The UN hosts events throughout the year to address disability issues, including the annual celebration of World Down Syndrome Day. A global forum on the rights of persons with disabilities will be held at UN headquarters Human Rights
Hundreds of people with disabilities, representatives of non-governmental organizations and civil society, as well as ambassadors from dozens of countries around the world will gather at UN headquarters in New York on Tuesday for the largest global meeting on disability rights.
The seventeenth Conference of States Parties to the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, or COSP17, will take place from 11 to 13 June. Its participants intend to ensure that governments keep their word to guarantee equality for all. UN Member States and non-governmental organizations will present new ways to remove barriers that prevent people living with disabilities from fully enjoying all their rights.
Agenda
Since the adoption of the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities in 2008, conference participants have met annually to monitor the implementation of the treaty signed by 191 UN member states.
This year’s agenda includes three round tables on current issues ahead of the Future Summit, which opens in September. The focus will be on international cooperation in humanitarian emergencies, technological innovation to build an inclusive future, and challenges related to finding decent work.
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Digital Innovation
Forum participants will discuss progress made in developing artificial intelligence-based tools that can scan websites, mobile applications and other digital content to identify accessibility issues and offer recommendations to resolve them. In this way, they will help developers and content creators ensure that their products are accessible to people with disabilities, from the design stage to technology upgrades.
“Digital innovation can be used to give people with disabilities back control and choice as active members of their communities,” said Heba Hagrass, UN Special Rapporteur on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities.
Creating Inclusive labor markets
It is often very difficult for a person with a disability to enter the labor market. Eighty percent of the world’s disabled people live in developing countries. The global jobs report currently shows mixed progress. Countries such as Argentina, Kenya, Nigeria, Uganda and Uruguay have recently passed progressive laws in this area, but experts say more needs to be done. That’s why the conference will present a range of groundbreaking solutions that will enable more people living with disabilities to contribute to their families and development efforts around the world.
Humanitarian Emergencies
In humanitarian emergencies, such as armed conflicts, natural and climate disasters, and health emergencies, people living with with limited capabilities, they are often left alone with their problems. More than a dozen Human Rights Council-appointed experts warned in a joint statement on the Gaza crisis that people with disabilities are at increased risk of infectious disease, malnutrition and death, all of which are becoming increasingly dangerous as the strip’s civilian infrastructure collapses. This problem will also be discussed at the forum in New York.