A “cascade of crises” is putting global progress towards ensuring the rights of persons with disabilities in danger, UN Secretary-General António Guterres warned on Tuesday in New York. 

The Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD) was adopted by the General Assembly by its resolution 61/106 of 13 December 2006. It came into force on 3 May 2008 upon its 20th ratification.

If the world really wants to step back from the brink, it had better “walk the walk” towards a more sustainable future for all, young speakers said on Tuesday, as thousands of their counterparts from across the world gathered, in person and online, for the opening of the annual Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) Youth Forum at UN Headquarters in New York.

Their call was answered by top UN officials.

The United Nations will welcome hundreds of Indigenous Peoples from around the world for the 22nd session of the UN Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues (UNPFII) to be held in New York from 17 to 28 April. They will be discussing the most relevant and pressing issues with members of the Permanent Forum, Member States, and UN entities. Here are some key topics to look out for:

Health of the Planet = Health of Peoples

The twenty-second session of the UN Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues will take place in the United Nations Headquarters, New York, from 17-28 April 2023.

The priority theme of the session is: “Indigenous Peoples, human health, planetary and territorial health and climate change: a rights-based approach”.

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The Thirteenth Session of the Open-Ended Working Group (OEWG13) on Ageing will be held in Conference Room 2 from 3 to 6 April 2023 at the United Nations Headquarters in New York. 

This year, the session will focus on the "Right to Health and Access to Health Services," "Social Inclusion," and the development of a possible international standard on the protection of the rights of older persons to "Economic Security" and the "Contribution of Older Persons to Sustainable Development."

Judith “Judy” Heumann—widely regarded as “the mother” of the disability rights movement—passed away in Washington, D.C. on the afternoon of March 4, 2023.

Addressing the opening of the Commission for Social Development’s latest session, the president of the UN Economic and Social Council on Monday said it was imperative to put people first, if the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) are to be realized by the 2030 deadline.

The United Nations Human Settlements Programme (UN-Habitat) and the United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs (UNDESA) would like to invite national, regional and local governments, civil society organizations, UN entities, service providers for people experiencing homelessness, private and public housing providers, researchers and other actors to contribute to the forthcoming Report on “Inclusive policies and programs to address homelessness, including in the aftermath of COVID-19”, which will be presented by the UN Secretary General to the 78th Session

The Division for Inclusive Social Development of UN DESA organized Expert Group Meeting and consultations with stakeholders concerning the preparations for the IYF+30.

International Expert Group Meetings in preparation for the IYF+30