped by both ableism and discrimination based on our identity. If we are serious about enhancing civic engagement and leadership, about making sure that we achieve inclusion for all, then inclusion must be deliberate, not selective. We call for member states and UN entities to actively protect and retain inclusive language in all CRPD related processes, including explicit recognition of Sogesque identity. We as civil society must work to ensure these entities remain accountable, not just those that explicitly work with LGBT people, all of us. Participation mechanisms must be strengthened to ensure that LGBT persons with disability, particularly from the Global South, can safely access, contribute to, and lead in UN spaces. This includes accessible funding, accreditation pathways, and protection from reprisals. We need to move beyond tokenistic participation. Representation means resourcing leadership, supporting organisations led by LGBT persons with disabilities to shape agendas, not just respond to them. Nothing about us means all of us. If we allow some voices to be raised, we weaken the integrity of the CRPD itself. But if we commit to full inclusion,


COSPCRPD · Chair [1:06:59]:

Thank you. Next, I give the floor to the Distinguished Representative from Uganda.


Uganda [1:07:10]:

Madam president, on behalf of the government of the and the people of the Republic of Uganda, I have the honor to address the 19th session of the Conference of States, purchase the Convention of the Rights of Persons with Disabilities. Uganda joins the international community in commemorating the 23rd anniversary of the adoption of the Convention of the Rights of the Person with Disabilities. This milestone provides an opportunity to celebrate achievements made in advancing the rights of persons with disabilities, while reflecting on the actions needed to accelerate the implementation of rights based and inclusion approach. And in an increasingly dynamic and changing world. In creating a world free from exploitation, violence, and abuse, Uganda recognizes that persons with disabilities, particularly women, girls and children with disabilities continue to face disproportionate risks of exploitation, violence and abuse. In response, Uganda has strengthened its legislative and institutional frameworks through the Persons with Disabilities Act 2020, which expressly prohibits cruel inhuman and degrading treatment, forced sterilization, harmful, cruel practices, and all forms of discrimination against persons with disabilities. Uganda family believes that resilient and inclusive societies are built upon strong care and support system that promote dignity, autonomy, and independent living. In this regard, Uganda has adopted disability inclusive social protection programs aimed at reducing poverty and addressing the additional costs, rather, associated with disability. Uganda has also taken significant steps to strengthen support systems for children with severe disabilities through a new social protection program called the National Child Disability Assistance Program, which aims to provide regular income support to families caring for children with severe disabilities, while linking them to rehabilitation, health, education, and social services. Uganda has entrenched affirmative action measures to persons with disabilities within its constitutional and governance structures. Persons with disabilities are represented at all levels of governance, including Parliament, local governments, and statutory bodies, thereby ensuring that their voices contribute directly to public policy and decision making, including stability people's organization, Madam President, in conclusion, as we celebrate 20 years of the convention Uganda reaffirms, it is an overcommitment to promoting, protecting, and fulfilling the rights of persons with disabilities. We call for strengthening international cooperation, increase investment in disability, inclusive improvement programs, access technologies, and greater support. I thank you, Madam Chair.


COSPCRPD · Chair [1:10:12]:

Thank you very much. Now I give the floor to the distinguished representative from Cambodia.


Cambodia [1:10:23]:

Thank you. Madam president, lady and gentlemen. Cambodia reaffirmed its steadfast commitment to full implementation of the convention on the right of person with disabilities. placing person with disability at the center of our national development efforts. Since ratifying the convention in 2012, Cambodia has integrated its principles into the legal and policy framework. As we approach the decades since two decades since the adoption of the CRPD, we welcome this opportunity to reflect on progress made and the work that remained to ensure the full realization of the right, dignities, and inclusion of persons with disability. For Cambodia, the CRPD carries particular significance. Decades of conflict left our country heavily contaminated with landmines and explosive remnants remnants of war. Since nineteen seventy nine, more than 65,000 casualties have been recorded. And thousands of Cambodians continue to live with disability resulting from these hazards. Bill Building on effort and successive governments, and under the leadership of our current prime minister, Samrai Kibade Hunmanat, Cambodia is transforming this legacy of suffering into the model of inclusive. Our national disability strategic plans for 2024 to 2028 serve as the key framework for advancing disability. disability rights and promoting equal opportunity for all. Important progress have been achieved in improving in accessibilities, expanding inclusive educations, strengthening health care and rehabilitation services, promoting employment and social protection in Integration Disability Perspective into disaster risk management At the same time challenges remained including securing sustainable resources, expanding access to service, strengthening psychological support and vocational training Advancing Digital Inclusions and Improving Data Coordinations. Cambodia remain committed to addressing these challenges through stronger implementation, decentralization, service delivery, and enhanced international cooperation. Madam President, Cambodia standard to work with all member states and partners to ensure that the promise of the convention become a reality in every person with disability, living.


COSPCRPD · Chair [1:13:25]:

Thank you. Next, I give the floor to the distinguished representative from United Cities and local governments.


UCLG · Vicepresidenta del Tribunal de Cuentas · Patricia Morla [1:13:37]:

Buenos días. Mi nombre es Patricia Morla. Me desempeño como vicepresidenta del Tribunal de Cuentas de la Municipalidad de Villa Carlos Paz, Argentina. Siendo la primera mujer con discapacidad que ocupa un cargo electivo en mi ciudad. En primer lugar, quiero agradecer al buró de conferencia de estas dos partes por el espacio en este año tan especial por el veinte aniversario de la convención. Aunque hemos avanzado mucho desde su adopción las barreras arquitectónicas, tecnológicas y sociales siguen limitando la participación y representación significativa de las personas con discapacidad. Por lo tanto, en nombre de mi ciudad y como miembro de ciudades y gobiernos locales Unidos, que es la mayor organización de gobiernos locales y regionales del mundo, y a quienes represento también en esta oportunidad. Quiero reafirmar nuestro compromiso con la localización de la convención por ser un mecanismo clave para acelerar la implementación de los derechos de las personas con discapacidad. Como gobiernos locales y regionales, somos la esfera de gobierno más cercana a las personas, pero en términos de accesibilidad y de lograr trabajar con la colaboración con las organizaciones de personas con discapacidad, seguimos teniendo dificultades. Un reto existente para los gobiernos locales y regionales para fortalecer la localización es la falta de aliancias significativas con organizaciones de personas con discapacidad para cocrear, diseñar, monitorear y evaluar las políticas, programas y servicios públicos. A través de nuestra comunidad de prácticas de ciudades y territorios inclusivos y accesibles. Trabajamos activamente implementando actividades para fortalecer nuestra capacidad de responder a este reto. Y los distintos artículos de la convención a través del aprendizaje entre pares, la investigación, proyectos pilotos y la colaboración con distintas instituciones entre ellas, organizaciones de personas con discapacidad y los Estados miembros. El trabajo de la comunidad de prácticas ha transformado nuestra organización para incluir la discapacidad y la accesibilidad como ejes transversales, para la localización de las agendas globales, en lo que nos llevó a participar en la primera con una primera delegación oficial de gobiernos locales en la Cumbre Mundial de Discapacidad en Berlín. Donde nuestro colectivo ha presentado más de 20 compromisos. Dentro de dos semanas se realizan la ciudad de Tánger, nuestro congreso mundial. Y en esta oportunidad vamos a presentar el primer informe sobre los avances de dichos compromisos y las directrices universales para la agenda de inclusión local. Para nosotros es imprescindible la promoción de la presencia relevante de las personas con discapacidad y sus organizaciones representativas, a través de un nuevo modelo de multilateralismo y contrato social a fin de lograr una gobernanza multinivel que acerque las políticas y las expectativas reales de las personas con discapacidad y la concientización de la sociedad. Muchas gracias.


COSPCRPD · Chair [1:16:37]:

Thank you. Next I give the floor to the Distinguished Representative from Maldives.


Maldives [1:16:48]:

Thank you Vice President and I thank the Bureau for their efforts in leading the session. Our society was designed with disregard for persons with disabilities. Accommodations are tools that enable navigation and participation in this society. 20 years ago, we crafted the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities for this same purpose to recognize barriers and redesign systems, to uphold the rights and dignity of each and every person. This is the transformative vision behind the first National Action Plan on Disability Inclusion, 2026 to 2030, launched by the Maldives in February this year. A working group consisting of organizations of persons with disabilities and civil society organizations identified barriers, defined priorities, and shaped actions included in the plan. The Maldives reaffirmed strong commitment to disability inclusion in informed by lived experience, and guided by the principal. Nothing about us without us. The NAPDI adopts a whole of government and whole of society approach across five priority areas. health and well being, inclusive education, decent work, accessible and sustainable communities, and access to justice and inclusive institutions. As it sits with capacity constraints, these are these areas align with existing obligations under the convention, the 2030 agenda, and the Jakarta declaration to avoid duplication and focus resources. States continue to spend more on debt servicing than social development. National effort alone isn't enough. Reform of the international financial architecture is essential to unlock affordable finance for social development. By 2030, the Maldives intends to expand accessible health care and specialist services across atolls, improve access to assistive devices, strengthen early identification and intervention, advance inclusive education and employment, and make infrastructure institutions and emergency systems more accessible. The convention guides, the plan builds, and persons with disabilities lead. There needs to be a transformation in our understanding and tacit acceptance of society as is we must make vision and policies into lived reality redesign society restore possibilities restore agency and restore dignity And I thank you.


