843rd Meeting, 35th Session, Committee on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD)

Good morning, I have the honour to welcome members and all participants to the 35th session of the Committee on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities. Our session runs from today, 12 August until 27 August. I declare open the 843rd meeting of the Committee on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities. This is a public meeting and is webcast. International sign language interpretation and captioning are provided. First, I would like to give the floor to Mr. Dimitar Chalev, Chief of the Equality and Non-Discrimination Branch Thematic and Special Procedures Division and representative of the Secretary-General. Mr. Chalep, you have the floor.

Madam Chair, distinguished members of the committee, dear colleagues, friends, on behalf of the United Nations Secretary-General, it is an honor for me to open the 35th session of the Committee on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities. As the Chair said, the 35th session will take place from today, 12th of August, until 27th August 2026. Madam Chair, distinguished members of the Committee, on 9th of June, 2026, the Conference of State Parties elected eight members for the 2027-2030 term and re-elected one current member of the Committee. I congratulate them all. The election results restored the geographical representation of the UN regional groups while maintaining gender balance in the composition of the Committee. The Committee, led by its Chair and Vice-Chairs, together with several Committee members, actively participated in the 19th Conference of States Parties to the Convention, held in New York in June 2026, and made a significant contribution to its main theme, namely, CRPD at 20, celebrating and consolidating achievements and shaping the next phase of implementation in a changing world. I commend the committee for this engagement and understand that on 27 August it will hold a public event to mark the 20th anniversary of the convention and to highlight the committee's contribution to its implementation. Now I would like to refer to important developments at the international level concerning persons with disabilities. During its 61st regular session on 30 March 2026, the Human Rights Council adopted resolution 61/9 on the rights of persons with disabilities. The resolution emphasises the need to focus on disability inclusive digital technologies and infrastructure, including transport and housing. The Council called upon all states to take appropriate measures to ensure access to affordable and accessible digital technologies and devices, including quality assistive technologies, as well as accessible infrastructure, including transport and housing. This is essential to guarantee the full enjoyment of human rights and fundamental freedoms by persons with disabilities and to ensure their inclusion in the community on an equal basis with others and without discrimination through a gender responsive and age sensitive approach. On 30 March, the Council also adopted resolution 61/18 on mental health and human rights. The Council acknowledged with appreciation the Committee on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities guidelines on deinstitutionalisation, including in emergency. Notably, the Council urged states to take active steps to fully integrate the human rights perspective into mental health and community services and to adopt, implement, update strengthen or monitor, as appropriate, all existing laws, policies and practices in line with international human rights obligations, with a view to eliminating all forms of discrimination, stigma, stereotypes, prejudice, violence, abuse, social exclusion, segregation, unlawful or arbitrary deprivation of liberty, institutionalization and over-medicalization of persons with psychosocial disabilities and current or potential users of mental health services. It further urged States to promote the rights of those persons to live independently to equality and non-discrimination, and to access holistic mental health services and support that are free from coercion, respect legal capacity and informed consent, and promote full and effective inclusion and participation in society, including in decisions on matters affecting them, with their dignity respected on an equal basis with others. I also wish to acknowledge the committee's open letter of 1 July 2026, which once again called on the Council of Europe to immediately halt any action that perpetuates coercion in mental health and urged member states of the council to pause and withdraw the draft additional protocol to the Oviedo Convention. and to uphold their human rights obligation under the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities. In June 2026, the Human Rights Council also decided to extend the mandate of the Special Rapporteur on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities for a further period of three years. The Council also adopted the resolution 62/13 in which it acknowledged that women and girls are subject to multiple and intersecting forms of discrimination, as well as systemic forms of discrimination throughout their lives. The resolution urged states to take measures to build and strengthen gender, disability and age responsive human rights based approach and sustainable care and support systems. The first meeting of the open-ended intergovernmental working group mandated to elaborate and submit to the Human Rights Council a draft internationally legally binding instrument on the human rights of older persons took place in Geneva from 13th to 17th July 2026. The working group considered the discussion paper prepared by the chair rapporteur from Argentina. Member States and observers, United Nations agencies, national human rights institutions, and representatives of civil society and older persons addressed the meeting. Delegation speakers identified a number of areas of convergence, including the need for a human rights-based treaty guided by the centrality of the dignity of older persons. Madam Chair, ladies and gentlemen, on 11 June 2026, the High Commissioner for Human Rights officially launched the Global Alliance for Human Rights. a far-reaching long-term initiative aimed at placing human rights at the heart of political leadership, public debate, and everyday life. The alliance is intended to drive change through four strategic pathways, reflecting a simple premise. Human rights must be lived locally, defended in moments of risk, understood and trusted by people, embedded in future facing solutions, and supported by resilient institutions and sustainable resources. The four pathways include human rights at home, making human rights real in people's daily lives through local action and implementation, human rights in action, standing with victims and defenders and advancing equality, accountability and justice, Human Rights in Mind, reimagining how human rights are communicated, learned, and understood. And finally, Human Rights for the Future, harnessing innovation, technology, and youth engagement to address global challenges with human rights at the center. We count on your support for this transformative initiative. Together, we can ensure that human rights remain the foundation of peace, security and sustainable development. Madam Chair, distinguished members, treaty bodies continue to face unprecedented constraints due to the liquidity crisis affecting the regular budget of the organization. As a result, in 2026, your meeting time was reduced to only five weeks. We understand that this has caused significant delays, resulting in the cancellation of State party reviews and pre-sessional working groups. Coupled with a decrease in State party reports received in 2026, this has had serious consequences for the functioning of the committee. The High Commissioner has consistently warned that if this trend continues, the treaty body system risks reaching a breaking point. He has called for innovative ideas and solutions, including in connection with the UN AT initiative. We reiterate the Secretary-General's call to Member States to pay their contributions on time and in full to enable the organization to continue its essential work. The 38th annual meeting of the chairs of the human rights treaty bodies was held in Geneva in June 2026. The chairs considered the three proposals contained in the OHCHR working paper on enhancing the effectiveness and efficiency of the UN human rights treaty system, namely clustering and regionalization, together with a predictable calendar. Secondly, digitalisation and online reporting. And finally, greater transparency in the nomination and election of the experts. OCHC is now working to unpacking and developing the proposals and their operational implications further, including in light of the Chair's request to provide further details. I'm confident that through collaboration, innovation and shared commitment, we can navigate these difficult times and ensure that the essential work of protecting human rights continues to move forward. Madam Chair, distinguished members, in this session, you will engage in dialogues with five parties to the convention, Chile, Lithuania, Qatar, Sri Lanka and Slovakia, and review their reports on the implementation of the Convention. You also continue your work on general comments and guidelines. On behalf of the Secretary-General, I thank the Committee members, the State Parties to the Convention, and all stakeholders who have actively prepared this 35th session. Recognizing that you have a heavy program ahead of you for the next three weeks, I'll conclude here by extending my very best wishes for a successful and productive session. Thank you for your attention.

