CRPD Elections at COSP19: progress on gender balance and regional representation, with remaining challenges for disability diversity

The States Parties at the 19th Conference of States Parties to the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities have elected nine members to the UN Committee on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, whose terms will run from 2027 to 2030. The election took place in a single round, with 191 valid votes, no abstentions, and a simple majority of 96 votes required for election. IDA congratulates Mr Muhannad ALAZZEH (Jordan), a member of the CRPD Committee, on his re-election for a second term. IDA further congratulates the eight newly elected members, in order of votes obtained: Ms Lyazzat KALTAYEVA (Kazakhstan), Ms Faatino UTUMAPU (Samoa), Ms Dovile JUODKAITE (Lithuania), Ms Rigbe Gebrehawaria HAGOS (Ethiopia), Mr Mushegh HOVSEPYAN (Armenia), Mr Abdel Rahman OUOROU BARE (Benin), Ms Villaney REMENGESAU (Palau) and Mr Jian CHANG (People's Republic of China).

The Committee will maintain gender parity during 2027–2028, with 9 women out of 18 members. This represents a major improvement compared to previous periods, including 2017–2018, when only 1 woman served on the Committee. The result also reflects years of advocacy by IDA, GQUAL Campaign and other partners to advance women's equal representation in international human rights bodies. The progress achieved since then demonstrates that meaningful change is possible when gender balance is prioritised, and concrete measures are taken to advance it. At the same time, continued attention is important to ensure these gains are sustained.

The new Committee will include 8 members with physical disabilities, 6 members who are blind, 1 deaf member, 1 member with invisible disabilities, and 2 members without disabilities. Despite these advances, important gaps in disability diversity remain. Persons with intellectual disabilities, psychosocial disabilities, and deaf blindness will continue to have no representation on the Committee during the 2027–2028 term.

The election also improved the Committee's geographical balance through the election of members from Eastern Europe, a region that has historically been underrepresented. In addition, the Pacific region put forward two new members of the Committee. During 2027 and 2028, the CRPD Committee will have seven members from Asia-Pacific, four from Africa, four from Latin America & Caribbean & two from Eastern Europe. There will be no members from the region Western Europe and other countries during the period 2027-2028, noting that, as such, the member of the European Union is not counted here for any region in particular.

IDA Media

Contact: media@ida-secretariat.org

‍