The 70th Session of the UN General Assembly began in mid-September and ran until late December. Of the 60 resolutions considered by the Third Committee (human, cultural and social rights), two resolutions addressed the rights of persons with disabilities specifically and 28 included explicit references to persons with disabilities.
The Third Committee is attempting to decrease the number of resolutions tabled each year. As a result, the procedural biennial resolution “Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities and the Optional Protocol Thereto” will shift to a substantive resolution in 2018 with a focus on women and girls with disabilities.
IDA worked with Member States and UN agencies to ensure language on persons with disabilities was included in relevant Third Committee resolutions by reviewing draft proposals and proposing language and background information to support the changes.
In addition, IDA participated in a meeting held by the Republic of Korea on the resolution “Toward the full realization of an inclusive and accessible United Nations for persons with disabilities” and proposed language throughout the drafting process, and supported New Zealand, Mexico and Sweden in defining the substantive nature of the 2018 resolution and consultation of persons with disabilities and their representative organisations in a report on women and girls with disabilities.