CoSP in New York

CoSP in New York

On 11 to 13 June the 17th session of the Conference of States Parties (CoSP) took place in New York. This is an annual gathering dedicated to discussing the implementation of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD). The overarching theme for this year’s edition was “Rethinking disability inclusion in the current international juncture and ahead of the Summit of the Future”. 

Participants included representatives of the State Parties (countries and regional organisations that ratified the Convention), civil society organisations (such as organisations of persons with disabilities) and disability rights experts (such as the UN Special Rapporteur on the rights of persons with disabilities and academics). An European Disability FOrum (EDF) delegation joined this high-level event; here is an overview of their main contributions.

The Civil Society Forum during CoSP17 was organised around three sub-themes. Here are the key takeaways from each of them:

Sub theme 1: International cooperation to promote technology innovations and transfer for an inclusive future (Background Note) 

During this discussion, speakers emphasised the persistent gaps in technology accessibility and need for inclusive design processes, especially for deaf and blind communities. Regional organisations discussed the slow progress in accessibility of technology innovations, particularly in Africa and Asia, stressing that societal barriers, rather than personal impairments, are the primary obstacles.

Sub theme 2: Persons with disabilities in situations of risk and humanitarian emergencies (Background Note)

Speakers emphasised the importance of allocating resources for service providers and ensuring that humanitarian programs are inclusively designed from the beginning. There was a call for inclusive preparedness, and for humanitarian actors to incorporate disability inclusion in their standard operating procedures. 

Sub theme 3: Promoting the rights of persons with disabilities to decent work and sustainable livelihood (Background Note)

What emerged was the clear need for a fundamental shift in mentality and narrative regarding the inclusion of persons with disabilities in the workforce. Participants also drew links between these rights and that of the right to legal capacity.