Thank you very much, Mr. Chalev, for your opening statement. I will now make my opening statement, including an update on the Committee's intersectional activities. Distinguished colleagues, representatives of State parties, colleagues from the United Nations, representatives of organizations of persons with disabilities, and ladies and gentlemen, it is my great pleasure to welcome you to the 35th session of the Committee on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities. Since the closure of our 34th session, the Committee grew and I continued our engagement to support the effective functioning of the committee and to advance the implementation of the convention. The past several months have been particularly important for the committee and for the international human rights system. In June, the committee participated in the 19th session of the convention of state party to the conference of the State Party to the Convention at United Nations Headquarters in New York, which this year marked the 20th anniversary of the CRPD. Under the theme CRPD at 20, celebrating and considering achievement and shaping the next purpose of implementation in changing world, State Parties, persons with disabilities and their representative organizations United Nations entities and civil society reflect on the achievement of the Convention and on the challenges that remain before us. In my opening address, I emphasized that the CRPD fundamentally changes how the world understands disability. It moves disability from welfare to human rights, from charity to dignity, from exclusion to participation and from invisibility to recognition. But 20 years of implementation have also taught us another fundamental lesson. No state implementation this convention alone. No countries build inclusion alone. International cooperation under Article 32 is therefore not optional. It is essential to implementation. Such cooperation must encompass not only financing, but also technical cooperation, knowledge sharing, capacity building and solidarity among States, United Nations entities, national human rights institutions, organisations of persons with disabilities and other partners. During COSP19, the Committee also contributed to discussions directly connected to our current normative work, including political and public participation, intersectional discrimination against women and girls with disabilities, and disability-based violence. Distinguished colleagues, immediately following COSP19, I participated in the 38th annual meeting of the chair of the United Nations human rights treaty bodies held in Geneva from 15 to 19 June. Our discussion took place at a particularly difficult moment for the treaty body system. The United Nations liquidity crisis has resulted in reduced meeting time, pressure on secretariat capacity, restriction on stakeholders participation, and serious challenges to the predictable and effective functioning of the treaty body. The chair's exam forced the immediate response to the financial crisis and brought a proposal to strengthen and reform the treaty body system. Once Conclusion was particularly important. Crisis management is not reform. Temporary measures adopted because of financial constraint must not become the new normal. Efficiency cannot replace the adequate financing. Reform must safeguard the treaty body independence. the specific mandate of the CRPD Committee, and the meaningful participation of right holders, national human rights institutions and civil society. Accessibility and reasonable accommodation are legal obligation and essential conditions for the equal participation of Committee members, persons with disabilities and their representative organisations in the international human rights system. Within this broader discussion, the High Commissioner has proposed a greater regionalization or decentralization of treaty body work. Any such model must preserve the universality, independence, and coherence of the treaty body system. For our committee, accessibility and reasonable accommodation must be incorporated from the outset and fully costed so that reform does not create any new barriers to the equal participation of persons with disabilities and their representative organization. At the end of June, I also participated in Strasbourg in an important exchange between judges of the European Court of Human Rights and representatives of the United Nations human rights treaty bodies. That dialogue reminded us of the importance of strengthening cooperation between international and regional human rights mechanisms. From the perspective of CRPD, I emphasise the continuing need for the human rights jurisprudence to reflect the paradigm shift established by the CRPD, particularly in areas such as equality and non-discrimination, legal capacity, deprivation of liberty, institutionalisation, corrective treatment. Different human rights systems have their own legal foundation and jurisprudence, but they share a common responsibility to ensure that human rights law responds to changing reality while protecting the dignity, autonomy, and equality of every person. Distinguished colleagues, we are now beginning our 35th session with an ambitious substantive program. During this session, the Committee will conduct a constructive dialogue with five State parties, Sri Lanka, Lithuania, Slovakia, Chile and Qatar, as part of our core responsibility to monitor implementation of the Convention and support the effective realization at the national level. These constructive dialogues remain at the heart of our mandate. They provide an opportunity not simply to examine law and policies, but to assess whether the rights guaranteed by the Convention are being experienced in the everyday lives of persons with disabilities. The Committee will also continue its normative work concerning Article 11 of the Convention on situations of risk and humanitarian emergencies. This work is increasingly urgent. Armed conflict, humanitarian emergencies, climate-related disasters and displacement continue to have disproportionate consequences for persons with disabilities. Too often, persons with disabilities are excluded from evacuation, humanitarian assistance, accessible information and essential services, while women, children and older persons with disabilities face additional and intersecting risks. Article 11 reminds us that disability rights do not disappear in times of crisis, on the contrary, It is precisely in moments of greatest danger that the obligation of the State and the international community become most urgent. We will also advance our work on Article 29 concerning participation in political and public life. Participation cannot be reduced to consultation. Persons with disabilities must be able to vote, stand election, hold public office, participate in political party and organizations and take part meaningfully in public decision making. The committee will also continue its work on the guideline on identifying the addressing intersectional discrimination against women and girls with disabilities, as well as the guideline on disability-based violence. These are crucial areas of our work. Discrimination does not occur in isolate. Disability intersect with gender, age, race, ethnicity, indigenous identity, migrant status, poverty and many other circumstances. Women and girls with disability in particular, many experience multiple intersection form of discrimination that cannot be adequately understood or addressed through a single axis approach. Simply violence against a person with disability may structure institutional and persistent and many sometimes be hidden behind the language of protection, treatment or care. Our responsibility is to make this form of discrimination and violence visible and to provide clear guidance to state on prevention, protection, accountability, access to justice and effectiveness remedies. Distinguished colleagues, this session also carried an additional and historical significance. We are meeting during the Convention's 20th anniversary year. This anniversary is more than a commemoration. It is a moment to take stock of our progress. confront persistent barriers and shape the next phase of implementation. 20 years ago, the CRPD transformed the global understanding of disability by establishing a human rights based framework, grounding dignity, equality, autonomy and full participation. It has continued to stronger legal protection, greater accessibility and increased participation, yet progress remains uneven. Conflict, humanitarian crisis, climate changes, growing inequality and rapid technical transformation are creating new challenges, while many longstanding barriers remain unresolved. The Convention's defining strength has always been the leadership of persons with disabilities and their representative organisations. Nothing about us without us must remain our mantra for the future. The question before us today is not only whether rights are recognized in law, but whether they are experienced in everyday life. On 27 August, the final day of the session, we will hold a special symposium examining the Committee's journey, its present challenges and its future direction. Twenty years after the adoption of the Convention, recognition alone is no longer sufficient. Our responsibility is to accelerate implementation and translate the promise of the Convention into measurable change, from rights on paper to lived justice. As we begin this session, I would like once again to recognize the indispensable role of persons with disabilities and their representative organizations. Their participation is not supplementary to the work of this Committee, it is fundamental to its legitimacy and effectiveness. I also wish to thank my fellow committee members, our secretariat, colleagues from OHCHR, State Party and all partners who continue to support the work of our committee under very challenging circumstances. The first 20 years established the standard. The next decade must make those standards lives a reality for every person with disability everywhere. Thank you so much. Now I will hear from the distinguished speakers who have to join us in person and pre-recorded video messages for the opening of the 35th session. I kindly ask all speakers participation in person to respect the speaking time communicated by the Secretariat. We will begin with a pre-recorded video message from His Excellency, Janatha Jayasuriya, Ambassador and Permanent Representative of Sri Lanka and Chair of the Conference of States Parties to the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities.

