By IDA

 - February 5, 2020

Important information on upcoming session of Conference of States Parties
The Bureau of the Conference of States Parties to the CRPD decided at its extraordinary meeting of the Bureau on 20 March 2020 to postpone the 13th session of the Conference to the second week of December 2020. The exact dates are yet to be determined. The decision also included that, for the time being, the overarching theme, the sub-themes and the selected panelists of the three-roundtable discussion remain in place as confirmed at this extraordinary meeting. 

Download the official letter shared with us from the President of the Conference. We will share more information as and when it comes. 

UPDATE: The 13th CoSP session may start (tentatively) on 30 November, with an in-person meeting on the first day, in the General Assembly hall. This opening session will be limited to Member States, so that they can take part in CRPD Committee elections, and will be broadcasted. The remaining sessions, including side-events, will be virtual and broadcasted. More in due course.

On this page:

  1. Overview
  2. Themes and Sub-Themes
  3. Bureau of the CoSP 13
  4. Side Events
  5. Civil Society Forum
  6. Speaking opportunities
  7. Information on Registration 
  8. For more information

1. Overview
The 13th session of the Conference of States Parties (COSP) to the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD) was scheduled to take place from Wednesday 10 to Friday 12 June 2020 at UN Headquarters in New York. Due to the COVID19 pandemic, the conference will now be postponed to the second week of December 2020. A Civil Society CRPD Forum will be held the day prior to complement the Conference. For more information on the 13th session, please click here

2. Themes and sub-themes
Over-arching theme: A decade of action and delivery for inclusive sustainable development: implementing the CRPD and the 2030 Agenda for all persons with disabilities.

Subthemes for the three roundtables

  1. Disability and business: realizing the right to work in open, inclusive and accessible environments for persons with disabilities.
  2. Addressing the rights and needs of older persons with disabilities: ageing and demographic trends
  3. Promoting Inclusive environments for the full implementation of the CRPD

Cross-cutting theme: Strengthening capacity- building to fully implement the CRPD and the SDGs for persons with disabilities, in particular women and girls with disabilities. (Addressing the Beijing+ 25th and other relevant commemorations of the historical benchmarks in the global agenda this year).

3. Bureau of the CoSP 13

  • President: Ecuador (Latin American and Carribean Group)
  • Vice-Presidents:  Hungary (Eastern European Group), Singapore (Asia-Pacific Group), Finland (Western European and Others Group) & Liberia (African Group).

4. Side-events

  • Read more and apply here
  • Side events provide an excellent opportunity for Member States, UN entities, and NGOs to discuss the themes of the COSP and other critical issues related to persons with disabilities.
  • The deadline to submit a side-event is 6 November 2020 by 11:30 p.m. (EST – New York Time).
  • Please read the instructions carefully before submitting your application.
  • All questions on side events should be directed to socialngo [at] un.org and copy enable [at] un.org.

5. Civil Society Forum
Coming soon

6. Speaking opportunities
Submissions and nominations for panelist opportunities has now closed. There will still be opportunities to speak during the General Debate and from the floor during each roundtable. Check back closer to the conference for information on how to participate.

7. Information on Registration

Registration for COSP 13’s Virtual Civil Society Forum on 2 December 2020 is now open! To register, please click here. 

Note: 25 November 2020 is the deadline for registration of ECOSOC and COSP-accredited CSO.

8. For more information