COSPCRPD · Chair [1:19:17]:

Thank you Next I give the floor to the distinguished representative from Cuba.


Cuba · Representante [1:19:26]:

Profundamente convencidos de que un mundo más inclusivo, accesible, tolerante y respetuoso de la diversidad y las diferencias es imprescindible para no dejar a nadie atrás. Cuba brinda la mayor atención al desarrollo integral de las personas en situación de discapacidad y realiza ingentes esfuerzos para atender sus necesidades particulares. De ello hablan los notables avances legislativos desde la adopción de la constitución del 2019, así como el continuo perfeccionamiento del sistema de instituciones políticas públicas y recursos indispensables encaminados a garantizar la plena inclusión, dignidad y participación de todas las personas en situación de discapacidad. No es una tarea sencilla debido a la complejidad económica que enfrenta hoy el país, no solo debido a su condición de país en desarrollo, sino porque está sujeto a un bloqueo reforzado a niveles extremos, incluido a través del cerco energético y a las llamadas medidas secundarias. Que afectan marcadamente la calidad de vida de las personas en situación de discapacidad que hoy enfrentan prolongados apagones, problemas de suministro de agua, escasez de transporte público. La crisis energética impacta además las instituciones hospitalarias y docentes. Incluyendo las escuelas que imparten programas de educación especial para nuestros niños y jóvenes en situación de discapacidad. Los daños son reales y también dolorosos. 19 minutos de bloqueo equivalen al costo de las sillas de ruedas eléctricas y con convencionales que se requieren para atender las necesidades del sistema de educación especial del país. 10 minutos de bloqueo equivalen al financiamiento necesario para cubrir la demanda de prótesis auditivas, para niños y adolescentes en situación de discapacidad que cursan la educación especial en el país. Cuba seguirá promoviendo la autonomía, la dignidad y los derechos humanos de las personas en situación de discapacidad. Continuaremos centrando los esfuerzos en garantizarles un entorno seguro y pacífico, aunque hoy se ve seriamente amenazado por intenciones de uso de la fuerza contra la isla. Seguiremos trabajando sin descanso hacia una sociedad más inclusiva y justa para todos. Concluyo trasladando que Cuba avanza en la elaboración del segundo informe nacional ante el comité de los derechos de las personas con discapacidad y en el cumplimiento de las observaciones anteriores. Su presentación refrendará nuevamente nuestro compromiso con la plena implementación de la convención. Muchas gracias.


COSPCRPD · Chair [1:22:05]:

Thank you. Next, I give the floor to the distinguished representative from Guinea.


Guinea · Représentant [1:22:14]:

Excellence, mesdames and messieurs, mesdames et messieurs les membres du comité. Je voudrais tout d'abord vous transmettre au nom de son excellence, monsieur Mamadi Doumoya, président de la République de Guinée, nos chaleureuses salutations et formuler nos vœux ardents de succès aux travaux de la présente session. La délégation de la République de Guinée vous remercie pour l'opportunité qui lui est offerte de présenter les progrès réalisés dans la promotion, la protection et la réalisation des droits des personnes en situation de handicap. À nous réjouissant de prendre part à cette dix neuvième session marquant le vingtième anniversaire de l'adoption de la CDPH, nous réaffirmons notre engagement ferme en faveur d'une société inclusive fondée sur le respect de la dignité humaine, de l'égalité des chances, de la non-discrimination et de la participation effective. Au cours des 12 mois écoulés, des étapes importantes ont été franchies dans le renforcement du cadre juridique institutionnel de protection des droits des personnes en situation de handicap. L'adoption de la nouvelle constitution en septembre 2025 marque une avancée significative dans la consolidation des droits fondamentaux et dans la promotion de l'inclusion sociale de toutes les composantes de la population. Cette dynamique a été renforcée par la promulgation de la loi portant promotion et protection des droits des personnes en situation de handicap. Référence essentielle pour la mise en œuvre des principes consacrés à la convention, la loi révisée sur le handicap prévoit notamment des mesures relatives à l'accessibilité, à l'éducation inclusive, à l'emploi, à la santé, à la protection sociale ainsi quà la participation citoyenne. La Guinée poursuit également des efforts pour intégrer systématiquement la dimension handicap dans les politiques publiques sectorielles. À travers le quatrième recensement général de la population dont les résultats sont en cours de diffusion, une attention particulière est accordée à la désagrégation des données sur le handicap. Toutefois, des défis importants subsistent. Les obstacles liés à l'accessibilité physique, à la disponibilité des services spécialisés, à l'accès à l'information, à l'emploi et à la participation politique continuent d'affecter de nombre nombreuses personnes en situation de handicap. Particulièrement les femmes, les enfants et les personnes vivant en milieu rural. À cet égard, nous réitérons notre volonté de renforcer notre coopération avec les mécanismes des Nations Unies, les partenaires techniques et financiers ainsi que les organisations de la société civile afin d'accélérer la mise en œuvre effective de la convention. La République de Guinée reste déterminée à construire une société où aucune personne n'est laissée de côté pour contre et où chacun peut contribuer pleinement au développement national dans le respect de sa dignité et de ses droits. Je vous remercie.


COSPCRPD · Chair [1:24:51]:

You. Next, I give the floor to the distinguished representative from from Jerome Lejeune.


Jérôme Lejeune Foundation [1:25:02]:

Thank you, Madam the Chair, distinguished representatives. 20 years ago, the adoption of the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities marked a turning point a solemn promise that dignity is not conditional, that rights are not selective, and that no human being should be left behind because of cognitive or physical differences. The Jérôme Le Jeujeune Foundation is honored to take the floor today. Our mission is rooted in the conviction that science must serve humanity all of humanity. We accompany every day thousands of people living with intellectual disabilities in their families. And it is in their name that we speak. Let's celebrate 20 years of real progress. More children with down syndrome and other intellectual disabilities are going to school, are finding work, are building relationships, and living abundant lives. Science has advanced. Awareness has grown. And yet, we must be honest. The gap between the text of this convention and the actual reality lived by so many individuals with intellectual disabilities remains deeply troubling. Dignity cannot be proclaimed in international halls while being quietly denied in medical offices, research laboratories, or public policies. We are concerned that scientific and technological progress, when not guided by an ethical compass, risks serving exclusion rather than inclusion. Artificial intelligence, genetic screening, and prenatal diagnoses hold immense promise, but only if they are developed and applied with the unconditional respect for every human life at every stage. Research must be a part of the answer. The Jérôme Lejeune Foundation calls on states to invest in biomedical research aimed at improving the health and autonomy of persons with intellectual disabilities, not to eliminate them, but to care for them, to treat them, and to accompany them. This is the direction which Doctor Jerome Lejeune himself championed science at the service of the person. Families, too, must not be forgotten. They are often the invisible backbone of inclusion. They need support recognition, and access to competent professionals who can accompany them, not with pity, but with expertise and respect. As we mark this 20th anniversary, let us be clear. The measure of our progress is not the the sophistication of our declarations. It is whether the person with an intellectual disability can look at this world and feel that they belong in it fully, unconditionally, and with dignity. The Jerome Lejeune Foundation reaffirms its commitment to that vision and calls on states to translate the promise of the CRPD into lived reality today and in the 20 years to come. Thank you.


COSPCRPD · Chair [1:27:41]:

Thank you. Thank you very much for your statement. Colleagues, I will now suspend the meeting for a two minute housekeeping arrangement for the third roundtable meeting, which will start in this room immediately. Since we have not exhausted our list of speakers of the general debate, as decided by Daburo, this afternoon from 3:00 PM, we shall continue with agenda item 5A in order to hear the reminder of the speakers of the general debate. Please check the updated last speaker list. Now I invite the two co-chairs and all panelists of the Round Table III meeting to please take your seat at the podium. Thank you.


