Third Committee of the General Assembly meets on disability

The Third Committee of the 69th session of the General Assembly discussed disability issues this month at UN Headquarters in New York. The Committee reviewed the Reports of the Secretary-General on a disability-inclusive development agenda towards 2015 and beyond (A/69/187) and the status of the Convention (A/69/284).

Member States presented their efforts to move forward on disability issues and highlighted disability action in their respective national plans. States also highlighted the importance of a disability-inclusive global development agenda, including in the areas of education, employment, social protection, health, food security, peace, humanitarian responses and human security, statistics and data, monitoring and evaluation and access to justice and human rights.  Member States also expressed strong support to the principles and implementation of the Outcome Document of the HLMDD. 

Delegates also emphasized the importance of enhanced accessibility for persons with disabilities as both a means and a goal of inclusive sustainable development. Currently, Member States are negotiating a draft resolution on “Realizing the Millennium Development Goals and other internationally agreed development goals for persons with disabilities towards 2015 and beyond”, which is expected to promote the mainstreaming of disability in development, as well as in international cooperation, national development strategies and official statistics.

Statements: http://papersmart.unmeetings.org/ga/third/69th-session/programme/

Disability reports: http://www.un.org/disabilities/default.asp?id=36

Live webcasts of General Assembly meetings: http://webtv.un.org.