They are gathering at the world’s largest disability rights conference, known as the 17th Conference of the Parties to the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (COSP17), which runs from 11-13 June.
Their aim is to ensure that countries are living up to their promises to guarantee equality for all.
AI on the battlefield: Here’s the agenda
UN Member States and NGOs will report on challenges and successes, and propose new ways to remove remaining barriers to ensure that people with disabilities can fully enjoy all their rights.
Since the Convention was adopted in 2008, COSP has met annually to monitor the implementation of this landmark treaty, which has been signed by 191 UN Member States.
This year’s agenda includes three roundtables on current issues that will feed into the Future Summit in September, with international cooperation on humanitarian emergencies, decent jobs and sustainable livelihoods, and technological innovation for an inclusive future at its core.
Participants in a UNDP-supported innovative programme in Egypt using technology to empower people with disabilities. (File)
Digital Transformation
Artificial intelligence (AI)-driven tools scan websites, mobile apps, and other digital content to identify accessibility issues and provide recommendations for fixes, helping developers and content creators ensure their products are accessible to people with disabilities from the design stage through technology upgrades.
And that’s just AI. The potential of digital transformation for people with disabilities is well known and widespread, said Heba Hagras, the Special Rapporteur on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities.
Potential innovations include the availability of assistive devices, inclusive education, access to employment, healthcare, personalized support systems, and information and communication tools.
“Digital transformation can help realize the paradigm shift brought about by the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, allowing people with disabilities to regain their voice, control and choice as active members of their communities,” she said.
COSP17 will focus on fostering innovation and working towards the social inclusion and empowerment of people with disabilities, from the classroom to the workplace.
Take a look at some of the innovations announced at the recent AI for Global Good Summit.
Building an inclusive job market
Breaking into the job market can be a big challenge.
Eighty percent of the world’s people with disabilities live in developing countries, and their right to decent work and a sustainable livelihood is fully recognized in the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities and other major internationally agreed development documents such as the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.
Currently, the global report card on employment shows a range of progress: countries such as Argentina, Kenya, Nigeria, Uganda and Uruguay have enacted new laws and established national enterprises and disability networks, but much more needs to be done.
COSP17 will therefore present a range of solutions based on tried and tested approaches that will empower people with disabilities to contribute to family, society and development efforts in countries around the world.
United Nations Costa Rica/Abril Morales
Nicole Messen Sojo, a city council member in San José, Costa Rica, was born with osteogenesis imperfecta and is a disability rights advocate. (File)
Humanitarian Emergencies
What if you couldn’t hear the bombs on a battlefield or wheel your wheelchair to evacuate a flood?
In situations of risk and humanitarian emergency, such as armed conflict, natural and climate disasters, and health emergencies, people with disabilities are too often left behind in planning preparedness, response and recovery efforts.
Indeed, more than a dozen Human Rights Council-appointed experts warned in a joint statement on the current crisis in Gaza that “persons with disabilities are at higher risk of infectious diseases, malnutrition and death, all of which become increasingly likely as Gaza’s civilian infrastructure collapses.”
From climate-related disasters to conflict, COSP17 will highlight new and innovative initiatives, challenges and solutions that are working today that can advance the Future Summit towards more inclusive societies.
Eight-year-old Hanaa, who was left paralyzed and crippled in both legs by a bomb blast, sits in a wheelchair near her home in the eastern Syrian city of Aleppo. (File)
Making History at COSP17: Live Blog Takeover
The first-ever UN News live blog takeover with guest editors will take place on 11 June, as people from around the world gather at UN Headquarters for the largest global conference on issues affecting people with disabilities.
The live page coverage of the opening session of COSP17 will be handled by guest editor Nick Herd, activist, actor, talk show host and COSP17 representative for L’Arche Canada, an NGO that is part of a network of 160 communities in 37 countries for people with intellectual disabilities.
As a delegate at COSP16 and live blogging for UN News at COSP17 this year, the Down Syndrome advocate will provide valuable insight into the ongoing conversation around disability rights and inclusive communities. He will also interview representatives and change-makers from around the world and explore how best to increase inclusivity in tech, employment and aid work in times of war and climate disaster. His mission is to amplify voices and drive change.
The blog will be published at 8am on 11 June. Stay tuned to UN News and follow the hashtag #COSP17 on social media.