Speaker 61 [1:30:30]:

一次。


Canada · Co-Chair · Elizabeth Tudor Bezier [1:33:50]:

Excellencies, distinguished delegates, ladies and gentlemen, I now call to order round table three of the subtheme from participation to representation, enhancing accessible civic engagement, leadership, and advocacy in political and public life. I have the pleasure of co-chairing this roundtable along with my civil society colleague, Mr. Juan Angel de Gouveia. Mr. de Gouveia is president of RIADIS, the Latin American Network of Non-Governmental Organizations of Persons with Disabilities and their families, and Vice President of the International Disability Alliance. Since 2018, he has been accredited as an expert member by civil society before the Committee for the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against persons with disabilities, say this, of OAS. He is a member of the board of directors of the World Federation of the Deaf and serves as president of the Deaf Confederation of Venezuela. In addition, he is also the director of the Vanessa Peretti Foundation. To introduce myself, my name is Elizabeth Tudor Bezier, vice chair of the session of CospCRPD and second secretary of the Permanent Mission of Canada to the UN. For those who can't see me, I'm a young female with light brown hair, short, and large hazel eyes. Today, together with Mr. de Gouveia, we will facilitate this roundtable discussion entitled From Participation to Representation Enhancing Accessible Civic Engagement, Leadership, and Advocacy in Political and Public Life. Distinguished panelists, delegates, and civil society partners. To kick off our discussion today, I would like to begin with a few points. In our current turbulent times, the world faces a myriad of interlocking challenges and threats. Of considerable concern is the backsliding of democracy and the erosion of fundamental rights. People everywhere are facing growing limitations on their ability to determine the matters, processes, and decisions that profoundly shape and affect their everyday lives, a trend which is increasingly fomenting and entrenching exclusion exclusion and disenfranchisement. Indeed, over the last few decades and across the globe, fewer and fewer people are turning out to vote in elections. Crackdowns on civil and political liberties, particularly on the freedoms of peaceful assembly and association and of expression, are worsening and becoming more frequent. Misinformation, widespread misinformation, disinformation, and hate speech, mainly disseminated online and amplified through the use of digital technologies, contribute to widening polarization and pose risks to democracy, transparency, and accountability. As we mark the 20th anniversary of the adoption of the CRPD, it is therefore vital to ensure that political participation of persons with disabilities as an effective means of bolstering democratic governance and strengthening the civic space, as well as to amplify efforts to realize the rights enshrined in the CRPD for and with. and by persons with disabilities. To achieve this, it is fundamental that all barriers are dismantled to enhance the accessible civic engagement, leadership, and advocacy of persons with disabilities and all aspects of political and public life. However, evidence suggests that persons with disabilities are less likely to vote than their peers without disabilities, known as the disability gap. Similarly, persons with disabilities are underrepresented in public office and are less likely, for instance, to work as legislators, whether at the national, municipal, or local level. In still many countries, persons with disabilities are subject to legal provisions that impose disability based restrictions on the right to vote or to stand in elections and hold public office. During elections, persons with disabilities must overcome the lack of accessibility in physical infrastructure. From inaccessible public transport to inaccessible polling booths, the lack of accessibility and information regarding the time and date of elections, candidate lists, and ballot papers party manifestos, and the lack of inclusive communication, such as sign language, closed captioning, braille, and easy to read. Deplorably, despite two decades of the CRPD ushering in a paradigm shift of our understanding of disability. Persons with disabilities standing as candidates during elections must confront entrenched stigma and are too often perceived as less competent, unstable, or unable to withstand the demands and responsibilities of holding public office. Such discriminatory purposes and attitudes, stereotypes, and beliefs are reinforced and perpetrated through limited and biased representative representations of disability in the media, as well as the algorithm induced echo chambers in digital spaces. Although the Committee on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities has affirmed the right of persons with disabilities to freely and easily established organizations representing them, in some jurisdictions, persons with disabilities encounter restrictive and overly burdensome registration and administrative requirements when attempting to do so. Some gains have been made in the inclusion and participation of persons with disabilities in public affairs and their conduct with organizations of persons with disabilities being consulted more frequently and on a broader range of issues. Nevertheless, consultation processes are overall not accessible, lacking reasonable accommodations, physically inaccessible buildings and spaces, and informational and communicational barriers, preventing persons with disabilities and their representative organizations from fully and meaningfully participating and contributing to public decision making. In addition to these challenges, emerging threats pose new challenges. The continuing digitalization of civic space, propelled by the expansion of digital technologies and AI, has had a profound impact on the right to freedom of expression and opinion and the right to information. Within an increased increasingly digitalized environment, persons with disabilities are disproportionately exposed to a higher risk of hate speech, violence and abuse, potentially leading to their exclusion from public life. In short, our discussion today could not be more timely or pressing. Dear colleagues, dear friends, it is my honor to introduce and extend a warm welcome to all of our distinguished panelists here today, starting with Mr. Amon Anastas Mupanda Mupanju, Ministry of Community Development, Gender, Women, and Special Groups of Tanzania. Ms.. Ana Carla Pereira, Director for Equality and Nondiscrimination, DG Justice and Consumers of the EU Commission. Mr. Dan Rochel, Commissioner for Equal Rights of Persons with Disabilities from the Ministry of Justice of Israel. Mr. Floyd Morris from the UN Committee on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities. And Ms.. Janet Charchuk of Down Syndrome International Canada. We will shortly invite each of our panelists to deliver their presentation to share their thoughts and insights of the crucial issue. We do want to give some more time to panelists for people to deliver interventions and to ask questions. So we will have to unfortunately cut to shorten our remarks a little bit here on the panelist's side as well, I believe, just for a couple of minutes. just so we can give more people time to ask questions. So we'll ask for seven minutes of interventions for each panelist if they do not mind. Following the presentations, we will invite delegations and observers to participate in the interactive dialogue through a Q&A session, and to pose questions to the panel. Participants who wish to take the floor are invited to press the button on their desk after the co-chair opens the floor. So when you give the when you're given the floor, please unmute your microphone and identify yourself, your delegation, and organization, and then pose your questions. They are limited to two minutes. And please be please be kind to us. We do know that there are going to be likely a lot of questions. And we are going to try to get through as many as possible. But with a short time frame, we will have to ask for two minutes, and we may not get to everybody. I will stop there. And I will now turn the floor over to our co-chair, Mr. DuGouveia, to continue chairing this session. Over to you.


RIADIS · Co-Chair · Juan Angel de Gouveia [1:42:20]:

Thank you, Ms.. Dudolvoisier. Dear delegates, it is my great honor to introduce and invite our first panelist, Mr. Amon Anastas Mpanju, to the floor. Mr. Mpanju, is a Tanzanian lawyer and a prominent public servant currently serving as Deputy Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Community Development Gender Women and Special Groups. He holds a Bachelor of Law degree with honors from the University of Dar es Salaam and a postgraduate diploma in legal practice from the Law School of Tanzania. A person who is blind, he is widely recognized as a champion for the rights of persons of people with disabilities, both nationally and internationally. He was also a member of the Tanzania Special National constituent assembly representing people with disabilities during the drafting of the proposed Tanzanian constitution back in 2014. Mr. Ipanju, welcome. The floor is yours. Please remember to keep to the seven minute time limit for your presentation. Thank you.


United Republic of Tanzania · Deputy Permanent Secretary · Amon Anastas Mpanju [1:43:38]:

Thank you, co-chairs, esteemed fellows, finalists excellencies ladies and gentlemen good morning It is my distinct honor to address this roundtable Roundtable three. From participation to the presentation, enhancing accessible civic engagement, leadership, and the advocacy of personal disabilities in political and public life. Looking at the nature, I mean the topic in front of us, it entails and encompasses a lot of things which you need to look at. But looking at it, it is in line with the 20 years of celebration and the evolving nature of inclusive governance. Now, I will go straight to what participation and what representation is. For a very long time, and for the existence of 20 years of CRPD, we all agree that CRPD has influenced regional subregional, and national legal systems, Constitution policies, and administrative measures to ensure that person with disabilities participate in the development within our respective areas. And looking at what is being portrayed to us, it is really an achievement to have person with disability as a participant in the process, as a fundamental principle towards inclusion. But it is where it's unfortunate to note that the representation of person with disabilities in different decision making bodies still a nightmare, whereby few persons with disabilities have made it to the leadership cadre in their respective countries. And the challenge remains even across the global community, even even at the UN systems. You find that we don't have directors heading the UN systems, even for African Union, or European. We don't have person with disabilities heading the most important position. The same applies to our respective countries. Now that being said, I will use Tanzania as an example to explain what could be done to ensure that we have effectively meaningful representation of persons with disabilities across the government structures, in the Parliament, executive bodies, in the councils, and the different levels of the decision. For Tanzania, right after ratification of the UNCRPD in the year 209, we enacted the specific disability laws, the one for Tanzania Mandarin and the other for Tanzania Zanzibar, which put in place and reflected the content of the Article 29 of the CRPD. Article 29 CRPD requires member state to ensure that we put in place measure that will grantee participation of person with disability in public life. But to ensure that person with disability are active members in terms of election but also in holding offices. For Tanzania we made sure that Section 51 of the Personal Disability Act number 9 of 2010, and the Zanzibar Rights and Privilege Act also grantees the participation of Personal Disability in your democratic process in the election, but holding offices. We did not end up there. We made sure that our constitution embraces articles that grantees participation of person disabilities at Article 11 and Article 18, which guarantees the freedom of expression of persons and disabilities. And Article 20 that grantees the Association of Personal Disability. And Article 21 in terms of expression and of their will and opinion. And also we went further to amend the regulatory I mean electoral laws. To reform electoral laws whereby the election act presidential, parliamentary and the councillors election act, acting number one of twenty twenty four. It was informed to ensure that it embraces the content of article twenty nine of CRPD by putting press in the favorable environment for persons with disability to be able to participate in the electoral and electoral processes, but also in the governance process. As the result of those interventions, Tanzania has made notable progress in terms of including personal disability as a representative in different levels of governance. For three years, consecutively, we have a member of personal disability in the cabinet representing us as deputy minister. Whereby all the issues that are deliberated at the cabinet levels take into account issues of personal disability. But also we have permanent secretaries or principal secretaries full two person disability out of 25 ministries and the deputy permanent secretaries with disability there too. But we did not end up there. We have executive officers. We have solista general with herbinism. You can imagine a person with herbinism heading the prosecution process. At the end of the day, we are granted issues of disability to be cut catered before. But we have judges and magistrates with disabilities. We have honorable members of parliament with disabilities where now the numbers ready from one 2010 there were three. Now there are five. members of parliament in the National Assembly with disabilities. But not only that we have ambassadors with disability. Our ambassador in Geneva out of 21 ambassadors, two of them were persons with disabilities. And we have the electors, we have councillors, we have across the government, but it did not come once. We had to pay the price, we had to get into a corrective negotiation, bargaining with the political parties, especially the ruling parties and even the opposition parties to understand our issues. It has sometimes we could force our way through. You need to be vigor. Personal disability they need to be vigor. They need to be courageous enough to jump all the barriers that may limit having effective representation, or having personal disability in the meaningful leadership positions. But also now looking at what I explained, it is not true that we have all we have been there. We still have challenges that limit the participation of person disabilities ranging from attitudinal barriers. The way persons their disabilities are perceived by the community. So we need to invest more in terms of advocacy in collaboration organizations of person disabilities. But civil society organizations, we still have that challenge. We need to look on how we can invest, but also we needed to invest in terms of leadership, the development of person disability from their young age. But also we needed to because the world is now in the third era of human rights generation groups of human rights keeps coming. So we need to identify our allies. We need to engage with women to ensure that women with disability, they possess all the required criteria and credentials to be able to be voted in by women with disability without looking whether he or she has that disability. The challenge is that if at all we dwell that a person can be voted in, or need to be measured as a target that a person with disability has to hold office. That is not enough. We need to understand the environment around us. We need to process the credentials that is required. We need to process all the qualities that may make people in a given community to vote that person in. We need to ensure that we invest into our people with disability to know their countries, to know for instance, we are in the UN, we need a person with disability who can deliver by knowing the UN system the way they work because disability will not stand alone. So in conclusion, the the home take of which I think we need all to look at is the member states. We need to come up with strategies that are mentionable to ensure that we. could have representations of personal disability across the board. We need to invest in terms of empowering organizations of personal disability, and the person with disabilities themselves to be able to stand and fight against the barriers because there are barriers that are there to stay. Attitudinal barriers cannot end today. As you can name with south, I mean global, south, South Globe North. They're black, white, women, female. All these are here to stay. So we need to fight against I mean to fight through those. Yes please.