Thank you for the opportunity to join the commemoration of the 20th anniversary of the adoption of the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities. The Convention has become one of the most widely supported international treaties. Today, 183 States Parties have ratified or acceded to the CRPD, demonstrating an unprecedented global commitment to advancing the cause for the rights of over one billion persons with disabilities. Over the two decades, the CRPD has fundamentally changed how the world understands and deals with disability, from a charity or health-focused issue to a matter of rights, equality and full participation in society and development for all. This special occasion provides us as States Parties a unique opportunity not only to celebrate achievements, but also to reflect on how far we have come and what remains to be done. First, the The CRPD has driven remarkable progress in national legal and policy development. Since 2006, notable progress has been gained in nearly all countries worldwide. Many countries, in line with the CRPD, revised their constitutions, enacted anti-discrimination legislation, strengthened accessibility standards, adopted inclusive education policies, and reformed laws on employment, political participation, and independent living. Second, disability has been increasingly recognized and included in major global development agendas. In 2015, people with disabilities were explicitly included for the first time in global development commitments. Today, seven SDG targets explicitly reference persons with disabilities in the 2030 Agenda, covering education, employment, reducing inequalities, accessible public spaces, and data collection. Likewise, the international community also committed to the rights of persons with disabilities and advancing disability inclusive development in other international instruments, for instance, in the Political Declaration of the Second Social Development Summit and the Sherwill Commitments. All of these represent a lofty promise of leaving no one behind. Third, over the decades, the work on accessibility has slowly but consistently expanded and deepened, from mainly physical infrastructure to include digital technologies, information communication, transportation, and public services. Universal design is increasingly recognized as a prerequisite for inclusive societies rather than an optional accommodation. Disability inclusion and accessibility is gradually embraced as a good and smart practice in development and societies. Fourth, which is very critical in our view, is that persons with disabilities and their representative organizations are now increasingly recognized as essential partners in designing, implementing and monitoring laws and policies. Meaning persons with disabilities as important agents of changes is contributing to sustainable development and resilient societies. All these illustrative achievements demonstrate that the CRPD has influenced our policies and practices. Furthermore, they also reshaped international cooperation. While progress has been substantial, the work is far from complete. The latest UN flagship report on disability and development reminds us that persons with disabilities continue to experience significant disparities in education, employment, healthcare, food security, digital access and access to energy. Our progress made so far has been limited and uneven, and many sustainable development goal targets remain off track for persons with disabilities. The scale of the challenge is enormous. As we look to the next decade, we must enhance our actions and efforts. First and foremost is move beyond commitments to full implementation. Strong legislation and policies must be accompanied by adequate financing, effective institutions, measurable indicators and accountability mechanisms. Investing in accessibility and universal design, not only in physical infrastructure, but also in digital technologies, artificial intelligence, public services, transportation, education, healthcare and emergency preparedness. Third, further international cooperation and ensure that persons with disabilities are fully included in emerging global priorities. Sri Lanka's commitment to the CRPD rests on a foundation laid well before our ratification of the Convention in 2016. Today, Sri Lanka is working to strengthen this framework. New disability rights legislation is being advanced to bring our domestic law fully into line with the Convention. Our National Disability Policy and Action Plan are being renewed. We have prioritized signified living conditions and institutional institutional infrastructure improvements. We strongly promote rehabilitation, empowerment and reintegration of persons of disability. Dear colleagues, ladies and gentlemen, the next 20 years must be defined not by new commitments alone, but by measurable improvements in the everyday lives of persons with disabilities. The CRPD shows that transforming societies is possible with commitment, determined efforts and actions on the ground. Our collective responsibility now is to accelerate implementation so that every person with a disability can enjoy equal opportunities, exercise their rights and participate fully in every aspect of society. The next chapter of the PD is therefore about delivering on the promise. I thank you.

I thank you, His Excellency, for the messages. I now give the floor to His Excellency, Ambassador Tigabu Kabayew Daka of Ethiopia, Chair of the Human Rights Council Task Force on Accessibility. Your Excellency, you have the floor.

Madam Chair, distinguished committee members, it is a privilege to address you at the opening of the 35th session of the Committee on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities in my capacity as Vice-President of the Human Rights Council and Chair of the Council's Task Force on Accessibility for Persons with Disabilities. This session has particular significance. This year marks 20 years since the adoption of the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities. With 193 parties, the Convention now enjoys near universal reach. This anniversary offers an opportunity to celebrate progress under the Convention and to renew our shared commitment to its full implementation. The task force was established First one to Council Resolution 16/21. Is this okay? 16/21 to study measures to enhance accessibility for persons with disabilities through the Human Rights Council and the work of its mechanisms and to make concrete recommendations in accordance with international human rights standards. I am therefore particularly pleased to address this distinguished committee which has played an instrumental role in advancing and promoting those standards globally. An important aspect of my role is to engage with States and all stakeholders of the Council to increase awareness of accessibility requirements and to support the full and effective participation of persons with disabilities in the Council's work. As the principal intergovernmental body responsible for the promotion and protection of human rights, The Human Rights Council is not only a forum in which human rights are discussed, but also a space in which rights must be exercised. This includes the right to freedom of expression and the right of persons with disabilities to participate fully and effectively. Accessibility must therefore be regarded as a fundamental and non-negotiable element of the Council's work. Measures taken at the Council have progressively improved accessibility. The use of subtitled video statements by states and civil society organizations is now well established, supporting broader participation. Reasonable accommodation measures have also become an increasingly integral part of the Council's work. More broadly, accessibility is no longer viewed as an exceptional consideration, but as an essential component of meaningful participation in multilateral processes. Since assuming the chairmanship of the task force, I have worked closely with the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights, the United Nations Office at Geneva, the Secretariat of this Committee, and Member States to improve both physical and digital accessibility at the Council. Together with the Secretariat, I have also participated in a walkthrough of relevant facilities. Particular emphasis has been placed on raising awareness of available accessibility services, and encouraging more proactive approach to inclusion. The task force has also encouraged improvements in administrative processes that support participation. Accessibility requirements can now be more effectively identified during registration processes for council sessions, enabling the secretariat to provide information and consider accommodation measures earlier and more systematically. This represents an important step towards more responsive and user-centered approach to accessibility. A significant development has been the return of Human Rights Council sessions at the renovated Building A and Assembly Hall following major works undertaken as part of the Strategic Heritage Plan. Accessibility considerations were integrated into these renovations, including improvements to entrances and circulation routes, elevators, automated doors, signage and wayfinding systems, accessible sanitation facilities, and conference infrastructure. These upgrades have enhanced the accessibility of principal venues in which the Council conducts its work and represent an important step toward ensuring that participation is possible on an equal basis for persons with disabilities. The Council and UNOG have also improved administrative arrangements to better identify and respond to accessibility requirements. Registration processes now allow participants to indicate specific accessibility needs in advance, enabling the Secretariat to provide more tailored information and consider reasonable accommodation earlier and more systematically. The Task Force will also continue to explore participation arrangements that can extend the reach of the Council's work, including appropriate remote participation options. Accessible digital platforms can help ensure that persons with disabilities are able to participate on an equal basis. The Task Force continues to advocate for participation arrangements that maximise inclusion and accessibility and has consistently highlighted the importance of accessible digital platforms, including features such as screen reader compatibility, keyboard navigation, and customizable accessibility settings. Digital accessibility has emerged as an important area of work. The task force has explored opportunities presented by technological developments, including advances in automated captioning and other accessibility tools. While such technologies offer significant potential to enhance participation, they must be implemented in a manner that complements rather than replaces existing accessibility services and safeguards. New technologies should be guided by the principles of universal design and developed in consultation with persons with disabilities and their representative organizations. More broadly, accessibility continues to be increasingly embedded across the Council's work. At its 61st session, the Council's annual interactive debate on the rights of persons with disabilities focused on disability inclusive infrastructure, including transport and housing. The Council also adopted without a vote resolution 61/9 on the rights of persons with disabilities, disability inclusive digital technologies and infrastructure, including transport and housing. At the same time, the Special Rapporteur presented her report on the equal participation of persons with disabilities in political life. These strands reinforce the understanding that disability inclusion is relevant to all human rights issues and not only those specifically focused on persons with disabilities. Looking ahead, the task force will continue to pursue a practical and results-oriented agenda. Current priorities include improvements to physical accessibility within the Palais des Nations, strengthening awareness of existing services, improving accessibility of digital tools and communications, and encouraging greater engagement by member states. advancing accessibility across the Council's work. Our objective is clear, to strengthen a systematic, sustainable and inclusive approach that enables the full, effective and meaningful participation of persons with disabilities in all aspects of the Council's activities. In this regard, I intend to continue consultations with States and United Nations entities and to deepen engagement with civil society organizations and organizations of persons with disabilities. including through meetings of the task force in the months ahead. I warmly welcome the continued engagement of this committee and of persons with disabilities themselves. I would also value the committee's advice, particularly in identifying priorities, testing facilities and services, and advancing accessible information. Persons with disabilities and their representative organizations must be involved from the outset. As always, our efforts should be guided by the principle, nothing about us without us. As we mark the 20th anniversary of the adoption of the convention, accessibility is firmly recognised as a precondition for equality, participation and institutional credibility. My commitment is to use the task force to advance proactive and systematic inclusion throughout the council works. I appreciate the committee's attention and extend my best wishes for a productive 35th session. Thank you, Madam Chair.

Thank you so much, Excellency, for your messages. Now we will hear a pre-recorded video message from Ms. Maria Solida de Sisterna Sierroiz, former Chair of the Committee and former Special Envoy of the Secretary General on Accessibility and Disability.

