“The message is stark: persons with disabilities face higher poverty, greater unemployment, deeper food and health insecurity and more limited access to education, jobs, and digital technologies,” said Amina Mohammed.

But action is underway.

The 18th Session of the Conference of States Parties to the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (COSP18) will focus on enhancing public awareness of the rights and contributions of persons with disabilities for social development.

Progressive roots

Chair of the Committee on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, Kim Mi-Yeon, underscored the importance of the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, now 20 years old, even amid growing global challenges.

“The CRPD is the most progressive human rights treaty of the 21st century...It marked a decisive shift – from medical and charity models to a rights-based approach – and affirms the duty to dismantle structural and gender-based discrimination,” said Mr. Kim.

Even with the ongoing UN liquidity crisis, he highlighted the momentum across the world for bolstering rights, including the International Forum on Disability Employment in Korea.

Gaining momentum

The social development agenda aims to continue building momentum for disability rights and social development ahead of two major upcoming events: the Second World Summit for Social Development in November and the Fourth International Conference on Financing for Development later this month, FFD4, taking place in the Spanish city of Sevilla.

This week’s agenda

From Tuesday to Thursday, the conference will feature speeches by UN and civil society leaders, a public debate on the rights and contributions of persons with disabilities and three roundtables.

The roundtables will explore financing for disability-inclusive development, harnessing artificial intelligence for inclusion and advancing the rights of Indigenous persons with disabilities

Government officials, civil society representatives, UN agencies, and experts will share strategies and best practices throughout the event.