RIADIS · Co-Chair · Juan Angel de Gouveia [1:52:46]:

Thank you very much. Thank you for sticking to the time. Thank you for your excellent presentation. Our next speaker will be Ms.. Ana Carla Pereira. Ms.. Ana Carla Pereira is a director for equity and non-discrimination at DG Justice and Consumers of the EU Commission. where she is responsible for policies combating discrimination on the grounds of sex, racial or ethnic origin, religion or belief, disability, age or sexual orientation. Previously, she served as a cabinet expert and employment and social policy advisor to Nicholas Schmidt, a European commissioner for jobs and social rights. As cabinet expert, she started flagship initiatives such as the Minimum Wage Directive the platform work directive, and work on social dialogue. Prior to that, she had had of the she was head of the Unity in Directorate General Employment, Social Affairs, and Inclusion at the European Commission. Fifthly, being responsible for skills and qualifications policies and later on for social protection policies. Ms.. Pereira, welcome to the panel. The floor is yours.


EU · Director for Equality and Nondiscrimination · Ana Carla Pereira [1:54:07]:

Thank you Chair and good afternoon everyone. I really would like to start by congratulating the Bureau for putting this so central topic on our agenda. because we believe, as European Union and the European Commission, that the participation and representation of people with disabilities in public life and political life is very central to the implementation of the convention. So I'm really honored to represent here the European Union as a focal point, and share our commitment to this very important principle of the convention. I would like to mention what we are doing in the European Union in this respect. And I would like to start by saying that for us, participation meaning meaningful participation of persons with disabilities means having participation in the political process. As actually it has been mentioned by my pre my co panelists. For us, this means that by ensuring participation in the political process, both at EU level and its member states, we are making sure that organizations are not just simply consulted, but they share their expertise, their experience, their priorities. And in this way, they contribute to policy design, implementation, and monitoring. At the European level, we have the European the European strategy for the rights of persons with disabilities that was adopted in 2021. and stems until two thirty. And we have recently adopted new measures that reinforce the action under this strategy. And a very important element was actually to consult persons with disabilities, their representatives, and civil society on the preparation of this strategy. So the strategy has three main angles that I would like to refer here that we believe are relevant for this debate. The first is the direct support we give to organizations of persons with disabilities in the EU. We have what we call the the the Disability Platform, which is an outlet of dialogue between the the focal points of the Member States with the Commission, which is the focal point for the European Union, and organizations of persons with disabilities and civil society. And this platform meets very regularly throughout the years to discuss the topics and priorities for implementation. We also provide direct financial support. And this year we we have channeled 8 million euros for the support of organizations of persons with a disability. And this is just an example, because we do this on a yearly basis. And we also make sure that the consultations themselves are accessible and inclusive, because of course it's necessary that the consultation is in accessible formats, easy to read versions, and targeted outreach to organizations representing the diversity of persons with disabilities. The second point I want to mention is what we do to improve participation in political and public life. And to recall that for us, this is not just a matter of this disability rights. This is a fundamental issue to ensuring inclusive democratic governance, because we know that when everyone votes, when everyone is represented, that you have vibrant and healthy democracies. So in the in the in the EU we have been working to make this a reality. We are committed to this obligation that the convention puts upon us, recognizing that persons with disabilities have the right to participate in political and public life on an equal basis with others. Whether it's through voting, standing for elections, or engaging through their representative organizations. We we know that we still have challenges ahead. And so this is what we have been working and I'll share you just a few actions that we have recently taken. We we have stimulated the use of alternative voting methods. We improved the polling stations accessibility. And we have made more accessible electoral materials. And we have studied what has happened in the last elections for the European Parliament. And we are happy to to hear from the monitoring and evaluations that there has been progress when it comes to the participation of persons with disabilities. We have also exchanged, exchange good practices through the European Cooperation Network on elections. And we have developed a guide of good electoral practices, as means of guiding all those who are willing to take a step forward. I would like to mention that accessibility is key in this respect, because it's not only about having the legal rights right, but is also making sure that this legal right is a de facto right and a de facto possibility. Accessibility for us remains key for the participation of people with disabilities. And digital participation is essential because we know that inaccessible digital systems and technologies risk creating new forms of exclusion. And so digital accessibility, assistive technologies, and the implications of artificial intelligence for persons with disabilities are at the core of our of our action. I would like to recall we have a European Accessibility Act. And this establishes accessibility requirements on a range of key products and services like banking services, eBooks, e-commerce. And we believe that these measures are important not only from a consumer perspective, but also because access to information and communication and digital services are increasingly necessary for civic and political participation. I will end here because I know we are in a short of time just to confirm that we, as European Union, as the European Commission remain steady fast on our commitment to to the convention. And we are happy to work with all the partners across the globe who wish to pursue this endeavour. Thank you.


RIADIS · Co-Chair · Juan Angel de Gouveia [2:01:16]:

Thank you very much. Thank you very much for keeping to time. And thank you, Ms.. Pereira, for your contribution. Now it is my honor to present our next panelist, Mr. Dan Rashal. Mr. Rashal has served since 2021 as Commissioner for Equal Rights of Persons with Disabilities at Israel's Ministry of Justice. In this capacity, he leads national policy, regulation, and enforcement efforts to advance the rights, inclusion, and participation of people with disabilities. in line with Israel's domestic legal framework and the principles of the UN Convention on the Rights of People with Disabilities. His work focuses on strengthening accessibility, equality, and rights based implementation across government, public bodies, civil society, and the private sector. While also promoting cross sector and international cooperation on legislation policy, development, regulatory frameworks, and enforcement. Mr. Roshal, you have the floor.


Israel · Commissioner for Equal Rights of Persons with Disabilities · Dan Rashal [2:02:26]:

Thank you. I am proud to represent the state of Israel and the Commission for Equal Rights of Persons with Disability within the Ministry of Justice. My core message today is simple. Participation matters, but participation alone is not enough. We should measure success not only by whether persons with disabilities are present in civic spaces, but by whether they are represented in decision making, can stand for office, can hold public functions, and can influence the policies that shape their lives. That is the shift I hope we can make in this roundtable from access to innovation to access to power sharing. This issue is urgent because democratic systems are already under pressure. The UN Disability and Development Report of 2024 shows that persons with disabilities are still being left behind across multiple SDG targets. So disability inclusive political participation is not a specialist side issue. It is part of rebuilding democratic legitimacy itself. The legal baseline is already robust. Article 29 guarantees political rights on an equal basis with others, including accessible voting procedures, secret ballots, the right to stand for election, to hold office, and to participate in political parties and representative organizations. Article 33 of the Convention, as well as General Comment Number Seven, adds that state must closely consult and actively involve persons with disabilities through their representative organizations in implementation and monitoring. And the CRPD Committee's 2025 Day of General Discussion was convened specifically, to prepare a future general comment on Article 29, which underlines that this is an implementation priority and is subject to further deliberations, such as the one we are having now. The implementation gap is visible across the system. The Special Upper tool 2026 report notes that persons with disabilities remain significantly underrepresented in political decision making, with legal restrictions linked to legal capacity, stigma, inaccessible political environments, lack of accommodation, financial constraints, and limited leadership pathways, all playing a role. The UN Disability and Development Report of 2024 adds that persons with disabilities are underrepresented in public service, that about 30% find voting inaccessible, and that in some countries persons without disabilities are twice as likely to work as legislature, senior officials or managers. Women with disabilities are especially underrepresented. Available data from various countries suggests that only 3% work as legislators, senior officials or managers, compared with 4% of women without disabilities. We don't need to start from scratch. Practical reforms are already well understood. What matters is whether states and institutions treat accessibility as a default feature of political life, whether parties create real pathways into leadership, whether reasonable accommodations and disability related participation costs are funded and whether representation is supported after entry into office. The central message is that implementation should be systematic. Information must be accessible. Participation pathways must be open. Institutions must be usable in practice. And accountability must be built into implementation. The first, what can be called package, is in line with the CRPD, is for states and election management bodies.