A very good morning, dear colleagues of the CRPD Committee. I am honoured to be at this 35th session of this committee. This is a committee for which we have all worked so hard. I remember when we began the very first meeting, when we were to establish the rules of procedure of the committee and the guidelines for the submission of new reports, and also the working methods. That session was truly a difficult one and I would like to thank the Secretariat for all of the support provided to us during that time. Also, I'd like to say that chairpersons such as Ron McCallum, Mohamed Al-Tawaneh, Teresia Dejean, Gertrude Oforiwa, Rosemary Kayess, Amyon Kim, and including myself, enjoyed support to carry out a colossal task of this committee, which not only relates to the work itself of the committee, but we had to focus on ensuring that the human rights model was present with such an innovative legal instrument in the 21st century. Our jurisprudence was revolutionary. and featured in the general comments related to the equal recognition of persons before the law, accessibility, also women and children with disabilities, inclusive education, and we pave the way for a discussion, a general discussion on living independently and being included in the community, just to mention some of the topics that I presided over on the committee. Then other valuable general comments emerged such as those on inclusive equality and the right to living independently and being included in the community. The optional protocol which developed the views of the Committee, which were truly interesting and very much highlighted the Committee's activity, and this included the judiciary in various countries. We took a stance on persons who had committed crimes against humanity. We also also mentioned persons who were charged with crimes and who had an intellectual and psychosocial disability. I believe that work was truly trailblazing. We also undertook a tremendous effort of cross cutting and ensuring that the disability perspective was cross cutting in all human rights committees. We had an opportunity to be at the meeting of treaty body chairs when the 2030 agenda was drafted. And luckily, it was down to the CRPD Committee to open the session of the General Assembly in 2013, where the 2030 agenda was to be discussed. That is why we had a very significant impact on the 2030 agenda, on at least five SDGs. their goals and also the indicators of other SDGs. We were also able to participate in resolution 68/268 on treaty body strengthening and at the same time we took part in the development of guidelines against intimidation and reprisals against human rights defenders. We were able to really highlight and understand the meaning of various regional bodies and we held sessions with them in Geneva. We also had sessions with regional human rights defender bodies and national human rights institutions. We carried out cross-cutting work with cities and local governments and also with various areas of humanitarian law. We were involved in a number of technical documents which included the right to habitat and also the prevention of natural disasters and conflicts. I believe that the Committee's work has had a real impact across the years and that is why This committee has been placed on a seat of honour, if you will, we've been placed at the very forefront and we have worked and drew up guidelines on the freedom and security of persons or guidelines against institutionalisation. There is so much work to be done. However, I am certain that this committee's members who abide by independence and impartiality, who are engaged in the active listening of all stakeholders in the implementation of a context-based approach, the implementation of an intersectional approach and the proactive realization of their initiatives. And I'm very sure that they will be able to continue to be on the seat of honor of human rights. I would invite you then to stand united in a symbolic and brotherly embrace at such a wonderful point in time. And we must claim that we are in the area of rights and not of favors.

Thank you so much. We will now hear a pre-recorded video message from Mr. Chang Nok-so, Chair of the Human Rights Committee and Chair of the Annual Meeting of the Chairperson of the United Nations Human Rights Treaty Bodies.

Madam Chair, distinguished members of the committee, excellencies, dear colleagues and friends, it is great honor to address the opening of the 35th session of the Committee on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities. I warmly thank Chair Mee-yeon Kim for her kind invitation and regret that I cannot join you in person. On behalf of the chairpersons of all 10 human rights treaty bodies, I bring our warmest wishes for this commemorative session. 20 years ago, the General Assembly adopted the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, the first comprehensive human rights treaty of the 21st century, a treaty that changed not only the international law, but how the world understands disability. It affirmed persons with disabilities as full holders of rights, not objects of charity, and gave our entire system a guiding principle, nothing about us without us. On this anniversary, let me recall what this Convention and this Committee have given our system as a whole. Drafted with the unprecedented participation of persons with disabilities and their organizations, the Convention renewed the very idea of how international law is made. Its human rights model of disability now informs the work of every committee. Its insistence on accessibility has become a benchmark for us all. Thanks in no small part to this committee, the chairs have committed that accessibility be built in from the start, ensuring no one is excluded from our work owing to disability. This committee did not simply join the Treaty Body family, it has helped renew it. Yet, I must also speak frankly, we mark this milestone at a time when the entire treaty body system stands at a crossroads. The United Nations' recruitment crisis has had direct consequences for protection. Sessions cancelled, reviews postponed, individual communications delayed. Your committee has felt this directly. Even so, As Chair Kim made clear at our 38th annual meeting of the chairpersons this June, your determination is unwavering. But behind every postponed dialogue stand rights holders, among them millions of persons with disabilities. These are the administrative inconveniences. They create profound protection gaps for those who rely on us most. At the same meeting, the 10 chairpersons responded with one voice to the High Commissioner's proposals for the system's future. We welcome the modernization provided it makes our system more accessible, not less. But efficiency is no substitute for resources. Without financial independence of treaty bodies, no reform can endure. And a trade-off that reduces protection cannot be made on credit. Sustaining this system ultimately rests with the states. This is a question not only of resources, but of priorities and political wills. Even in difficult times, the protection of human rights must remain our core purpose of the United Nations. So I respectively appeal to States parties, sustain the system you created and keep it on a sound and preferable, predictable footing. The High Commissioner has offered one idea that merits careful consideration. a financial firewall to safeguard Treaty Body funding. For our part, we will continue to do what we are here to do. Meeting the challenges ahead will demand deeper cooperation among us so that international human rights standards are implemented consistently and effectively. And one principle must never change. The system belongs to rights holders. And meaningful participation of persons with disabilities and their organizations is not a courtesy, but a requirement of the convention itself. Madam Chair, distinguished members, this year, the two international covenants on civil and political rights and on economic, social and cultural rights turn 60 and your Convention turns 20. Your Committee reminds us all that rigorous protection and genuine inclusion go hand in hand. As you open this, you carry the solidarity of all 10 treaty bodies. I wish you a most productive 35th session. I thank you.

Thank you so much. Now we will hear a pre-recorded video message from Ms. Ola Aboualqaei of the Global Disability Fund. Because of the technical situation, now I give the floor to Ms. Monica Halil of the World Intellectual Property Organization. Ms. Halil, you have the floor.

