From 11 to 13 June 2024, disability advocates globally gathered at the 17th session of the Conference of States Parties (COSP17) to the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD) in New York USA. The Technical Secretariat of the UN Partnership on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (UNPRPD) was deeply engaged in various sessions and dialogues in which we contributed our insights and learning as well as forged new partnerships and sought to identify pathways for further acceleration of meaningful disability rights and inclusion.
Hosted against the backdrop of a polycrisis threatening the very fabric of global stability, this year’s #COSP17 underscored the urgent need for inclusive, data-driven and intersectional approaches to advance the rights of persons with disabilities.
Here are some key takeaways from UNPRPD’s participation at #COSP17 :
- Reaffirming Commitment to CRPD Implementation: At the Interactive Dialogue on the Implementation of the Convention, I reiterated UNPRPD’s unwavering commitment to supporting countries in implementing the CRPD, ensuring that the rights of persons with disabilities are upheld worldwide.
- Advancing the UN Disability Inclusion Strategy: UNPRPD’s work to advance the UN Disability Inclusion Strategy (UNDIS) was highlighted at several side events including the FCDO/UNDIS/Sightsavers session “The UN Disability Inclusion Strategy five years on – what progress has been made, what challenges are we facing and where can Member States support?”. All UNPRPD Fund’s national programmes focus on helping countries to address critical gaps in achieving policy and systems changes, build technical capacity, and strengthen the UN system to facilitate disability inclusion. In fact, our programmes directly contribute to 12 of the 14 UNDIS indicators for UNCTs!
- Addressing Critical Concerns in Humanitarian Emergencies: Our side event, “A Dialogue on inclusive strategies in humanitarian response: Experiences from UNPRPD Fund” proved incredibly timely, riveting and insightful as a dynamic panel of experts representing donors, OPDs, CSOs and human rights monitoring organizations engaged in a dynamic conversation that emphasized the urgent need to prioritize disability inclusive humanitarian responses. Attendees were gripped by presentations which spotlighted the realities in Gaza, Ukraine, Georgia, Moldova, Syria and much more. Ms Emina Ceromovic from Human Rights Watch stressed findings that armed conflict and climate emergencies both have profoundly similar impacts on persons with disabilities. Field colleagues from Moldova, Georgia and Gaza noted the importance of disaggregated data collection and the value of UNPRPD’s joint programmes and situational analyses which allow for better informed service delivery during humanitarian emergencies. Donors – DFAT and Norway – reiterated their strong support for UNPRPD’s humanitarian programmes as well as the need for more action and investment in to ensure the safety and well-being of persons with disabilities.
- Mobilizing Support for Action: UNPRPD sought to mobilized support to translate commitments into action. The Fund, in partnership with the International Disability Alliance (IDA), International Disability and Development Consortium (IDDC) and the Stakeholder Group of Persons with Disabilities convened a powerful meeting of key stakeholders – spanning the donor community, CSOs, OPDs and UN agencies to strategize on the way forward and accelerate meaningful disability inclusion efforts at the Summit of the Future and beyond. This session proved immensely valuable and UNPRPD will continue to build on these efforts to strategize and mobilize consensus for strong action.
- Promoting Intersectional and Mainstreamed Approaches to Funding: UNPRPD continued to boldly advocate the need for disability funding to be approached as a multi-layered, intersectional issue that requires support from mainstream sources. This includes addressing gender dimensions, youth inclusion, and the rights of indigenous communities with disabilities. It is important to recognize that every “mainstream” humanitarian and development issue is also disability inclusion and rights issue – from climate change to inclusive cities to socio-economic concerns such as unpaid care. At the FCDO/CIF event, How to Integrate Disability Inclusion into Climate Finance: Approaches from FCDO and Climate Investment Funds, UNPRPD reiterated the urgent need to prioritize and accelerate disability inclusive climate action. This includes strengthening disability-inclusion within climate frameworks and systems, working to ensure inclusive policy reforms, targeted capacity building and strengthening evidence and knowledge around this topic. Without question, these actions all require investment.
- Launching Innovative Programmes: On the point of unpaid care, a major highlight for the Fund during #cosp17 was the launch of a pioneering new programme funded by the Government of Canada on unpaid care and support systems, aiming to transform the conversation on unpaid care work and prioritising disability inclusion and gender equality. This programme will empower OPDs and women in novel and unprecedented ways and it is our hope that it will catalyse further action globally on the critical topic of unpaid care work.
🎥 Check out this video which captures some of our key moments and engagements at COSP17:
Let’s continue to champion meaningful equality and empowerment for all persons with disabilities! #DisabilityInclusion #CRPD #COSP17