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Human Rights Council Social Forum 2016 Monday, 3 October 2016 at 10:00
Distinguished Co-Chairs, Esteemed High Commissioner,
Distinguished President of the International Disabilities Association Excellencies,
Distinguished panellists, Colleagues and Friends,
It is truly an honour for me to address you this morning as we open the 2016 Meeting of the Social Forum. It is especially meaningful to have the Forum this year focused on disabilities, as we mark the 10th anniversary of the adoption of the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities. I am also glad to see this year’s Meeting co- chaired by my two distinguished colleagues, Ambassador Jorge Lomónaco, Permanent Representative of Mexico, and Mr. Carl Allan Reaich, Deputy Permanent Representative and Chargé d’affaires of the Permanent Mission of New Zealand. I am confident that their co-chairmanship will help to make the Forum more engaged and more inclusive.
The Human Rights Council is one of the loudest champions within the UN system on the promotion and protection of the rights of persons with disabilities. Since 2009, the Council has held an annual interactive debate on the rights of persons with disabilities.
And in 2014, the Council created the mandate of the Special Rapporteur on the rights of persons with disabilities, who reports annually to the Council and engages us in interactive dialogue.
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States continue to make efforts to mainstream the rights of persons with disabilities in other Council resolutions and debates as well. For example, during its 32nd session last June, the Council held a panel discussion on using sport and the Olympic ideal to promote human rights for all, including persons with disabilities. And at its recently concluded 33rd session, the Council’s annual half-day discussion on the rights of indigenous peoples focused on the causes and consequences of violence against indigenous women and girls, including those with disabilities.
I encourage States to continue this good practice of ensuring that issues related to the rights of people with disabilities are represented in their debates and decisions.
The Council’s UPR process has proven an effective tool to promote the ratification of the CRPD and its optional protocol. With 166 ratifications, the Convention is rapidly approaching universal ratification. We should continue promoting universal ratification of this treaty as well as its implementation.
The Council has also created a Task Force on accessibility for persons with disabilities. This Task Force works to enhance accessibility to the Human Rights Council for persons with disabilities, especially in terms of physical access to meeting rooms and accessibility to information and documentation.
This year, the Task Force has focused its efforts on putting together a Strategic Accessibility Plan to coordinate efforts and prioritize measures that are specific, measurable, achievable, results-oriented and time-bound – or “SMART”.
One measure that the Council secretariat is currently implementing is an “accessible only” policy for Council documents, under which the secretariat circulates and uploads oral statements and other Council documents in easy to read Word format in order to make them accessible for persons with disabilities. Another measure (which will require additional financial resources), is to conduct training for staff to raise awareness of the obstacles faced by persons with disabilities in accessing the Palais
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des Nations and its meetings. Some of you may have faced challenges in order to participate in this meeting today, and your feedback on this would be valuable for the work of the Task Force.
Let me take this opportunity to congratulate the excellent work done by the Task Force and its Chairperson, Ambassador Morales of Panama. They count on the support of the Members of the Human Rights Council to fulfil the promise of leaving no one behind.
Ladies and gentlemen,
The Human Rights Council strongly encourages the inclusion of issues related to the rights of persons with disabilities in discussions in the international arena. For example, the situation of persons with disabilities was referenced in various parts of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. Now, we must work to ensure that human rights guide policy design for the 2030 Agenda so that the rights of persons with disabilities are included as an integral part of follow-up and implementation efforts.
Ladies and gentlemen,
The Human Rights Council was created in the same year that the CRPD was adopted - 2006 - and since then, they have grown together. Let us take this opportunity to celebrate the achievements that have been made thus far in the promotion and protection of the human rights of persons with disabilities, and focus on the opportunities ahead to achieve even more.
Thank you.
