The International Disability Alliance, thanks to a project supported by the UNFPA, had the pleasure to bring two youth members’ representatives to the United Nations in Geneva in March 2017. The two youth members' representatives were: Fernanda Almeida, and Matthieu Chatelin.
Profiles of youth representatives
Fernanda Almeida, President of the National Federation of Persons with Autism from Brazil and member of RIADIS
Fernanda Santana is a young Brazilian autistic woman, member of Abraça (the Brazilian Association of the Rights of Autistic People) and RIADIS (Latin American Network of non Governmental Organizations of Persons with Disabilities and their Families).
Matthieu Chatelin, Member of the Cerebral Palsy European Communities' Association and youth leader of the European Disability Forum
Matthieu Chatelin represents the Youth Network of the European Disability Forum and is a member of the Cerebral Palsy European Communities' Association. He is a French citizen with two masters in Human Rights and in International Affairs, Civil Society Development and Conflict resolution namely, from the American University of Paris and from UCL London.
Participation at the United Nations
CRPD Committee session
Fernanda and Matthieu attended meetings at the United Nations in Geneva in March 2017.
Side-event on 17 March 2017
Fernanda and Matthieu also participated in a side-event titled "Skills development and economic empowerment: Towards inclusive, sustainable development for all". The event was organised by the Permanent Mission of Austria and the International Disability Alliance, together with the Permanent Missions of Australia, Ecuador, Finland, Italy, Israel, New Zealand, Spain, and Thailand, with support from the Zero Project, an initiative of the Essl Foundation, in partnership with the World Future Council and the European Foundation Centre.
This side event:
- discussed how access to inclusive and quality vocational education and training & employment enables persons with disabilities to participate fully in society
- presented innovative policies & practices advancing vocational education and training & employment for persons with disabilities from around the world; and
- explored ways on how to strengthen work and cooperation towards “a world without barriers”.
