12 June 2023
People with Disability Australia (PWDA) is proud to be part of the Disabled Peoples' Organisations Australia (DPOA) delegation to the 16th session of the United Nations Conference of State Parties (COSP) to the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD). Representatives from PWDA, including President, Nicole Lee, Secretary, Clare Gibellini and Senior Manager of Policy, Giancarlo de Vera will be in New York for the event, which takes place from 13 to 17 June 2023 at the UN Headquarters in New York, USA.
Since 2008, the United Nations (UN) has convened the COSP annually to facilitate one of the CRPD commitments to regularly assemble the 164 signatories and 186 State Parties who ratified the CRPD to discuss its implementation. COSP offers a significant opportunity for signatories and state parties to improve how people with disability can engage socially and geopolitically.
DPOA delegates from PWDA, National Ethnic Disability Alliance (NEDA), First Peoples Disability Network (FPDN), and Women With Disabilities Australia (WWDA) will debate and discuss issues and ideas along with other Australian and international conference attendees over the three days of the conference. These deliberations seek to make the global impetus for disability inclusion a reality by focusing on what has worked.
This year's theme, 'Harmonizing national policies and strategies with the CRPD: achievements and challenges' invites delegates to discuss issues and ideas on strengthening the employability of people with disability, while sharing good practices implementing CRPD's core provisions including non-discrimination and accessibility.
Three sub-themes support the principal focus. These are:
- Innovation and technology advancing disability rights;
- Economic empowerment and entrepreneurship of persons with disabilities, and
- Participation of persons with disabilities in climate action, disaster risk reduction and resilience against natural disasters.
DPOA representatives are looking forward to once again engaging on the world stage, bringing the voices of Australians with disability to this important UN conference. Partial funding to attend COSP has been provided by the Australian Government. We thank the Australian Government for their support.
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