Side Meeting 12th June with Commonwealth Secretariat and CDPF
Climate Change, Disability and Resilience
https://webtv.un.org/en/asset/k1i/k1i4r3rv9o
“Working to develop a unified approach to implementing the UNCRPD across the Commonwealth.” On the 12th June at the UN in New York as a side meeting to COSP 18 the CDPF organised this highly successful and unifying side meeting. Chaired by Sarah Kamau from Kenya and CDPF Chair. Nalin Bethel spoke as Chair of National Disability Committee for Hon Myles Larada who had been called away on business. She emphasised the importance of data gathering using the Washington group methods. Other speakers included Rhoda Garland Commissioner for the rights of Persons with Disabilities, Malta, who talked of the importance of collaborating on Access Auditing and Disability Equality Training.
Richard Rieser Gen. Sec. of CDPF gave a history of CDPF and attempts over the last 2 year to establish a Disability Inclusion Action Plan. Justin Pettit from the Commonwealth Secretariat explained that after CHOGM 2024 communique had mandated continued work on developing a Commonwealth Disability Inclusion Action Plan and that it had been decided to set up an Expert Group from State Parties to develop this from the CDPF earlier draft. This had had its first meeting but they were still recruiting State representatives and at COSP he had talked to South Africa, New Zealand and Barbados about nominating members. [Malta, UK and Bahamas would join Canada (co Chairs), Eswatini (Co Chair), Mauritius, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Lesotho, Togo]. An Advisory Committee to the Expert Group has been formed of PWD/DPs and rep organisations [with so far 6 reps, gender balanced with different impairments from the different commonwealth regions nominated by CDPF UK, Kenya, Zambia, Pakistan, Fiji and Jamaica]. The aim was to get an agreed draft to take to Commonwealth Law ministers meeting next February in Fiji for agreement and then on to CHOGM in Antigua to be adopted by heads of Government.
Arman Ali CEO from NCPREDP in India then gave a succinct appeal by video to get this done. Rasanjaki Pethirage President of disability organisation Joint Front Sri Lanka gave an interesting glimpse in to their activities and why they would benefit from an agreed Commonwealth DIAP. Senator Andwele Boyce a young disabled Barbadian Parliamentarian gave a lucid and impassioned plea to move forward on implementing the Convention relating what was happening in Barbados. Satareki Macanawai from Fiji Federation of Disability Organisations and a founder member of CDPF, argued strongly that we did not want this process to take long certainly not the 8 years the recent press and media declaration had taken. He did not even want to come back to COSP 19 without an agreed draft from the Law Ministers meeting next February in his country.
Eswatini and Canada spoke as co chairs of the expert group spoke of wanting a collaborative and inclusive process. Other contribution fron DPO reps from Bangladesh, Nigeria and Australia all briefly supported the process and wanted to contribute. One way would be to get sympathetic representitives from Attoney General or Ministry of Justice to be delegates to the Commonwealth Law Ministers Meeting in Fiji , February 2026″.
More detail on DIAP and reasons for it: Disability Inclusion Action Plan
Side Meeting 10th June with Commonwealth Secretariat and CDPF
Climate Change, Disability and Resilience
https://webtv.un.org/en/asset/k1n/k1nn9guwmf
CDPF address to 18th COSP given by General Secretary. 10th June 2025
https://webtv.un.org/en/asset/k15/k15ng7bofb
Statement of Deputy UN Gen Sec Tuesday 10th June
https://webtv.un.org/en/asset/k17/k17w80etpu
Excellency Anima Mohammed 12.50–21.20
See UN DESA Report Disability and Development 2024
“Six years away from the deadline for achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), the Disability and Development Report 2024 indicates that persons with disabilities are often being left behind. According to the available evidence, progress for persons with disabilities has been insufficient for 30 per cent of SDG targets; for 14 per cent, the target has been missed or progress has stalled or gone in reverse. These include targets on access to financial resources, health care, water and information and communication technologies (ICT), and on building the resilience of persons with disabilities during disasters and other emergencies. Only five indicators appear to be on track: that is, the progress observed is consistent with achieving their respective targets for persons with disabilities by 2030. There is evidence of remarkable progress on passing laws mandating equal access to education, on providing early warnings of disasters in accessible formats, on providing online services for persons with disabilities, on making government ministries accessible for persons with disabilities and on the monitoring of bilateral aid dedicated to disability inclusion. The available evidence indicates that wide gaps persist between persons with and without disabilities, particularly on food security, health, and access to energy and ICT – with gaps above 10 percentage points – and on multidimensional poverty and employment – with gaps above 20 percentage points. For women, indigenous people and rural residents with disabilities, and for persons with intellectual or psychosocial disabilities, the gaps appear to be even wider.”
Civil Society Forum. 9th June 2025
https://webtv.un.org/en/asset/k17/k17w80etpu
Introduction Talin Avades from IDA 00.00–10.08
Inclusion Canada Christa Kerr CEO 22.54–26.10.
Assisted Suicide and Impacts on People with Intellectual Impairments/ Disability, Inclusive Education and de-institutionalization.
CDPF Gen Sec Richard Rieser 26.39–31.40.
