Quick Links
- Report of the 8th session of the Conference of States Parties to the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (PDF)
Arabic (PDF), Chinese (PDF), English (PDF), French (PDF), Russian (PDF), Spanish (PDF) - Webcast archive of COSP8
- CART transcripts (rough text only):
- 9 June: Morning Session and Afternoon Session
- 10 June: Morning Session and Afternoon Session
- 11 June: Morning Session and Afternoon Session
- UN Press Release:
- UN Decoded: Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD)
- Vox Pops with participants at COSP8, including in English, French, Arabic and Korean
The UN News Centre asked participants what more needs to be done to ensure that persons with disabilities enjoy all human rights and fundamental freedoms and are included in all aspects of society? - Other media links
- Photos of the Session
Main links:
- Documents (CRPD PaperSmart Portal)
- Side-events
- Civil Society Participation (Monday, 8 June: Civil Society Global Forum programme)
- Participation of National Human Rights Institutions (NHRIs)
- Media participation
- Accessibility (Accessibility Centre at UNHQ and Accessibility Resources)
The Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities was adopted by the General Assembly by its resolution 61/106 of 13 December 2006. It came into force on 3 May 2008 upon the 20th ratification. Article 40 of the Convention stipulates that “The States Parties shall meet regularly in a Conference of States Parties in order to consider any matter with regard to the implementation of the present Convention.” Since 2008, seven sessions of the Conference of States Parties have been held at United Nations Headquarters, New York.
The 8th session will take place at the United Nations Headquarters from 9 to 11 June 2015. The theme of this year's Conference is "Mainstreaming the rights of persons with disabilities in the post-2015 development agenda".
States Parties and observers, including DPOs, are called upon to support and encourage the participation of young leaders in the Conference of States Parties.
Bureau
President (elect): Republic of Korea
Vice-Presidents (elect): Brazil, Italy, Poland, and United Republic of Tanzania.
Documents
All documents including official documents, background papers, statements, etc., including those that are available in languages, available via the CRPD PaperSmart Portal
- Program
Draft Programme | Word Version - Official documents
- Provisional Agenda (CRPD/CSP/2015/1)
(Language versions will be posted on the CRPD PaperSmart Portal) - Rules of Procedure (CRPD/CSP/2008/3)
- Provisional Agenda (CRPD/CSP/2015/1)
- Background documents (Advance unedited versions, only. Final versions forthcoming)
- Mainstreaming disability in reduction of poverty and inequality English, French,Spanish, Russian, Chinese, Arabic (CRPD/CSP/2015/2)
- Improvement of disability data and statistics: Objectives and challenges English,French, Spanish, Russian, Chinese, Arabic (CRPD/CSP/2015/3)
- Addressing the vulnerability and exclusion of persons with disabilities: the situation of women and girls, children’s right to education, disasters and humanitarian crisesEnglish, French, Spanish, Russian, Chinese, Arabic(CRPD/CSP/2015/4)
- Statements (to be posted on CRPD PaperSmart Portal)
Side-events
Civil Society Participation
- Civil Society Global Forum programme, Monday, 8 June
- List of NGOs accredited to the Conference of States Parties
- NGOs in Consultative Status with the Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC)
- Queries about CSO/DPO participation, please email us at: ngo@un.org
- See "Accessibility" below to help prepare for your participation
Participation of National Human Rights Institutions (NHRIs)
- NHRIs Accredited by the International Coordinating Committee of National Institutions for the Promotion and Protection of Human Rights (Accreditation status as of 23 May 2014)
- OHCHR and NHRIs
Media Participation
Media organizations wishing to attend or cover the Conference of States Parties have been advised to contact the United Nations Media Accreditation and Liaison Unit of the Department of Public Information (DPI). Accreditation is a requirement for all journalists who wish to cover activities at United Nations Headquarters in New York.
Accessibility
Accessibility Center at UN Headquarters
The Accessibility Centre at UN Headquarters provides equipment and services to delegates and NGO participants at the Conference. Devices can be borrowed by submitting a valid Photo ID and are for use on UN premises only. (Queries? AccessibilityCentre@un.org)"
The products and services available include:
- List of Devices available at the Accessibility Centre
- Wheelchair charging provisions at various locations around UN Headquarters
- Staffed desk to provide assistance on borrowing and using the devices
The Accessibility Center opens at 8:00 a.m. and devices are loaned daily on a first come, first served basis. Devices are in limited quantity and must be signed for and returned on the same day no later than 5:00 p.m.
Accessibility Resources:
(DISCLAIMER: The information below is provided for informational purposes only. This does not constitute endorsement of, or an approval by, the United Nations.)
- Accessibility / nycgo.com
- Official Accessibility Guide - NYC.gov (PDF)
- Accessible NYC
- DisabledNYC.com
- Accessible Dispatch: Wheelchair-Accessible Taxi Service
- Accessible taxis (to be reserved in advance): Telephone: (646) 599-9999
Other media links:
- Call for Disability Rights to Be Mainstreamed in Post-2015 Development Agenda [News Story] by Nora Happel, IPS News. 06/06/2015
- UN, disability advocates to work together to tackle inequality [News Story] Xinhua. 06/06/2015
- UN meeting opens on rights for the disabled [News Story] NHK (Japan). 09/06/2015
- UN deputy chief urges action to reduce discrimination of persons with disabilities [News Flash] Associated Press of Pakistan. 10/06/2015
- UN official calls for rights of persons with disabilities mainstreamed in new agenda [News Story] Xinhua. 10/06/2015
- UN meeting opens on rights for persons with disabilities, first session on leprosy [News Story] Jiji Press. 10/06/2015 (*Japanese only)
- Vietnam pledges to promote the rights of persons with disabilities [News Story] VOV News (Vietnam). 10/06/2015
- Le Vietnam s’engage à faire des droits des handicapés une réalité [News Story] Vietnam Plus. 10/06/2015
- "Poor people with disabilities cannot eat paper", says a delegate at UN meeting [News Story] Cihan (Turkey). 10/06/2015
- Malayali to Attend Global Meet in UN [News Story] Indian Express. 10/06/2015
- Leprosy activists call for greater inclusion at first U.N. discussion [News Story] The Japan Times, The Daily Mainichi (via Kyodo News). 11/06/2015
- UN Official Urges Urgent Halt To Discrimination Of Disabled Persons [News Story] Leadership (Nigeria). 11/06/2015
- India calls for inclusive post-2015 development agenda [News Story] Business Standard (via Press Trust of India). 11/06/2015
- Rights for disabled high on VN agenda [News Story] VietNamNet. 11/06/2015
- Malawi committed to mainstream Disability issues, Katopola tells UN [News Story] Nyasa Times (Malawi). 11/06/2015
- Ghana Mainstreams Persons With Disability In National Social Protection [News Story] Modern Ghana. 11/06/2015
- Iran approves Comprehensive Disability Act [News Story] MEHR News (Iran). 11/06/2015
- WIPO Marrakesh Treaty For Blind Readers In Force In Early 2016? Now Part Of Bigger UN Process [News Story] IP Watch. 12/06/2015
- UAE mission to UN promotes interests of those with disabilities [News Story] The National (UAE). 14/06/2015
- UN deputy chief urges action to reduce exclusion and discrimination of persons with disabilities[News Story] UN News Centre. 09/06/2015
- UN Decoded: Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD) [Commentary] UN News Centre. 10/06/2015
- People with disabilities in Syria need the world's attention [Interview] UN Radio. 10/06/2015
- Interview with President of the National Federation of the Deaf People in Morocco: We demand public policies include disability in all areas (in Arabic) [Interview] UN Radio. 11/06/2015