RIADIS · Co-Chair · Juan Angel de Gouveia [2:06:20]:

Mr. Rahul, you have one minute remaining, please.


Israel · Commissioner for Equal Rights of Persons with Disabilities · Dan Rashal [2:06:23]:

My closing ask is this. Let us raise the benchmark. We should no longer be satisfied when persons with disabilities are merely invited into civic and political spaces. We should ask whether they can set agendas, lead institutions, organize collectively and obtain remedy when the rights are denied. Over the next set period of time, states, civil society, and international bodies should be able to point to four deliverables discriminatory rules removed, except accessibility operationalized, leadership pipelines funded, and progress publicly measured. That is what moving from participation to representation should mean in practice.


RIADIS · Co-Chair · Juan Angel de Gouveia [2:07:07]:

Thank you ladies and gentlemen I now invite our next panelist to take to take the floor Mr.. Floyd Morris Mr.. Morris is a professor a professor in Political Communication and Disability Studies, and the Director of the Center of Disability Studies at the University of West Indies. The first person with a visual disability. He's a blind person to be promoted to this rank at the institution. He has researched and published extensively on the subject of political communication and disability studies, evidenced by over 30 international publications. Mr. Morris has first appointed as the senator in 1998 becoming the first person the first blind person in Jamaica to be appointed to the Senate. He has promoted to Minister of State and Ministry of Labor and Social Security in 2001 and was instrumental in the design and the passage of the Disabilities Act of Jamaica. For his tremendous effort, he was elected to the United Nations Committee on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities in 2020 and reelected back in 2024. Mr. Morris, you have the floor. Seven minutes, please. Thank you.


CRPD Committee · Member of the CRPD Committee · Floyd Morris [2:08:24]:

Thank you very much

Chairpersons and I want to acknowledge all the distinguished guests and panelists including the chairpersons and members of the CRPD Committee led by Miss Mian Kim. Persons with disabilities are not objects of charity. We have the right to participate in all areas of life. As articulated in the CRPD of 2007. This include the participation of persons with disabilities in public life. 20 years have elapsed since the CRPD was established. And it constitutes a critical juncture for evaluation. During this time, I have been able to look from a vantage point as a member of the CRPD committee and one who was instrumental in leading the negotiations for Jamaica on the CRPD in 2002 to 2007, of which Jamaica was the first country in the world to sign and ratify the treaty in March two thousand and seven. I'm currently serving on the CRPD committee and doing my second term. And I must indicate the CRPD committee constitute a dedicated body of competent individuals who have been charged to monitor the implementation of the treaty. And here I want to make an appeal on behalf of the committee to all states parties to make sure that we honor our obligations, financial obligations to the UN so that the CRPD committee and other treaty bodies can complete and advance the important work that have been mandated to them. I have personally participated in over 60 country evaluations on the CRPD committee over the past six years. And in this, we have seen a number of challenges including problems with accessibility, problems with access to justice, independent living, D institutionalization, inclusive education, access to employment, access to health care, social protection, adequate social protection. And there is a commonality that exists between these countries in the evaluation, where persons with disabilities have been absent from the decision making table. Persons with disabilities need to sit and participate at the decision making table where it matters to their lives. Limited involvement of persons with disabilities in political representation, exists across the world. There is approximately forty six thousand five hundred persons at in national parliaments across the world. And of this it is estimated that only 1% constitute persons with disabilities. Where we have the global population of persons with disabilities representing 16% or 1. 3 billion individual. There therefore exist a disproportionality in terms of representation of persons with disabilities in national parliaments across the world. There needs to be what I regard as a grassroots political model of disability that represents the next frontier of disability advocacy. advocacy. Persons with disabilities and their families must join together to use their votes to advocate for programs and policies related. to them. When the 16% of the global population of persons with disabilities join with mother, father, children, it mushrooms to over 48% eight percent of the global population. Politicians do not ignore large numbers of organized groups. Persons with disabilities and their families must organize around this noble objective to get things done for them. In conclusion, persons with disabilities need to move from being mere voters to participants at the decision making table. The power of our vote must become an intrinsic value. We must join with family members for greater empowerment. NGOs and organizations of persons with disabilities must be involved with setting the agenda, with grassroots groups of persons with disabilities, or vote is power. Our vote can speak. Our vote has value. We must make it matter in the next disability frontier. I thank you very much.


RIADIS · Co-Chair · Juan Angel de Gouveia [2:14:00]:

Much Thank you Mr.. Morris for your excellent presentation and to stick to the time Dear delegates civil society friends I will now hand over the co-chairmanship back to Mrs. Tudol Vessier, who will continue to moderate our meeting today. Over to you, Mr. Tudol Vessier.


Canada · Co-Chair · Elizabeth Tudor Bezier [2:14:27]:

Thank you so much, Mr. DeGouvea, for his excellent co-chairing of this roundtable. I now invite our fifth and final panelist, Ms.. Janet Charchuk, representing Down Syndrome International, to deliver her presentation. A little bit about her. Ms.. Janet Charchuk is a self-advocate and motivational speaker from Alberton, Prince Edward Island, Canada. She is Canada's ambassador with Down Syndrome International and a trustee on their board. Her speaking engagements have taken her across the world, and she has spoken to parents, self-advocates, teachers, educators, medical professionals, lawyers, and politicians about the importance of inclusion for everyone in all aspects of their life. Ms.. Charchuk lives independently, volunteers in her community, works as a ranch hand at the equine therapy facility, and believes in showing her abilities. Ms.. Charchuk welcome. You have the floor.


Down Syndrome International · Trustee · Janet Charchuk [2:15:21]:

Thank you. Thank you. All right. So my name is Gina Tarchuk, and I am from Canada. I am a board member with Down Syndrome International. We are a global network of people with Down syndrome and their families. I want to start with a question. Imagine if this building had no ramp. There would be an outrage. Imagine if there was no sign language, no captions. We will all say this is against the convention. And we will be right. But right now in this building, most of what is happening is not accessible to me. The long words, the fast speech, and the thick documents. It's somehow that does not cause outrage. I want to ask you today, why not? Because if we do not answer that question, we cannot move from participation to representation. We will only move some of us. There are least three barriers for keeping people with Down syndrome and intellectual disabilities out of politics and decision making. Number one, it is the law. Number two is the way the elections are run. And number three is the table where decisions are made. The first barrier is the law. In many countries, people with down syndrome and intellectual disabilities are not allowed to vote. We are not allowed to run for election. We are not allowed to be politicians. This is because the law treats us as if we cannot make our own decisions. Sometimes a judge decides this. Sometimes a doctor does. Often it happens automatically like that. with no way to challenge it. But change is possible. Some countries have done it. In Canada, my country, my country, the federal court decided in nineteen eighty eight that you cannot take away someone's vote because of a disability. That was almost forty years ago. So when people say this kind of change is too hard or too soon, I want to say it is too late. It is definitely long overdue. The second barrier is where the elections are run. Even when the law says we can vote, elections are often set up in a way that means we cannot really take part. Polling stations are hard to find and hard to get into. Ballot papers are written in language that nobody can understand. Information about voting is really in a way that we can understand. Websites are not accessible. And it is not just voting. It is the campaigns, the debates, the political parties themselves. They are not built for us to take part. For wheelchair users, we now expect ramps. For deaf people, we now expect sign language. But for people with Down syndrome and intellectual disabilities, easy to understand information is still treated as optional. It's nice to have. As something is something you do if you have time or money left over. In 2022, Inclusion International and Down Syndrome International published less than, Include Respect. It is a global guideline on how to include people with disabilities. So the question is not how. The question is why it is still not happening. The third barrier is the table where decisions are made. This is the most painful barrier because this is the room where we are supposed to be hurt heard. The convention says that government must consult people with disabilities through our organizations. Article 4.3 and Article 33. Now Nothing about us without us. But here is our network tells us. Our members are often not invited at all. Decisions get made about us without us. Laws that affect your lives are written. And we never even heard about them until afterwards. And that is not right. And when we and when we are invited, the meeting is often not designed to take part for us to take part. The papers are too long. The meeting moves too fast. And nobody asked if we understood. So we are we are in the room, but we cannot really be in the conversation. That is not participation. That is decoration. but it can be different. I know because I've seen it work firsthand. I am a board member with DSI. I am given materials in plain language. and ahead of time. I am allowed to have a support person with me. I am asked my opinions and I am listened to. That is what real participation looks like. And that is what every government should be doing. So we ask for we are asking for three things from every government in this room. Number one is to change every law that takes away our right to vote or to run for election because of our disability, no exceptions. Number two, is to make easy understand information the default in elections, in in laws, in public life. Not a request. It has to be the default. This means that easy read, plain language videos that explain things simply, whatever the person needs to take part. And number three, governments. When governments consult people with disabilities, you need to include people with Down syndrome and intellectual disabilities. You need to invite us Send us papers that we can read. Give us time and ask us what we think. Because we are people first. And then we can actually listen. These three things are not radical. They are what the Convention already says. If a country would never tolerate an inaccessible building, it should never tolerate inaccessible democracy. I think 20 years is long enough of a wait. Thank you very much.


Canada · Co-Chair · Elizabeth Tudor Bezier [2:23:44]:

I'd like to thank Ms.. Charchuk for your presentation Thank you very much once again

Distinguished delegates ladies and gentlemen We are now at the close of the presentations Thank you to all panelists for their excellent interventions and contributions to this roundtable. Without further ado, let's move on to the next segment of the roundtable, which is the interactive discussion between panelists, delegates, and participants. For this purpose, delegates and other participants may press the button at their desk to request the floor. All interested delegations, accredited NGOs, and observers observers from UN entities and national human rights institutions are able to inscribe. This is a first come first serve basis. We will call and give the floor to the first three inscribed government delegations, followed by one NGO, one new entity, and one NHRI. And microphones shall be unmuted when they are given the floor. When you're given the floor, please identify yourself, the title of your delegation and organization that you are representing. Please pose specific questions. Please be brief in your questions. I may have to ask that. And of course, we encourage you to use plain and easy to understand language, as Ms.. Charchuk has just mentioned. All interventions, please, must not be longer than two minutes. I will be ruthless in cutting the microphone since the interest of time for everybody. And I now, without further ado, open the floor to inscriptions. All right. I now give the floor to the Distinguished Representative of the United Arab Emirates.


United Arab Emirates · ممثلة · فاطمة مشربك [2:25:22]:

أصحاب المعالي والسعادة، السيدات والسادة، المندوبون، الزملاء والشركاء الكرام، السلام عليكم ورحمة الله وبركاته. اسمي فاطمة مشربك من وزارة الأسرة دولة الإمارات العربية المتحدة. تأتي مناقشتنا اليوم في لحظة مهمة. ونحن ننظر إلى ما تحقق بعد عقدين من اعتماد اتفاقية حقوق ذوي الإعاقة. وإلى المرحلة المقبلة من تنفيذها. إن الانتقال من المشاركة إلى التمثيل لا يعني فقط توسيع الحضور أو فتح باب التشاور، بل يعني أن تكون أصوات الأشخاص من ذوي الإعاقة جزءا من تحديد الأولويات، وصياغة السياسات، والتأثير في القرارات التي تنعكس على حياتهم اليومية. في دولة الإمارات العربية المتحدة نستخدم مصطلح أصحاب الهمم تعبيرا عن الكرامة والقدرات والمساهمة، وينسدل وينسجم ذلك مع نهج وطني ينظر إلى الإدماج بوصفه مشاركة فعلية في تشكيل السياسات والبرامج والخدمات، وليس مجرد وصول إلى الخدمات أو الاستفادة منها. ومن هذا المنطلق فإن المشاركة المدنية الميسرة تتطلب شروطا عملية واضحة. فهي تتطلب معلومات متاحة بصيغ مفهومة وميسرة ومشاورات دامجة وتمثيلا يعكس تنوع الإعاقات والخبرات، وقنوات آمنة لإبداء الرأي، وفرصا للقيادة والمناصرة، وآليات تبين كيف انعكست هذه المشاركة على القرارات، والنتائج. كما تؤدي المنظمات الممثلة للأشخاص من ذوي الإعاقة إلى جانب الأسر ومقدمي الدعم دورا محوريا في ربط السياسات بالتجارب الحية. فالتشريعات والخدمات والتعليم والتوظيف والحياة المجتمعية تكون أكثر فاعلية عندما.


Canada · Co-Chair · Elizabeth Tudor Bezier [2:27:25]:

And I now give the floor to El Salvador. El Salvador you have the floor.


El Salvador · Representante [2:27:33]:

Señora presidenta distinguidas delegaciones. El tema que nos ocupa convoca este día define el futuro de la Convención sobre los Derechos de las Personas con Discapacidad. Como transformar la apertura de espacios en verdaderos centros de poder y liderazgo político. El estado de El Salvador impulsa una transformación de país enfocada en derribar los muros burocráticos que históricamente limitaron la participación de las personas con discapacidad. Mediante un nuevo diseño institucional, el estado ha integrado a las personas con discapacidad en la gobernanza pública. No participan como observadores. Actúan como tomadores de decisiones con facultades plenas para el diseño de nuestra nueva política nacional de inclusión plenamente alineada con la convención. La verdadera participación cívica exige canales accesibles, universales y vinculantes superando el tradicional enfoque asistencialista que imponía el rol pasivo. Por ello El Salvador promueve mecanismos que permitan a las personas con discapacidad contribuir de manera directa en la formulación, implementación y supervisión de las políticas y estrategias públicas que impactan sus vidas. Un ejemplo concreto es nuestra institución administradora Su junta directiva incluye por mandato de ley a representantes de las organizaciones de la sociedad civil del sector con reglas claras de quorum, voz y voto. Garantizamos una representación directa sin intermediarios y libres de barreras. Asimismo las personas con discapacidad participan en comités de vigilancia y en espacios de coordinación interinstitucional fortaleciendo su incidencia en la gestión pública. Esta experiencia demuestra que la inclusión no puede limitarse a consultas simbólicas o accesibilidad física. La participación significativa requiere generar oportunidades reales para que las personas con discapacidad ejerzan liderazgo, influyan en las decisiones públicas y contribuyan activamente desarrollando sus comunidades. En ese contexto quisiéramos consultar a los panelistas.


Canada · Co-Chair · Elizabeth Tudor Bezier [2:29:33]:

I'd like to thank the distinguished delegate from El Salvador. for their intervention. I now give the floor to the distinguished representative of Malta. Malta, you have the floor.


Malta [2:29:45]:

Malta, thanks Ziburo

And all the panelists for this important discussion. At the heart of Malta's approach is the principle of empowerment. Both our national disability strategy and national autism strategy are built to ensuring that persons with disabilities are able to participate and lead in public life on an equal basis with others. A key milestone in this regard has been the Personal Autonomy Act, which affirms the legal capacity of all persons and guarantees access to the supports needed to exercise that capacity. This has been essential in enabling genuine participation in civic and. political life. Support measures such as personal assistance, assistive technologies and sign language interpretation services play a crucial role in ensuring accessibility and equal participation. Without this participation, risks remaining theoretical rather than real. Malta has moved beyond consultation towards active involvement. The Engage Committee ensures direct participation in policy and legislative processes alongside statutory representation on key national boards. We have also strengthened accessibility in public consultations through easy read and plain language materials, and targeted engagement sessions. Structured bodies such as the CRPD Council the Consultative Committee for Persons with Intellectual Disabilities and the Maltese Sign Language Council, as well as the Autism Advancery Council, further ensure sustained participation and voice. All these efforts are translating into real representation. Malta remains committed to ensuring that persons with disabilities are not.


Canada · Co-Chair · Elizabeth Tudor Bezier [2:31:45]:

I'd like to thank the Distinguished Delegate of Malta. I now invite the representative from an NGO to deliver their statement.


Mujeres derribando barreras · Representante · Jessica Gutierrez [2:31:56]:

Hola. Mi nombre es Jessica Gutierrez. Soy de Jujuy. Jujuy, Argentina, y estamos junto a la organización Mujeres derribando barreras y el equipo latinoamericano de género y justicia. Hoy tomo la palabra porque claramente estamos hablando de liderazgo y de la participación. Pero es necesario hablar antes de las barreras con las que nos encontramos las mujeres con discapacidad a la hora de simplemente sobrevivir o de vivir. Nos encontramos nos encontramos con diversas violencias que tenemos que atravesar y superar. Poco a poco con poco acompañamiento, con mucho sostén y con mucha ímpetu, no? Pero entonces es cuando digo de que el poder llegar a otros espacios donde nuestras voces sean escuchadas, necesitaron antes un proceso previo. Una familia que acompañe, pero que esa familia cuente con las herramientas necesarias para poder acompañar a esa mujer con discapacidad. Primero, para poder salir de las casas. Segundo, para atravesar todas las barreras que encuentran en educación, en salud, en todos los ámbitos. Y después, necesitamos de un contexto de organizaciones de la sociedad civil que puedan acompañar y sostener a esas mujeres. Más adelante, seguramente, lo que vamos a tener que también prever es que los estados y las organizaciones a nivel mundial, internacional, puedan gestionar los sistemas necesarios para que esas voces sean escuchadas. Porque hoy poder ser escuchadas es un privilegio y no de todas las mujeres. No se trata solo de querer, sino también de generar los espacios, los mecanismos necesarios para que nuestras voces, las voces de las mujeres con discapacidad, ya no sean más calladas y sean escuchadas. Y no solo escuchadas, sino también tomadas en cuenta para los espacios de toma de decisión. El liderazgo la participación política de las mujeres con discapacidad es posible. Pero no va a ser posible sin tener en cuenta antes las barreras y las violencias con las que nos enfrentamos.