PROTECT AND DEFEND DISABLED PEOPLE RIGHTS
Recent cutbacks in international aid from USAID, following the election of President Trump, led to widespread cutbacks to vital disability programmes in 134 countries. Overseas aid cutbacks are also happening in Germany, France, United Kingdom, Netherlands, Belgium and among other doner countries. Trump’s approach is based on breaking with more than 70 years of a rules based and equity approach and is inimical to a disability rights approach. It is against the spirit and the letter of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities. CDPF calls upon delegates at COSP18 to make clear that they continue to support the UNCRPD and its Implementation.
POOL AND COLLABORATE RESOURCES TO IMPLEMENT THE UNCRPD
The recent financial realignments may have their political backers, but countries that support disabled people’s rights and implementing the Convention need to find ways of pooling aid, assistance and should raise their tax base.
CHALLENGE THE IDEOLOGICAL BASIS OF THE ATTACK ON DIVERSITY, EQUALITY, INCLUSION & ACCESS. REMEMBER THE HISTORY OF OUR OPPRESSION
However, it is the ideological attacks on Equality, Diversity, Inclusion and Access that are the greater danger to disabled people’s rights and must be strongly opposed. Think of the past:
- Where the false science of eugenics in many countries was used to justify forced sterilisation, segregation in special schools and institutions.The mass murder of the ‘useless eaters’ disabled people under the Nazi T4 programme
- Cruel and largely useless medical interventions were used to make disabled people with physical and mental impairments ‘normal’
- Where large numbers of disabled children were labelled as ineducable. Using different approaches we have shown they can make progress
- Widespread bullying and harassment based on untrue disablist stereotypes and stigma that dominated our entertainment and media
- The idea that Equality is based on treating everyone the same and the rejection of ideas and benefits that are designed to make up for the extra costs of disability. Equality is giving everyone what they need to thrive
- Survival of the fittest, competition rather than collaboration
- The myth that we live on a planet of infinite resources. They are limited and need planning, rather than the damage to the majority of people unregulated capitalism can produce
- The Human Rights and Social Model of Disability, where barriers of attitude, organisation and environment are the main factor in disabling people with impairments, are being replaced by a resurgence of medical individual model of disability where Access and inequality are seen as the responsibility of the disabled individual.
The Commonwealth promotes democracy and equality across its member countries with over 2.7 billion citizens. The Commonwealth Charter, in these times of growing autocracy, insecurity and inequality, though far from perfect, provides an alternative way of maintaining parliamentary democracy. independent judiciary and a free media. Over 430 million are persons with disabilities, mainly young people. The self-organisation of Commonwealth Disabled People’s Organisations and their collaboration, capacity building with each other and advocacy play a crucial role in implementing the CRPD and the Sustainable Development Goals. CDPF has more than 100 member DPOs/OPDs across the 56 countries of the Commonwealth including 50 DPO national umbrella organisations. The CDPF has found that although 55 of our member countries have ratified the UNCRPD, implementation of the rights, protections and freedom from discrimination for disabled people is not happening or is very patchy.
DIAP Last year the Commonwealth Disabled People’s Forum (CDPF), put forward a draft Commonwealth Disability Inclusion Action Plan (DIAP). The Heads of Government in Samoa, October 2024, while not adopting it, agreed to set up a High-Level Persons with Disabilities and their representative organisations Advisory Group to an Expert Working Group of representatives of State Parties to achieve an agreed draft. This process is now underway. The agreed draft it is hoped will go to Commonwealth Law Ministers’ Meeting in Fiji, then to the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting in Antigua 2026 for agreement. If adopted the DIAP will kick start a wide range of measures and renewed interest in the rights of persons with disabilities, including sharing expertise and experience across countries and implementation of key areas of the UNCRPD. Come to our Side Meeting on this Thursday 12th at 4.45 Room 11. https://commonwealthdpf.org/disability-inclusion-action-plan/
The reversal of the Global consensus on man made climate change and the need to control carbon emissions is being challenged by Trump and other leaders who see accumulation of personal wealth as more important than the millions of people being put at risk of growing heat waves, wild fires, hurricanes, cyclones, floods, mud slides, drought, air pollution and rising sea levels. In these events, Disabled people are up to 10x more at risk. To fulfil Article 11 disability disaster preparation must be practiced to avert preventable casualties. Come to our joint side meeting on building resilience with the Commonwealth Secretariat at 10am in Room 4 Tuesday 10th June.
Disabled girls and women face the extra barriers of Sexism and Harassment. Two thirds of CDPF Executive are women and form our Women’s Forum. They have carried out online research, surveys and meetings to put forward strong policy positions at UN Committee on Status of Women and Commonwealth Women Affairs Ministers’ Meeting. The Women’s Movement in general does not include disabled women. https://commonwealthdpf.org/equality-areas/ and states ignore the additional barriers women and girls face. We need State Parties to provide concrete support to disabled women who are 4x more at risk than non-disabled women from Gender Based Violence.
In the current Geo-Political Situation doing nothing is not enough. Disability Rights only exist because the Disability Movement fought for them. Support Us in Defending our Rights! If you are a DPO/OPD in a Commonwealth country join us https://commonwealthdpf.org/members/join-cdpf