Cementing and protecting the rights of around 1.5 billion people around the world in accordance with the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities is a “moral imperative” said United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres on Tuesday.

He was addressing a conference of signatories to the Convention at UN Headquarters in New York, describing it as one of the most widely-ratified international human rights treaties, which reaffirms that people with disabilities are entitled to the same treatment as everybody else. Read more

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The Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD) was adopted by the General Assembly by its resolution 61/106 of 13 December 2006. It came into force on 3 May 2008 upon the 20th ratification. Article 40 of the Convention stipulates that “The States Parties shall meet regularly in a Conference of States Parties in order to consider any matter with regard to the implementation of the present Convention.” Since 2008, ten sessions of the Conference of States Parties have been held at United Nations Headquarters, New York.

The 11th session of the Conference of States Parties to the CRPD will take place at the United Nations Headquarters, New York,  from 12 to 14 June 2018. Read more

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2018 World Autism Awareness Day observance on
“Empowering Women and Girls with Autism”

Thursday, 5 April 2018
Economic and Social Council Chamber, United Nations Headquarters

The 2018 World Autism Awareness Day observance at United Nations Headquarters New York will focus on the importance of empowering women and girls with autism and involving them and their representative organizations in policy and decision making to address these challenges.

Girls with disabilities are less likely to complete primary school and more likely to be marginalized or denied access to education. Women with disabilities have a lower rate of employment than men with disabilities and women without disabilities. Read more

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This year’s celebration was under the theme “What I bring to the Workplace” – Enabling all people with Down syndrome to contribute and live valued working lives, to be fully included in the community.

Click here for remarks given by H.E. Dr. Toshiya Hoshino, Deputy Permanent Representative of Japan to the United Nations at the event.

The Day was celebrated on 21 March 2018 from 10-6 at the Trusteeship Council. Down Syndrome International brought together people with Down syndrome, their supporters and advocates, senior representatives of major employers, experts in the field of disability employment, Government and UN officials. The aim was to reach out to key employment stakeholders to ensure that they recognize the benefits of enabling people with Down syndrome and disabilities to make meaningful contributions in the workplace and to encourage stakeholders to help in bringing positive change.

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