Thank you very much, Madam Chair, distinguished members of the committee, excellencies, ladies and gentlemen. Firstly, Let me congratulate the committee on the 20th anniversary of the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities and all of its progress and accomplishments. I have the honour of serving as the head of the Accessible Books Consortium, or ABC as it's known, a public-private partnership which includes the World Intellectual Property Organization, the World Blind Union, the International Council for Education of People with Visual Impairment, and the DAISY Consortium, as well as a global community of libraries, publishers, and authors. This partnership works towards a clear objective of implementing the objectives and aims of the Marrakesh Treaty for people who are blind, visually impaired, or otherwise print disabled. And we seek to increase the number of books available in accessible formats, including both digital and embossed braille, for the benefit of people who are blind, have low vision or are otherwise print disabled. ABC partners, the World Blind Union and the International Council for Education of People with Visual Impairment, or ICVI, have issued a global declaration on braille literacy and education, which was launched in New York in June during the convention. It has been endorsed by the Accessible Books Consortium, and I'm here to present it to you, to the committee, on their behalf. The WBU and ICVI Global Declaration on Braille Literacy is a significant civil society initiative grounded on the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, in particular Article 9 on accessibility, Article 21 on access to information, and Article 24 on education. As you know, these three provisions mention braille explicitly. The WBU and ICVI Global Declaration is not an attempt to break new ground. It simply reinforces the work done by the CRPD over the years. In particular, it supports recommendations about braille made by the CRPD in its concluding observations. As you all know, studies have shown that persons who are blind and braille literate achieve significantly higher levels of educational attainment, higher rates of employment, and higher earnings than those who do not read Braille. Just to be clear about one point, this is not Braille versus technology. Text-to-speech, audiobooks, and assistive devices all have real and impactful roles in the lives of people who are blind, but they are complementary to Braille, not substitutes for it. Digital tools and Braille are mutually reinforcing. Students who are blind require both braille and assistive technology. The Global Declaration on Braille Literacy provides a detailed action plan so that civil society organizations can advocate and build on the work of the CRPD with respect to braille and use it to request concrete action by member states for the implementation of national braille policies. I would like to acknowledge the recommendations made recently by the committee, in particular in relation to Article 24 on education with respect to braille. It is my understanding that the committee has treated this provision as a braille literacy obligation, not merely an obligation to hand over braille format materials. For example, in its concluding observations, the CRPD emphasized the teaching, learning, and use of braille and highlighted that braille should be made available with an inclusive education and not only be confined to segregated settings. The committee's concluding observations also reference the chronic shortage of inclusive education teachers and specialist support staff trained in braille. The CRPD concluding observations include recommendations for training of teachers in braille and recognize that providing braille books or braille technology is simply not enough if the educational system has no one capable of teaching students and supporting braille literacy. The WBU and ICVI Global Declaration on Braille Literacy calls on countries to, one, enshrine the right to braille literacy explicitly in national education laws and policies. Ensure that every child who needs braille has a specially trained teacher and timely access to braille textbooks, tactile graphics, and materials in their national language alongside assistive technology, not instead of it. and build systems to assess who needs Braille and to deliver it promptly because the research is clear, early access is the single strongest predictor of a child's future success. What should be our next steps? We have complementary roles, in my view. The CRPD makes its recommendations through its concluding observations on country reports. And we propose that civil society members using the WBU and ICVI global declaration should advocate and lobby member states for national braille policies and investment in braille teaching that will pay dividends for generations. Many thanks to the committee for this opportunity to address you today. And again, congratulations on the 20th anniversary of the convention. I would be glad to answer any questions during the break and to provide further details about the work of the Accessible Books Consortium as well as our partners. Thank you.

Thank you so much, Ms. Monica Hale. Now I give the floor to the representative of International Disability Alliance, I.D.A. president, Dr. Nawab Kabara. You have the floor.

Thank you, Chairperson of the Committee, distinguished members of the committee state representatives, representatives of the United Nations, colleagues from organizations of persons with disabilities, distinguished guests, ladies and gentlemen. It's a great privilege to address you today on behalf of the International Disability Alliance. I would like to begin with three messages. Message one, I do stand firmly in support of the Committee on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, its independence, its mandate and its essential role in ensuring the implementation of the Convention. Message number two, IDA expresses its support to the people of Colombia, Venezuela and all other countries that are facing disasters and armed conflicts, and in particular for persons with disabilities in these countries. Measure three, we hope that the persons with disabilities speech will be the first to the committee, not the last. Twenty years after the adoption of the convention, we should remind ourselves that the CRPD represents much more than another international human rights treaty. It marked a profound transformation in the understanding of disability, from viewing persons with disabilities as objects of charity, protection and medical intervention to recognising them as subjects of rights, equal citizens and people who have the right to live in dignity. International human rights mechanisms provide visibility accountability and sometimes the last avenue through which their voice can be heard. This is why adequate and sustainable resources for the committee, the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights and the wide human rights system must be understood not simply as administrative expenditures, but as an investment in human dignity and human rights. In this sense, I would call the UN OIG and the OHCHR to ensure accessibility services for online briefing with OPDs, at least during the inter-sessional period for the adoption of the list of issues of their countries. As you know, OPDs are not simply stakeholders to be consulted after decisions have already been prepared. They are rights holders. sources of knowledge, partners in implementation and essential actors in monitoring state compliance with the convention. AIDR therefore remains committed to supporting the meaningful, diverse and independent participation of OPDs in the work of the committee. In connection to this, AIDR appreciates, stand ready to support and look forward to a thorough participatory and sound process for the development of a general comment on Article 32 CRPD, in which OPDs can greatly contribute and other stakeholders have sufficient time to provide inputs, engage and embrace in transformative outcome, a strong and solid general comment that shapes disability inclusive international cooperation. Colleagues, Twenty years after the adoption of the Convention, our task is not only to defend what has been achieved. We must ask what the CRPD requires of us in a rapidly changing world. Artificial intelligence and digitalisation are transforming employment, education, healthcare, social protection, community and public decision-making. Climate change and conflicts, humanitarian crises, democratic changes and increasing inequality are creating new forms of exclusion while intensifying existing ones. The principle of the Convention remains our foundation, but this application must evolve with this new reality. That is why we are calling today for a CRPD plus. Accessibility must increasingly include digital and algorithm accessibility. Non-discrimination must address discrimination that can be embedded in automated decision making system and data, and participation must extend to the design and governance of the technologies that increasingly shape our life. Around the world, military expenditure is increasing dramatically while the resources available for human rights, poverty eradication, health, education, social protection, inclusion, and international cooperation remain inadequate. forces us to ask a fundamental question: What do we mean by security? Security cannot be measured only by military capacity or the number of weapons a country possesses. Security, real security, must begin with the security of human beings. This is why IDA believes the disability movement has something important to contribute to the global debate about security. And this is where IDA supports the initiative for a human rights alliance that we heard today. Today here in Geneva, I would like to announce an important initiative. We would like persons with disabilities, civil society to work to push for less weaponization and more investment in human rights and human security. The world does not need an endless race towards more weapons and greater capacity for destruction. The world needs greater investment in people, dignity, equality, inclusion and our common future. Twenty years ago, the international community made a historic commitment to the CRPD. Our responsibility today is not simply to preserve that achievement, it is to make it real. On behalf of the International Disability Alliance, I reaffirm our strong support for the Committee on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, for the United Nations human rights system, and for our shared commitment to the dignity, equity, equality, and rights of all persons with disabilities. Thank you very much.