Canada · Co-Chair · Elizabeth Tudor Bezier [2:33:58]:

I'd like to thank the representative from the NGO. I now give the floor to the representative from the NHRI. You have the floor.


NHRC Qatar · ممثل [2:34:10]:

بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم. السادة الرؤساء الموقرون والممثلون الكرام، أصحاب المصلحة المحترمون، يشرفني أن أتحدث باسم اللجنة الوطنية لحقوق الإنسان في دولة قطر. وأن أسهم معكم في هذا النقاش المحوري المتعلق بتعزيز المشاركة المدنية والقيادة والمناصرة للأشخاص ذوي الإعاقة في الحياة السياسية والعامة. إن اللجنة الوطنية لحقوق الإنسان لا تقارب قضايا الأشخاص ذوي الإعاقة بوصفها ملفا طارئا أو هامشيا، بل هي في صميم رسالتها قضية حقوقية جوهرية تستحق رعاية دائمة، وانتباها متجددا، وانطلاقا من هذه القناعة الراسخة أسهمت اللجنة إسهاما فاعلا في صياغة قانون الأشخاص ذوي الإعاقة رقم اثنين وعشرين لسنة ألفين وخمسة وعشرين. والمناصرة لإقراره. وهو قانون يمثل نقلة تشريعية نوعية نحو ترسيع حقوق هذه الفئة وضمان اندماجها الكامل في الحياة العامة. وإدراكا منها لمقتضيات التخصص في التعامل مع هذه الشريحة المجتمعية، أسست اللجنة وحدة متخصصة للأشخاص ذوي الإعاقة تطلع بمتابعة قضاياهم متابعة منتظمة ومستدامة، وتعمل جاهدة على إزالة العوائق التي تحول دون تمتعهم الكامل بحقوقهم المكفولة. وعلى هذا الصعيد ذاته احتضنت اللجنة في نهاية عام 2023 المؤتمر الوطني الثاني لحقوق الإنسان، الذي انعقد تحت عنوان حقوق الإنسان للأشخاص ذوي الإعاقة حماية وتمكين، واستقطب خبراء ومنظمات متخصصة من شتى أنحاء العالم وأسفر عن توصيات ذات قيمة بالغة، والتزاما منها بتحويل هذه التوصيات إلى اجراءات ملموسة، تواصل اللجنة بصرامة متابعة تنفيذها على أرض الواقع. وختاما لا يسعنا إقفال أن التحدي التحديات لا تزال ماثلة، فالمسافة بينما تكفله القوانين وما يعيشه الناس على أرض الواقع تستوجب منا جميعا مزيدا من العمل والتكاتف. لهذا نظر ضرورة تضافر جهود الحكومات والمنظمات الدولية والمجتمع المدني.


Canada · Co-Chair · Elizabeth Tudor Bezier [2:36:17]:

Three more states parties. I do recognize that we are having struggles with the two minute time, and I appreciate everyone's interventions. But if we could maybe ask the question so panelists could also answer it, so if we could shorten our interventions. Yeah, or ask the questions first, as so helpfully said by my colleague Floyd. If it's if you could ask the question first, and then we can go on to the the general state statement. Thank you so much for your understanding. I now recognize the distinguished delegate from Singapore. Singapore, you have the floor.


Singapore · former parliamentarian · Ong Hua Han [2:36:56]:

Coaches,

My name is Ong Hua Han. And today I'm honored to share my lived experience as a person with physical disability, a former parliamentarian, as well as a corporate and community leader in Singapore. Representation in leadership brings diverse perspectives to the table, creating the conditions for outcomes that benefit everyone. Let me provide some examples. When I served in Parliament, I championed disability inclusion. Beyond this, I spoke on a wide range of topics, including AI and financial literacy for young students, public transport, health care, and many more. With persons with disabilities in the room, the quality of policy making and public discourse both improve. We surface needs that others might not see. But we are also citizens with the capacity to contribute our unique perspectives on broader issues and advance the common good. Professionally, I'm a corporate banker working at a major European bank. I'm proud to lead the firm's work placement program, which invests in persons with disabilities, nurturing the next generation of talent within our industry. I also serve as the co-chair of the Singapore Business Network on Disability, a community of businesses united by a shared commitment to disability inclusion. Live experience grounds all of this. Authenticity drives lasting change. Yet persons with disabilities across the world are still underrepresented at the highest levels. Often this is due to poor foundations in key areas like education and training, employment and community living. Singapore has made encouraging progress in strengthening these areas through enabling master plans developed together with persons with disabilities. But this is the floor, not the ceiling. Surely more can be done. My question today is this How do we ensure more governments, institutions, and organizations with influence invest in real pathways and leadership pipelines so that we nurture persons with disabilities from the start? Thank you.


Canada · Co-Chair · Elizabeth Tudor Bezier [2:38:55]:

I'd like to thank the distinguished delegate from Singapore. I now give the floor to the Distinguished Representative of Yemen. Yemen, you have the floor.


Yemen · ممثل [2:39:07]:

السيدات والسادة، السلام عليكم ورحمة الله وبركاته. تؤكد بلادنا أن المشاركة الكاملة والفعالة للأشخاص ذوي الإعاقة في صنع القرار حق أصيل وركيزة أساسية لتحقيق التنمية الشاملة، وأن تمكينهم من الإسهام في في رسم السياسات وتصميم البرامج التي تمس حياتهم ضرورة لضمان مجتمعات أكثر شمولا وإنصافا. ورغم التحديات التي تفرضها الحرب التي تشنها ميليشيا الحوثي، الإرهابية على الأحياء السكنية، وما خلفته من خسائر بشرية وإصابات دائمة متأثرة من زراعة الألغام والأجسام المتفجرة نتج عنها زيادة أعداد الأشخاص ذوي الإعاقة. وعلى الرغم من ذلك تواصل الحكومة اليمنية جهودها لتعزيز حقوق هذه الفئة، وتمكينهم من خلال برامج تهدف إلى تعزيز الإدماج وتحسين فرص المشاركة والتمكين. كما تولي اليمن أهمية خاصة للشراكة مع منظمات الأشخاص ذوي الإعاقة والمجتمع المدني، باعتبارها شريكا أساسيا في تعزيز المشاركة المجتمعية، وإيصال أصوات الأشخاص ذوي الإعاقة إلى موقع التأثير وصنع القرار. وفي هذا السياق تؤكد الجمهورية اليمنية أهمية تعزيز التعاون الدولي، والدعم الفني، وبناء القدرات بما بما يمكن منظمات الأشخاص ذوي الإعاقة والمجتمع المدني من الاطلاع بدورها كشريك فاعل في التنمية وصنع السياسات، ويعزز مشاركة الأشخاص ذوي الإعاقة في موقع في موقع القيادة واتخاذ القرار. وشكرا.


Canada · Co-Chair · Elizabeth Tudor Bezier [2:40:37]:

The distinguished representative from Yemen. I now give the floor to the distinguished representative of Canada followed by Georgia and then we will turn over to panelists for their responses. Canada, you have the floor.


Canada · youth representative · Aidan Lapp [2:40:50]:

Thank you, Chair.

My name is Aidan Lapp, and I am delighted to be joining Canada's delegation this year as a youth representative. I myself am legally blind, and so it is therefore a great honor to get to speak today on behalf of Canada on this topic of decidedly global and human salience. Canada welcomes this important discussion and remains committed to advancing human rights and improving the civic participation of persons with disabilities. Accessible civic spaces enable the participation of persons with disabilities. This includes the constitutional right to vote and to run for office. Our Elections Modernization Act strengthens inclusion and, with the help of the disability community, we can ensure that polling is accessible. But meaningful civic participation extends beyond polling to everyday life. Our Accessible Canada Act takes a proactive and intersectional approach to removing participation barriers for all Canadians. For instance, the act requires elections candidates who have an accessibility plan. This is significant because the plan incorporates feedback from voters and election workers with disabilities about accessibility barriers at polling stations and at Elections Canada offices. And it sets out guidelines on addressing them. Chair, Canada would like to hear from panelists what has worked so far and what needs to change to ensure that civic participation and representation of persons with disabilities. Thank you.


Canada · Co-Chair · Elizabeth Tudor Bezier [2:42:19]:

I'd like to thank the distinguished representative from Canada. I now turn the floor to the distinguished representative from Georgia. Georgia you have the floor.


Georgia · Deputy Minister [2:42:29]:

Thank you madam chair. I'm Deputy Minister of IDPs Labor, Health, and Social Affairs of Georgia. Protection of the rights of persons with disabilities is continuously moving to a new stage from their mere participation in civic life to direct representation and decision making positions guided by the principle. Nothing about us without us is aimed. It aims to eliminate physical, digital, and systemic barriers to create fully accessible pathways to civic engagement An example of this attitude is the fact that the new electronic voting technologies were introduced in Georgia for the recent elections, and the persons with disabilities beneficiaries of state social programs we were among the first group who got familiar to these technologies, learned how to use them in practice, and actually utilize them on polling day. Besides ensuring and continuously improving the quality of social services remains an active process. New approaches are being introduced to encourage innovation and improve service delivery. For example, when a particular service is not in short supply, and existing service providers have sufficient available capacity. Registration of a new service provider is considered only if the applicant organization is proposing substantial substantially improved or innovative service conditions beyond the minimum established standards. After a certain period of time, the organization must demonstrate that these innovative services have translated into direct improvements for particular beneficiaries which remains the primary objective of the social protection system. Reforms implemented at the national level are fully aligned with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals. And future efforts will focus on expanding access to services, enhancing employment educational opportunities, and advancing the implementation.


