Welcome to the United Nations
The International Day of Persons with Disabilities (IDPD) is annually observed on 3 December to promote the full and equal participation of persons with disabilities and to take action for the inclusion of persons with disabilities in all aspects of society and development.
This year, the International Day of Persons with Disabilities will be commemorated throughout the week of 30 November- 4 December in conjunction with the 13th session of the Conference of States Parties to the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities.
The theme this year is “Building Back Better: toward a disability-inclusive, accessible and sustainable post COVID-19 World”.
Commemorative Event for IDPD 2020: Action Toward a Disability-Inclusive, Accessible and Sustainable Post-COVID-19 World”
4 December 2020 (11.00 am-12:45 pm EST)
The event will include representatives of Member States, UN offices, organizations of persons with disabilities, civil society, and the private sector. It will emphasize the importance of disability-inclusive responses to COVID-19 and take stock of progress in "building back better," including addressing the global policy framework on disability-inclusive development newly adopted by the General Assembly Third Committee this past November. The event will also address the tools of the UN system. These include hose developed for the UN Disability Inclusion Strategy, the United Nations Partnership on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, UNWomen and the World Bank. It will also focus on important steps taken by civil society and the private sector to "build back better" in a disability-inclusive manner.
Draft Agenda
Co-Moderators: Mr. Gopal Mitra, Senior Officer, Disability Team (EOSG) and Ms. Abia Akram, Chair, Asia Pacific Forum on Women and Girls with Disabilities (Civil Society)
Global Action: Strengthening the international framework on disability-inclusive development: disability-inclusive response to Covid-19 and “Building Back Better Toward an Inclusive, Accessible and Sustainable Post-COVID-19 World
- Introduction: Under-Secretary-General Ms. Ana Maria Menendez, EOSG.
- President of the Conference of States Parties to the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, E. Minister Luis Gallegos, Minister of Foreign Affairs, Ecuador (Ecuador)
- Third Committee Resolution on Inclusive Development for and with Persons with Disabilities/ E. Ambassador Enrique A. Manalo, Permanent Representative, PM of Philippines
- H.E. Ambassador Kennedy Gastorn, Permanent Representative, PM of Tanzania
- The Co-Chairs of the Group of Friends of Persons with Disabilities (Mexico and New Zealand), H.E. Ambassador Juan Sandoval, Deputy Permanent Representative, PM of Mexico
Video "ON DISPLAY GLOBAL short compilation 2020" by Heidi Latsky Dance
Vision for Action on the Ground: Tools for Building Back Better Toward an Inclusive, Accessible and Sustainable Post-COVID-19 World:
- Next steps for the implementation of the UN Disability Inclusion Strategy, the EOSG Mr. Gopal Mitra, Senior Officer, Disability Team (EOSG)
- UNWomen A.H. Monjurul Kabir, Global Adviser, UN Coordination, Gender Equality and Disability Inclusion/Intersectionality, UN Women
- United Nations Partnership on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (UNPRPD): Ola Abualghaib, Technical Secretariat for the UN Partnership on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (UNPRPD) Multi-Donor Trust Fund (MDTF)
- World Bank Charlotte V. McClain-Nhlapo, Global Disability Advisor, World Bank
- Civil Society/organizations of persons with disabilities: Hannes Juhlin Lagrelius, World Blind Union, Co-chair, General Assembly of Partners-PCG Persons with Disabilities (representative of civil society/organizations of persons with disabilities)
- Private Sector/Foundations: Yosuke Ishikawa, Nippon Foundation
Respondent: Mr. Cabra de Luna Miguel Angel, EESC Observer to the UNTFSSE, to provide his comments concerning the presentations.
Secretary- General’s Message on the International Day of Persons with Disabilities Arabic | Chinese | English | French | Russian | Spanish
Video Message from Ms. María Soledad Cisternas Reyes, Special Envoy of the United Nations Secretary-General on Disability and Accessibility for the International Day of Persons with Disabilities, 3 December 2020.
Resources
United Nations Disability Inclusion Strategy (UNDIS)
The UNDIS provides the foundation for sustainable and transformative progress on disability inclusion through all pillars of the work of the United Nations: peace and security, human rights, and development. The Strategy enables the UN system to support the implementation of the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD) and other international human rights instruments, as well as the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals, the Agenda for Humanity, and the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction.