By KABS KANU–
Sierra Leone’s Minister of Social Welfare, Gender and Children’s Affairs , Dr. Sylvia Blyden , will on Tuesday address the tenth session of the UN Conference of State Parties to the Convention on the Rights of Persons With Disabilities , which will take place from Tuesday 13 to Thursday 15 June 2017 at UN Headquarters in New York.
Dr. Blyden, who will be leading the Sierra Leone delegation to the Conference, will be arriving in New York on Monday June 12.
The theme of the 10th Session will be “The Second Decade of the CRPD: Inclusion and full participation of persons with disabilities and their representative organizations in the implementation of the Convention”
The Sub-themes of the Session are also :
- Addressing the impact of multiple discrimination on persons with disabilities and promoting their participation and multi-stakeholder partnerships for achieving the SDGs in line with the CRPD;
- Inclusion and full participation of persons with disabilities in humanitarian action;
- Promoting inclusive urban development and implementation of the New Urban Agenda – Habitat III.
According to the United Nations Division For Social Policy and Development on Disability , the purpose of the present CRPD is to “promote, protect and ensure the full and equal enjoyment of all human rights and fundamental freedoms by all persons with disabilities, and to promote respect for their inherent dignity.”
According to the Division, “Persons with disabilities include those who have long-term physical, mental, intellectual or sensory impairments which in interaction with various barriers may hinder their full and effective participation in society on an equal basis with others.”
The DSPD says that “The United Nations and its Member States recognize the central role that persons with disabilities must play in multi-stakeholder partnerships for achieving the SDGs for all and implementing the CRPD.”
The DSPD further announces that “At this year’s COSP, high-level representation from 173 States Parties and observers, includes an estimate of over 40 ministerial-level participants, who will speak in the general debate and other thematic discussions during the session. Also, over 75 parallel side-event will be conducted by Governments, UN agencies and civil society organizations, including organizations of persons with disabilities, national human rights institutions, disability rights organizations, service providers and the private sector.”
It is no doubt be one of the biggest sessions held at the UN.