Canada · Co-Chair · Elizabeth Tudor Bezier [2:44:30]:

I'd like to thank the distinguished representative from Georgia. I now turn to panelists to answer some of the questions that were posed by the by the intervenors. I will now give the floor to Mr. Morris who would like to answer some of the questions.


CRPD Committee · Member of the CRPD Committee · Floyd Morris [2:44:50]:

I thank you very much Madam Chair. I would want to chime in on the question that was asked by the brilliant young man from Canada. As it relates to, you know, what works in terms of broadening participation of persons with disabilities in politics and public life. And from where I sit, definitely when there is the inclusion of persons with disabilities in the decision making process, it makes a whole great deal of difference. So once we see persons with disabilities in the parliaments, we see where there is an expansion of legislation to protect the rights of persons with disabilities. When we see persons with disabilities involved at the executive level of government, we see somebody at the table who is always there to remind governments as to what needs to be done to ensure that the rights and. dignity of persons with disabilities are protected. What we have seen is when persons with disabilities are included in boards, for example, their rights are protected, and they are involved in crafting programs and policies for their development. And when we see persons in jurisdictions where they are affirmative actions, for persons with disabilities to be employed in the public sector. When those policies are adhered to, we see an increased participation in persons with disabilities. And I say that we must move to the point where we ensure that there is meaningful participation, where persons with disabilities are brought to the decision making table, and they have the right to determine their future and to determine their destiny.


Canada · Co-Chair · Elizabeth Tudor Bezier [2:47:05]:

Thank you so much. I see mister Rochelle as well has the mic on. If you'd like to respond.


Israel · Commissioner for Equal Rights of Persons with Disabilities · Dan Rashal [2:47:12]:

Yeah, thank you. Well, one thing that should be mentioned, I think, is that if we don't measure if we don't measure change we will keep reboarding the process without any outcomes. Now, the duty to remove barriers remains with states, but durable change also depends on the persons themselves, persons with disabilities, to organize, to vote, to join parties, to stand for office, to file complaints, to fight. Like like my colleagues just said, and to use any means of lawful advocacy tools when there seems to be a sign of blocked rights. Thank you.


Canada · Co-Chair · Elizabeth Tudor Bezier [2:48:00]:

Thank you so much. I now give it the floor over to Mr. Mapanju as well to respond.


United Republic of Tanzania · Deputy Permanent Secretary · Amon Anastas Mpanju [2:48:07]:

Thank you Co Chair. What has worked well and what has not worked well terms of legislative policy and the constitutional alignment to the CRPD, it has worked well. In terms of participation of persons with disability at all levels, it has worked well. What is not working well is the real inclusion, real representation of person disability in the decision making bodies. What needs to be done? We need to reform democratic institutions to make sure that they establish and have targeted, measured outcomes of representation of person disabilities, depending on the number of those people, person disabilities in a given A country. So we needed to have targeted measured outcomes. But also we needed to invest more on leadership development for persons with disabilities from their young age. We need to empower person disabilities, themselves, their families, and the organization of person disabilities as partner in upbringing leaders with disabilities to be able to take charge across the government system. But also we need to ensure that the administrative system in our respective countries, they create that opportunities for any individual with a disability to be able to climb the radar. Thank you so much.


Canada · Co-Chair · Elizabeth Tudor Bezier [2:49:35]:

Thank you very much. I now give the floor to Ms.. Charchuk.


Down Syndrome International · Trustee · Janet Charchuk [2:49:39]:

Okay. So I can answer I think I can answer one that says about what helps. I have done this before myself, but I can say that if you like with advocacy groups like People First, that can help people with intellectual disabilities by consulting with the government to create plain language documents. That is what I think, what could help.


Canada · Co-Chair · Elizabeth Tudor Bezier [2:50:13]:

Thank you very much Ms.. Tradchuk And now I give the floor to Ms..


EU · Director for Equality and Nondiscrimination · Ana Carla Pereira [2:50:15]:

Pereira Yes Thank you very much I think in the European Union there are a couple of things I would like to mention as we consider recipes of success but also where we need to work more. When it comes to support to OPDs, it's clear that support supporting financially the work of OPDs is helping them to build capacity and effectively be more representative in the space the political spaces. So that is an essential element. because if you don't have the sufficient resources it becomes really difficult to participate as a representative. We in the European Union we have, I would say, a strong legal and policy framework when it comes to democratic rights. And this is something that we value very much as obviously a foundation element of our values. And we would say this is a recipe of success. What we still are working on is passing the law to concrete action. The accessibility of the the electoral systems still needs work. We also see that the the public and democratic life is going to the virtual sphere. And so it is really important that people or everyone has access to that virtual sphere of discussion. And that is why for us, it's so important to have to work on digital accessibility and what it means for democratic processes going ahead Thank you


Canada · Co-Chair · Elizabeth Tudor Bezier [2:51:57]:

Thank you so much Unfortunately we are out of time So we do need to wrap up this roundtable But thank you all for your participation. I will now give the floor over to Mr. de Gouvea to deliver his closing statement and then I shall wrap up the roundtable.


RIADIS · Co-Chair · Juan Angel de Gouveia [2:52:16]:

Distinguished delegates, esteemed panelists, as we come to the close of this important roundtable, I would like to express my sincere gratitude to all panelists and the participants for your contribution throughout these discussions. Today's discussions have demonstrated that participation is not enough if it does not lead to to representation. Persons with disabilities must not only be consulted, they must be present where decisions are made. where policies are shaped, and where the future of our societies is determined. 20 years after the adoption of the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, we have witnessed important progress, from legal reforms to guaranteeing accessibility. Still, as many speakers highlighted today, the reality is that persons with disabilities continue to face barriers to voting, standing for elections, accessing public office, participating in civic life, and exercising leadership to their communities. We also heard that accessibility must be understood broadly. Women with intellectual disabilities should be able to stand for election, because a election guidelines are available in plain language that she can read and understand. Refugees with disabilities should be able to influence political party processes, because they have been given a seat at the table and a voice in decision making. A deaf person, like me, should be able to hold public office without barriers. For example, to be the president of a country, the major of a city, a minister, All without barriers, because sign language interpreters are recognized as an essential part of the support required to perform that role. Colleagues, as civic space continues to shrink for organizations of persons with disabilities, the principle of nothing about us without us remains as relevant today as ever. Our goal today is to increase investment in disability inclusion, strengthen partnership with OPTs, and remove legal physical communication and attitudinal barriers. This is why the upcoming CRPD general comment on Article 29 matters for all of us. As I conclude, I reiterate International Disability Alliance's commitment to collaborate with all the stakeholders to make representation a reality and ensure that persons with disabilities are fully included in political and public life. Thank you, all of you.


Canada · Co-Chair · Elizabeth Tudor Bezier [2:55:36]:

I'd like

To thank

Mr. de Gouveia for his inspiring closing statement. As we wrap up, I would just like to mention some points as a summary from us as coaching co-chairs to yourselves, which will be very helpful, I'm sure, for all of you when you're doing your reporting. So to to sum up from this roundtable, various interventions describe the barriers that persons with disabilities face in participating in political and public life. They experience legal and physical barriers to vote and to run for office. They encounter inaccessible political and public environments. And as a result, they are underrepresented in public office and in leadership positions in countries, as well as international and regional organizations. It was encouraging to hear about initiatives to address these challenges. The CRPD guarantees participation in political and public life. And we have heard how countries have reflected these guarantees in their national laws. We have heard about persons with disabilities taking positions as members of parliament and in other leadership positions. Persons with disabilities and their representative organizations are also being increasingly consulted to design regional and national strategies on disability. Countries have invested in accessible electoral materials and stations and in digital participation. On the way forward, speakers stressed the need to change mindsets and attitudinal barriers towards persons with disabilities. They highly highlighted the need to develop strategies that are measurable to ensure participation of persons with disabilities, including in policy design and monitoring. And they called for targeted measures to ensure that progress reaches women with disabilities as they face multiple barriers. Thank you all to panelists and participants for a productive discussion, sharing concrete solutions to enhance accessible civic engagement, leadership, and advocacy, and political life. As we wrap up, I would just like to thank again my fellow co-chair, Mr. De Gewea, and to thank all distinguished panelists at this roundtable and all delegates and participants from civil society, UN system, and NHRIs for your valuable contributions during this roundtable. And of course, we'd like to acknowledge our sincere thanks to the support and services provided by the Secretariat, notably UNDESA, and all the interpreters cart service providers, and international sign interpreters, among many others who have worked tirelessly to deliver this successful meeting. Thank you for all your work and your contributions. And of course, I would like to remind all speakers to consider sending their statements to estatements@un.org for posting in the UN Journal. No later than two hours of delivery if you wish to do so. And with this, the roundtable three is now formally concluded and I declare the meeting closed I wish you all a good afternoon.