Welcome to the United Nations
Side event to the 45th session of the UN Commission on Population and Development, 27 April 2012, Conference Room 5, 1.15 to 2.30 p.m., United Nations Headquarters, New York
Background:
Young people with disabilities are among the poorest and most marginalized of the world’s youth. Estimates suggest that there are between 180 and 220 million youth with disabilities worldwide, and nearly 80 percent of them live in developing countries. All of the issues that affect young people such as access to education, employment, health services and other social services also affect young people with disabilities but in more complex ways. Yet, development frameworks, policies and programmes to improve the well-being of youth in general, do not specifically address youth with disabilities.
Young people with disabilities constantly experience their opportunities being denied due to negative attitudes, discrimination and barriers to access. Furthermore for young women with disabilities their vulnerability is compounded by the barriers they face based on gender as well as their disability.
The 45th session of the of the Commission on Population and Development held under the theme “Adolescent and Youth” provides an important opportunity to promote efforts to integrate the rights of persons with disabilities, in particular young people living with disabilities within the current International Conference on Population and Development (ICPD) Programme for Action. It also provides an opportunity to consider the inclusion of disability as a priority in ICPD post-2014 review process.
The Commission will also discuss its contributions to the 2012 Annual Ministerial Review on the theme “Promoting productive capacity, employment and decent work to eradicate poverty in the context of inclusive, sustainable and equitable economic growth at all levels for achieving the Millennium Development Goals”. Access to employment and sustainable livelihoods for persons with disabilities is a top priority of the global efforts to promote disability-inclusive development.
The discussion will provide a useful input to the Commission deliberations and its recommendations, on how the inclusion of disability can help accelerate efforts towards achieving the objectives of the ICPD as well as other internationally agreed development goals of the international development agenda.
Panel discussion:
Moderator:
- Mr. Jean-Pierre Gonnot, Chief, Social Integration Branch, DSPD/DESA
Welcoming remarks:
- Ambassador Ranko Vilović, Permanent Representative of the Republic of Croatia to the United Nations
Panellists:
- Mr. Vladimir Cuk, International Disability Alliance (IDA)
- Ms. Shifaana Thowfeequ, Secretariat for the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, DSPD/DESA
- Ms. Elizabeth Niland, Office of the UN Focal Point on Youth, DSPD/DESA
- Mr. Gopal Mitra, UNICEF
Closing remarks:
- Ambassador Mårten Grunditz, Permanent Representative of Sweden to the United Nations
- Ms. Milischia Rezai, 2012 Swedish youth delegate to the United Nations
This event is sponsored by the Permanent Missions of Sweden and Croatia to the United Nations and organized by the International Disability Alliance (IDA) and the Secretariat for the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, DSPD/DESA.