12th Session of the Conference of States Parties on the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities

Dr. Mary Keogh, Director of Disability Inclusive Development, spoke at the 12th session of the Conference of States Parties (COSP) on the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD). Read her statement to the COSP below.

“Thank you chair.

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I am speaking on behalf of CBM, an international disability and development organization focusing on creating an inclusive world in which all persons with disabilities enjoy their human rights and achieve their full potential. CBM partners with more than 350 organizations implementing more than 600 projects in 59 countries in Africa, Asia, Latin America and the Middle East.

Working in partnership with people with disabilities and their representative organisations to create the world envisioned by the CRPD - is at the core of our mandate. It is crucial for CBM, that all efforts taken by governments to implement the CRPD and advance the 2030 agenda, alongside civil society and the private sector, are in line with Article 4 (3) of the CRPD and ensure meaningful and effective participation of persons with disabilities.

In achieving the SDGs it is important that the CRPD shapes international development and humanitarian action to ensure there is a rights based approach to the inclusion of people with disabilities. Article 11 and 32 of the CRPD, should be fully applied to international cooperation and humanitarian action. In this regard, it is important that all persons with disabilities, especially women and girls and also persons with psychosocial and intellectual disabilities– the ones most left behind - participate in a meaningful way in all decision-making processes concerning them. For Deaf colleagues in the Global South the development of sign language and interpretation is particularly important to enable real consultation. The efforts already undertaken in this regard by some States is highly appreciated by CBM and we encourage states who are not yet engaging in disability-inclusive humanitarian aid and international cooperation to start doing so.

To achieve the inclusion of persons with disabilities and leave no one behind, it is vital to collect and enhance data disaggregation on disability in order to inform efficient policies and programs. Lack of such data will have detrimental consequences to the implementation of the CRPD as well as the SDGs and subsequently leave persons with disabilities uncounted and left out. To ensure international comparability over time, we recommend the application of the short set of questions developed by the Washington Group. In the same regard, disability-responsive budgeting is key to support the implementation of the CRPD and the 2030 Agenda. Failure to do so will again result in leaving persons with disabilities behind.

Thank you very much for your attention.”

Dr. Mary Keogh, Director of Disability Inclusive Development with CBM, at the Convention of States Parties on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities

Dr. Mary Keogh with CBM Colleagues the Convention of States Parties on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities