CRPD 34th Session

34th Session of the UN Committee on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD)

The CRPD opened its 34th session in Geneva on 9 March. It will review the implementation of the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities in Lesotho, Samoa, Pakistan, the Marshall Islands and Liberia.



During the session, committee members will examine the reports submitted by these states parties and engage in constructive dialogues with government delegations on progress made and remaining challenges in furthering the rights of persons with disabilities. All official documentation related to the session is available on the dedicated webpage.

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To support meaningful participation in the review process, IDA has provided technical, financial, and administrative support to enable representatives of organisations for persons with disabilities (OPDs) from the five countries under review to attend the session in Geneva.



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At the opening of the session, IDA Vice President Sanja Tarcsay delivered a statement discussing issues relevant to the Committee’s work at what she describes as a particularly critical moment for the United Nations defined by ongoing budgetary limitations and reform proposals led by the UN Secretary-General.



Later in March, the CRPD Committee’s Pre-sessional Working Group, composed of a smaller number of Committee members, will hear from OPD representatives from additional countries, including Syria, Micronesia, Zimbabwe, Jordan, the Philippines, Eswatini, Chad and Tanzania. These consultations will inform the development of Lists of Issues, which guide future reviews of States Parties.



The session is expected to end with the publication of the Committee’s Concluding Observations for each of the five countries under review. The results, anticipated around 30 March, will outline recommendations to strengthen the implementation of the Convention and advance the rights of persons with disabilities.

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