Thank you so much. Our presenter, Dr. Naoko Kabara, Now, I would like to give the floor to Ms. Sawala Tongwai, the former committee member, now chairperson of the Asian Disability Forum. Ms. Tongwai, you have the floor.

Thank you, Madam Chair. Good morning. the committee members and distinguished participants. The ASEAN Disability Forum is honored to address the committee on behalf of OPDs across Southeast Asia. As we approach the 20th anniversary of the Convention, on behalf of ADF or ASEAN Disability Forum, I would like to express our sincere appreciation for the committee's leadership in advancing disability rights through constructive dialogues, to adopt general comments, concluding of the observations, individual communications and engagements with OPDs. The Committee transforms the Convention from a legal instrument into a living human rights framework that contributes to shape laws, policies and practices across all the world and all our regions. For disability movements across Southeast Asia, the Committee's interpretations of the Convention provides essential normative guidance. It strengthened our advocacy for legal reform, inclusive public policies and accountability, reinforcing the fundamental principle of nothing about us without us. We have witnessed encouraging progress across Southeast Asia. Many countries have strengthened disability legislations and coordination mechanisms. ASEAN, or Association of Southeast Asian Nations, has increasingly recognized disability inclusion as central to sustainable development, including through the development of the ASEAN Enabling Master Plan on Disability post-2025. Yet, our lived experience reminds us that adopting laws is only the beginning. Some of the most difficult issues remain largely invisible and widely misunderstood, not only by the governments, but also by professionals, service providers, communities and families. These include legal capacity, supported decision-making, traditional care and support systems, independent living, institutionalisation, cohesive practices in health and social care, and respect for autonomy. These are not abstract legal concepts. They determine whether persons with disabilities can make their own decisions, choose where and with whom they want to live, manage their finances, build relations, access justice, refuse unwanted treatment, and participate equally in communities. These consequences are particularly serious for women and girls with disabilities who continue to face multiple and intersecting forms of discrimination, including gender-based violence, forced contraception and sterilization, denial of reproductive autonomy and substitute decision making that deprives them of control over their own lives. Twenty years after the Convention's adoption, many persons with disabilities, particularly persons with intellectual and psychosocial disabilities, continue to experience guardianship involuntary treatment, institutionalization, trafficking and exploitation, violence and abuse via either online or offline formats. These are not isolated violations. They reflect persistent discrimination and continuing perceptions of persons with disabilities as objects of care rather than holders of rights. From the perspective of ASEAN Disability Forums, the Committee's jurisprudence has been indispensable in addressing these complex challenges. Asia and the Pacific remains the only major regions without a regional human rights tribunals. As a result, the committee's general comments, concluding of the observations and jurisprudence often serves as the principal source of human rights guidance for national human rights institutions, OPDs, and civil society organizations. In particular, General Comment No. 1 has transformed understanding of Article 12 by demonstrating that legal capacity is the foundation for realising many other rights under the Convention, including equality and non-discrimination. access to justice, liberty, freedom from violence, bodily integrity, and the right to live independently and be included in the community. For these reasons, the ASEAN Disability Forum respectfully encourages the Committee to develop an easy-read and plain-language version of General Comment No. 1 as an interpretative guidance. Making this landmark guidance contextual, accessible to all persons with disability, families, judges, service providers, government, a state party and community leader would strengthen understanding, empower rights holders and support practical implementations across our regions. ASEAN Disability Forum remain committed to work with the Committee, State Parties, UN agencies, OPDs, CSOs and ASEAN institutions, including development partners, to ensure the promise of the Convention becomes a reality for all persons with disabilities. Thank you very much, Madam Chair, for this opportunity.

Thank you so much. Now I invite the representative of the Centre for Deaf Directors, Umanos. You have the floor.

Yes, dear Chair, distinguished experts of the Committee on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities and everyone else, we are two speakers and I will start. So my name is Torsten Yelma, I'm the coordinator for the Citizens Commission on Human Rights, CCHR for short. This is an update on the latest development and handling of the drafted possible additional protocol to the Council of Europe's Oviedo Convention. That we now once again have to update on this is not because everything is going well. But we will end off with stating that there seem to be a significant improved recognition of the CRPD and acceptance of it among European states. When reading the CRPD itself, the general comments, the guidelines and Article 14, etc., it should leave no doubt that the possible additional new protocol violates the text and the spirit of the CRPD. But what we are facing in the Council of Europe is not objective thinking and factually considering international human rights law. Following the unanimous vote of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe in January 2026 that was rejecting the drafted Additional Protocol, the Secretariat of the Council's decision-making body, the Ministers' Deputies, commissioned a confidential study on the CRPD and its compatibility with the Additional Protocol. This legal analysis, while it may not be openly stated, is meant to defend the possibility of a new additional protocol in violation of the CRPD and undermining the paradigm shift that was initiated by it. The Commission's legal analysis for this purpose does not consider all required UN documents on the CRPD. The work on it was even kept secret from the CRPD Committee. And this confidential text written by a single professor from the Potsdam University in Berlin concluded that the draft additional protocol cannot be regarded as being precluded by or running counter to the CRPD. It was presented to the Council of Europe's Ministers Deputies in May prior to the deputies' first meeting in this final stage of the review process. Of course, a lot of advocacy efforts was done by many groups prior to this meeting, and the result was that at the 27 May meeting of the Minister's deputies, there was two widely opposing viewpoints on the additional protocol. No final decisions could be made, and the only thing that was clear was that the drafted version of the additional protocol could not be approved as it was written. The confidential text was then used to argue for a revision of the drafted additional protocol. The purpose was not to align it with the CRPD, which is impossible, but to reflect the reality of existing regulations in Europe on involuntary measures in psychiatry with the view of strengthening the protection the procedural safeguards. Following heated discussions within the ministers' deputies, a vote was done on how to proceed. Less than half of the 46 member states participated. And the result was that a dozen countries, just 26% of the member states of the council, then could dictate the future direction, which they envisioned as a revised additional protocol. I will now turn the word over to my colleague from CCSR Spain. She will introduce herself and continue.

