News

Disability in the 2017 HLPF Ministerial Declaration

21 July 2017

The 2017 High-Level Political Forum on Sustainable Development (HLPF), convened under the auspices of the Economic and Social Council, took place from 10 to 19 July 2017, and concluded in New York on 19 July by adopting its Ministerial Declaration.*

Disability has been given 5 specific references in the Ministerial Declaration this year, including in the context of eradicating poverty and promoting prosperity; multiple and intersecting forms of discrimination, especially faced by women and girls with disabilities; improved and coordinated collection, analysis, dissemination and us of statistics and disaggregated data; as well as localizing and communicating the SDGs to all stakeholders including persons with disabilities.

Posted in: DSPD, News

María Soledad Cisternas Reyes appointed as Special Envoy

21 June 2017

United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres has appointed María Soledad Cisternas Reyes of Chile as his Special Envoy on Disability and Accessibility.

There are more than 1 billion people with some form of disability, accounting for 15 per cent of the world population. In spite of remarkable advances towards accessible and disability-inclusive societies, an enormous gap remains between commitments made and the daily experiences of persons with disabilities. A concerted effort must therefore be made to ensure that people with disabilities are not left behind as promised in the 2030 Agenda and Sustainable Development Goals. As Special Envoy, Ms. Cisternas will help promote the rights of persons with disabilities, with a particular emphasis on accessibility for all. Read more

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Women’s voices at COSP10

14 June 2017

Editorial spotlight: Amplifying the voices of women with disabilities

At the 10th session of the Conference of States Parties to the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, taking place from 13-15 June, UN Women will amplify the voices of women with disabilities and highlight the importance of their representation in decision-making.

An estimated one in five women is likely to experience disability in her lifetime. Women and girls with disabilities face multiple barriers and discrimination that hinder their access to education, economic opportunities, justice and participation in politics and decision-making. Read more

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Side-events and exhibits at COSP10

11 June 2017

During the 10th session of the Conference of States Parties to the CRPD, States Parties, Observer States, UN agencies, civil society organizations, including organizations of persons with Disabilities, and other stakeholders will organize over 80 side-events and receptions from 12 to 15 June.