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 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, ten sessions of the Conference of States Parties have been held at United Nations Headquarters, New York.

At the 12th plenary meeting of ECOSOC, held on 7 May, the Council elected the government-nominated Members to the Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues for a 3-year term beginning 1 January 2020. The elected Members are the following:

"The UN Flagship Report on Disability and Development 2018 – Realizing the SDGs by, for and with persons with disabilities shows that people with disabilities are at a disadvantage regarding most Sustainable Development Goals, but also highlights the growing number of good practices that can create a more inclusive society in which they can live independently." UN Secretary-General António Guterres’ message on the International Day of Persons with Disabilities, observed on 3 December 2018

The Tenth of the Open-Ended Working Group on Ageing will be held from 15 to 18 April 2019 in Conference Room 4, at the United Nations Headquarters in New York.

The session will be webcast live at: http://webtv.un.org

Participation of NGOs

List of NGOs Accredited to the OEWG on Ageing

United Nations Headquarters, New York - On the first day marking the 63^rd session of the Commission on the Status of Women (CSW), AARP hosted its  12^th annual briefing series, entitled “Why it matters; Social Protection for Older Women”, to highlight the global state of social protection for older women, and spearhead a general discussion on the various ways governments and other stakeholders can do more to secure social protection for older women.

"On World Autism Awareness Day, let us reaffirm our commitment to promote the full participation of all people with autism, and ensure they have the necessary support to be able to exercise their rights and fundamental freedoms." Secretary-General António Guterres

Theme: “Assistive Technologies, Active Participation”

Tuesday, 2 April 2019
United Nations Headquarters, Trusteeship Council Chamber

List of candidates received for the membership of the Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues

Down syndrome is a naturally occurring chromosomal arrangement that has always been a part of the human condition, exists in all regions across the globe and commonly results in variable effects on learning styles, physical characteristics or health.

Adequate access to health care, to early intervention programmes and to inclusive education, as well as appropriate research, are vital to the growth and development of the individual.

18^th Session of the United Nations Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues (UNPFII)

Date: 22 April – 3 May 2019

Location: United Nations Headquarters, New York

Theme: “Traditional knowledge: Generation, transmission and protection”

Registration for the 18th session will open in early 2019.

In the 2030 Agenda for sustainable development, Member States recognized the important role of cooperatives, stating that: “we acknowledge the role of the diverse private sector, ranging from micro-enterprises to cooperatives in the implementation of the new Agenda.” The United Nations has also consistently called for the promotion and development of cooperatives as inclusive and socially responsible enterprises with a huge potential for growth.