I have been sponsored by Speech Pathology Australia and accepted by the United Nations to attend the 13th session of the Conference of States Parties to the CRPD https://www.un.org/development/desa/disabilities/conference-of-states-parties-to-the-convention-on-the-rights-of-persons-with-disabilities-2/cosp13.html
Last year I attended in person at the United Nations in New York. This year, it is held online: http://webtv.un.org/
I attended the following session: Round Table 3: Promoting inclusive environments for the full implementation of the CRPD (Virtual - 3 December 2020 – 10.00 am to 12.00 pm (EST, 2am Sydney time).
Here is the background reading: http://undocs.org/CRPD/CSP/2020/4
There were 6 panellists and Santiago Velasquez is representing Australia. The other panellists are from Poland, Ecuador, USA, India and Malawi. Here are the bios of the Co-chairs and panelists https://www.un.org/development/desa/disabilities/wp-content/uploads/sites/15/2020/12/RTB-3-Short-Bios.pdf
COSP13's theme and sub-themes:
Over-arching theme: A decade of action and delivery for inclusive sustainable development: implementing the CRPD and the 2030 Agenda for all persons with disabilities.
Sub-themes for the three round tables
Cross-cutting theme: Strengthening capacity-building to fully implement the CRPD and the SDGs for persons with disabilities, in particular women and girls with disabilities. (Addressing the Beijing+ 25th and other relevant commemorations of the historical benchmarks in the global agenda this year).
- Disability and business: realizing the right to work in open, inclusive and accessible environments for persons with disabilities.
- Addressing the rights and needs of older persons with disabilities: ageing and demographic trends (co-chair by Liberia and CSO)
- Promoting inclusive environments for the full implementation of the CRPD (co-chair by Finland and CSO)
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| Santiago Velasquez represented Australia at COSP13 |
