International Day of Persons with Disabilities

This COSP19 side event, organized by the World Bank Group and the Government of Saudi Arabia, with support from UNICEF, Egypt, the League of Arab States, and civil society, explores how countries can build integrated care ecosystems that uphold the rights of persons with disabilities across the life course. Many disability support systems worldwide remain fragmented, under-resourced, or overly dependent on unpaid family care. The session highlights how coordinated approaches, linking disability services, long‑term care, social protection, health, education, early childhood development, and employment, can advance CRPD implementation, strengthen community inclusion, reduce caregiver burdens, and expand autonomy. Drawing on leadership and emerging models from Saudi Arabia, Egypt, and the broader MENA region, as well as global frameworks from the World Bank and UNICEF, the event will showcase practical pathways, financing options, institutional arrangements, and partnerships needed to s...

The Civil Society Forum being held under the auspices of the 19th Conference of States Parties (CoSP) to the CRPD will aim to provide a space for civil society to share its initiatives, projects and concerns, including sharing experiences of Organizations of Persons with Disabilities (OPDs) on the implementation of the CRPD. Opening Session & Remarks. Session 1 - 20 Years of the CRPD: Gains, Gaps and the Future in a Reforming UN Session 2 - COSP Theme: Creating a world free from exploitation, violence and abuse for all persons with disabilities. The Civil Society Forum will follow a format of a "People's Assembly". Following a brief opening, four substantive sessions will be held, focused on specific topics; three sessions will mirror the three COSP themes, and the fourth will cover the overarching COSP theme on the 20 Year Anniversary of the CRPD, as well as incorporating wider UN Reform processes. Related Documents:  Agenda . Watch the (Part 1) Civil Society Forum...

 This side event will place care at the center of disability and development agendas and will mark an important milestone: the launch of the Global Network of Indigenous Persons with Disabilities, aimed at strengthening their leadership, visibility, and global advocacy. The 20th anniversary of the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD) represents a key opportunity to reflect on progress made and the challenges that remain. Indigenous persons with disabilities continue to face multiple and intersecting forms of discrimination, linked to geographic isolation, poverty, environmental degradation, and exclusion from decision-making spaces, oppression and racial discrimination. In Indigenous worldviews, care is understood as a holistic and relational concept that encompasses not only people, but also land, biodiversity, and ancestral knowledge. These systems are fundamental to community well-being, food sovereignty, and health, through practices such as tradition...

The side event will not only provide an opportunity to showcase progress and experiences, but also to reaffirm commitments, align priorities, and strengthen recognition of Paralympic sport as a strategic ally of the international human rights system, at a key moment for the evaluation and future projection of the Convention. This initiative seeks to reaffirm the political commitment of States, multilateral organizations, and strategic stakeholders to strengthen the articulation between the Paralympic movement and the disability movement, positioning sport as a relevant component for CRPD implementation. Specific Objectives To generate a high-level political dialogue on the role of Paralympic sport within the global disability, human rights, and development agenda. To recognize progress, lessons learned, and challenges in the relationship between both movements throughout more than twenty years of CRPD implementation. To showcase concrete experiences of regional cooperation promoted b...

Closing of session. Watch the 844th Meeting, 34th session, Committee on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD)! Human Rights Treaty Bodies

World Down Syndrome Day. The Committee on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD) is the body of independent experts which monitors implementation of the Convention by the States parties. Worldwide, there are an estimated one billion people with disabilities. Through its engagement and cooperation with States parties, the Committee promotes inclusion, advocates for the human rights of all persons with disabilities, and provides recommendations to support the implementation of the provisions enshrined in the Convention. Related Sites and Documents:  CRPD 34th Session (09 - 27 Mar 2026) . Watch the 833th Meeting, 34th session, Committee on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD)! Human Rights Treaty Bodies

Consideration of Liberia (cont'd). The Committee on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD) is the body of independent experts which monitors implementation of the Convention by the States parties. Worldwide, there are an estimated one billion people with disabilities. Through its engagement and cooperation with States parties, the Committee promotes inclusion, advocates for the human rights of all persons with disabilities, and provides recommendations to support the implementation of the provisions enshrined in the Convention. Related Sites and Documents:  CRPD 34th Session (09 - 27 Mar 2026) ! Watch the 830th Meeting, 34th session, Committee on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD)! Human Rights Treaty Bodies