Madam Chair, I'm Elisa Tullios. I am the director of public affairs of the Citizens Committee for Human Rights in Spain. We defend and monitor human rights in the area of mental health. This is officially recognized as a public interest entity by the Ministry of Home Affairs. I would like to update you on what we have done. The Secretariat of the Council of Europe according to instructions reviewed the text. Any review which doesn't eradicate coercion is something which means that this additional protocol is not aligned with the CRPD. There was a significant reaction during a debate on the 1st of July. The declaration made by the committee was important for advocacy. Our center contacted over 40 of the delegates to the Council of Europe so that they were aware of your statement. Similarly, a coalition of 12 entities demanded that the Council of Europe officially abandoned and definitively abandoned the additional protocol. There was a second round of debate amongst ministers, delegates. on the reviewed protocol, this was under strong pressure from the reiterated calls for rejection of the additional protocol by the CRPD and civil society. It was not an easy debate, but we have seen significant change in points of view. Ministerial delegates did not reach an agreement on the reviewed and revised protocol. There are some countries that wish to continue discriminatory practices which could also be humiliating in the area of psychiatry. The most important news is that there appears to be a widespread consensus against the very idea of the additional protocol and in favour of the CRPD and civil society's position. They are contacting civil society supposedly to find a solution, but this hasn't happened yet. There will be another ministerial meeting on the 7th of September, but advocacy must continue. As part of civil society, we're going to step up our efforts and we hope that the outcome of all this will be reflected in the September meeting with a majority calling for rejection and removal of the additional protocol. Thank you.

Thank you for all speakers. I now give the floor to Mr. Josep Maria Soler i Chabero, Advocate and Director General of Support, Girona. You have the floor.

Thank you, Madam Chair, distinguished members of the committee, excellencies, colleagues, and friends. Thank you for the opportunity to speak at this opening session. I come from Girona in the northeast of Catalonia, and I talk on behalf of Support Girona Foundation. a social service provider currently supporting more than 1,500 people with intellectual disabilities, psychosocial disabilities and other situations requiring intensive support. Suporgerona may be a small example of transformation, an organisation that comes from the dark side of the force, if you allow me, and has chosen to fully embrace CRPD values. Today in Catalonia and in Spain, we have maybe the strongest combination of a legislation aligned with Article 12 of CRPD, abolishing any limitation of legal capacity and guardianship, and at the same time, a system of supported decision-making social service provided by NGOs, publicly funded, in the case of Catalonia, universal, and offer to any people who have no family or social network able to provide that support. But Support Girona was born before the Convention in a context where guardianship was the dominant response and we inherited a system built around protection, substitution and institutional logic. We began our transformation, of course, after the Convention entered into force, but very specially after General Comment No. 1, That gives us a lot of arguments and force. And years before the legislation, today's legislation allied with Article 12 become possible. Indeed, Support Girona was created 23 years ago with a mission linked to a successful closure of a psychiatric institution in Girona. For the last 20 years in Girona, a region of 800,000 inhabitants, we have no psychiatric institution. Yet, under the same legal framework, thousands of people in Catalonia and in Spain still live in long-stay psychiatric settings. Girona also has fewer hospital beds per inhabitant than almost anywhere in Europe. We have just 80 for 800,000. While flexible and mobile community-based mental health services support people and families in highly complex situations. This has been only possible because of an ecosystem in which social services, individualised support, housing, employment, prevention, early intervention are coordinated in a way that is uncommon in many contexts. At Support Genona we are proud of this mental health ecosystem, not because it's perfect, but because it shows that another way of organising support is possible. Over the time, and not without tension, we moved towards a rights-based support model. This was not simple, a change of vocabulary. It required changing practices, procedures, relationships with families, with DPOs, with persons themselves, cooperation with courts, with administrations, and above all, the way we understood power. In fields like mental health, like has been expressed just before about what is behind the draft additional protocol of the Vienna Convention, many minds are still based in practices against CRPD. We have been fighting against that. And more recently, using WHO quality rights material, we have helped us to achieve greater penetration and being to see tangible changes. We have many challenges ahead, especially to guarantee independent living supported schemes for persons with psychosocial disabilities and intellectual disabilities with intensive support needs. We are not alone. As a board member of the ESPD, the European Association of Service Providers for Persons with Disabilities, I know thousands of managers and professionals working closely with DPOs and community stakeholders, who are trying to move from successful pilot projects, tested thousands of times, aligned with CRPD, and for example, in deinstitutionalization or in supported living schemes, to a general policy that funds these schemes to make possible that everyone in need have them available. This is also a question of money. Very often, public funding systems still reward institutional solutions more than community-based support. And this is my final message. For millions of persons with disabilities without services available, rights are just nice words. And at the same time, there are thousands of professionals and non-profit service providers ready to deliver support fully aligned with CRPD. What they need now are not just changes in legislation or more nice papers. We need public policies and funding systems that make this transformation possible for everyone who needs it. We are open for more business in that line. Thank you for your work, members of the committee. We need your strong support. Thank you.

Thank you so much. I would like to thank all the distinguished speakers for your contribution and for joining the committee on this important occasion. We will now proceed with item one of the provisional agenda, namely the adoption of the agenda and the programme of work. Both documents have been circulated and are available in the extranet of the committee and on the committee's web page. If there is no objection, I declare the agenda and the program of the work adopted. Now we have come to the end of public opening of the 35th session. I thank all participants. We will now take a short five minutes break and reconvene in a closed meeting for the briefing on Qatar. Thank you so much.