Second session of the Conference of States Parties: 2 to 4 September 2009

The Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities was adopted by the General Assembly in its resolution 61/106 of 13 December 2006. 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.” 

The second  session of the Conference of States Parties to the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities  was held  on 2 September 2009 from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. and 3 p.m. to 6 p.m. and September 3 and 4 from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. at United Nations Headquarters in New York.  

• Documents 
• Round Table 1: Accessiblity and reasonable accommodation
• Round Table 2: Equal recognition before the law, access to justice and support and decision-making
• Interactive Dialogue: United Nations’ Update on the Implementation of the Convention
• Contributions received from civil society and Information for Non-Governmental Organizations
• List of Side-events

• Bureau:
  • President: Mexico
  • Vice-Presidents: Hungary, Jordan, New Zealand and South Africa   

     

• Documents:   
  • Provisional agenda (CRPD/CSP/2009/1)
  • Report on the Conference of States Parties to Convention on Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD/CSP/2009/2: ADVANCE UNEDITED TEXT) (PDF version)
  • Provisional programme

• Background documents:
  • A/HRC/10/48: Thematic Study by the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights on enhancing awareness and understanding of the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities    
  • Contributions received from Member States for the Compilation on Legislative Measures to implement the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities Disabilities (as of 28 August)  
  • Compilation of Legislative Measures undertaken in the Implementation of the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities

 Wednesday, 2 September

• Statements: 
  • President: H.E.Amb. Claude Heller (Mexico)
  • Ms. Asha-Rose Migiro, Deputy Secretary-General
  • Mr. Thomas Stelzer, Assistant Secretary-General for Policy Coordination and Inter-Agency Affairs for Economic and Social Affairs
  • Ms. Jessica Neuwirth, Director of OHCHR, New York Office
  • Mr. Mohammed Al-Tarawneh, Chairpersons with Disabilities
  • Mr. Jan-Peter Strömgren, Chair, International Disability Alliance (IDA)

• Round Table 1: Accessiblity and reasonable accommodation:
  • Chairperson:  H.R.H. Prince Raad bin Zeid Al-Hussein (Jordan) and Vice-Chairperson: H. E. Amb. Gábor Bródi (Hungary)
  • Ms. Ana Peláez Narváez, Member of the Committee on the CRPD
  • Ms. Monsur Ahmed Chowdhury, Member of the Committee on the CRPD
  • Ms. Anne Hawker, Rehabilitation International
  • Mr. Wilfredo Guzman Jara, Disabled Peoples' International

Press releases:

• Conference of States parties to United Nations Convention will consider measures aimed at strengthening national disability rights, DPI
• National Legislative Measures Aimed at Strengthening Rights of Persons with Disabilities Focus, as States Parties to Convention Open Session Round Table: ‘Accessibility and Reasonable Accommodation”, DPI

 Thursday, 3 September

• Round Table 2: Equal recognition before the law, access to justice and support and decision-making:
  • Co-Chairpersons: H.E. Ms. Noluthando Agatha Mayende-Sibiya, Minister of Women, Youth, Children and Persons with Disabilities (South Africa) and H.E. Amb. Jim McLay (New Zealand)
  • Ms. Maria Soledad Cisternas Reyes, Member of the Committee on the CRPD
  • Ms. Tina Minkowitz, World Network of Users and Survivors of Psychiatry
  • Ms. Edah Wangechi Maina, Vice-Chairperson of the Committee on the CRPD
  • Ms. Tirza Leibowitz, Survivor Corps 

• Informal Segment on Emerging Issue: The global economic crisis, poverty and the implementation of the Convention

  Jointly organised by the Bureau and the IDA CRPD Forum

  • Co-chairpersons: H. E. Amb. Jim McLay (New Zealand) and Ms. Catalina Devandas (RIADIS/IDA)
  • Panelists:

    - Mr. Cveto Uršič, Member of the Committee

    - Mr. Khandaker Jahurul Alam, Chairperson, Asia & Pacific Disability Forum & President, National Forum of Organizations with the Disabled

    - Dr. Nora Groce, Yale School of Public Health

    - Ms. Aleksandra Posarac, World Bank

  • Conclusions  

• Side-event:
  • Panel on Making the MDGs a reality for all: Advancing the disability rights agenda in development
    • Co-Chairpersons: Ms. Janet Lord and M. Michael Stein, Harvard Law School Project on Disability
    • Ms. Maria Martinho, United Nations Statistic Division
    • Ms. Nora Groce, University of London
    • M. Joshua Goldstein
    • Ms. Charlotte McClain-Nhlapo, World Bank
    • Ms. Maria Veronica Reina, Burton Blatt Institute, Syracuse University & GPDD  

• Press release:
  • Equal Legal Rights, Access to Justice Crucial to Implementation of Disabilities Convention, Say Speakers as Conference of States Parties Continues Round Table Panellists Underline Decision-making Rights of Disabled People, DPI

Friday, 4 September 

•  Interactive Dialogue; United Nations’ Update on the Implementation of the Convention:
  • President: H.E.Amb. Claude Heller (Mexico)
  • Mr. Thomas Stelzer, ASG, DESA
  • Mr. Craig Mokhiber, OHCHR
  • Ms. Amna Ali Al Suweidi, Member of the Committee CRPD
  • Mr. Michael Adlerstein, Executive Director-Capital Master Plan, UN/DM 
  • Ms. Diane Alarcón, UNDP
  • Ms. Elizabeth Gibbons, Policy and Practice UNICEF

 Press release:

• United Nations System Officials Spell Out Strategies for Implementing Disability Convention as Conference of States Parties Concludes