In March 2024, Women with Disabilities Australia (WWDA) staff member Clare Gibellini attended the 17th Session of the Conference of States Parties (CoSP17) held at the United Nations in New York from the 11th to 13th of June, as a delegate on behalf of WWDA.
The Conference of States Parties (CoSP17) is the principal global conference exclusively dedicated to the promotion of the rights of persons with disabilities. CoSP is instrumental in promoting disability rights, documenting the reality of the lives of people with disabilities lives throughout the world, and shaping global standards on equality and the empowerment of people with disabilities.
COSP17 was held at the United Nations (UN) Headquarters from 11 to 13 June 2024. It is one of the most important meetings of people with disability in the world. It brings together organisations to discuss the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, including:
- governments
- human rights institutions
- disability and civil society organisations.
The civil society delegates who represent their various countries are independent from government and business sectors. They bring their unique stories of lived experience to the world stage.
This year’s theme was “Rethinking disability inclusion in the current international juncture and ahead of the Summit of the Future”. There were three subthemes:
- Sub theme 1: International cooperation to promote technology innovations and transfer for an inclusive future, which was co-chaired by: Sri Lanka Vice President of the bureau and a civil society representative
- Sub theme 2: Persons with disabilities in situations of risk and humanitarian emergencies, which was co-chaired by: Georgia Vice President of the bureau and a civil society representative
- Sub theme 3: Promoting the rights of persons with disabilities to decent work and sustainable livelihood, which was co-chaired by: Greece Vice President of the bureau and a civil society representative.
This session of the conference was heavily impacted by austerity measures implemented due to the UN liquidity crisis.
For many years, WWDA, alongside other organisations representing people with disability, has engaged in the work of the Australian government and the United Nations on the CRPD, the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and past annual sessions of the Conference of States Parties.
For CoSP17, WWDA sent one delegate, Clare Gibellini (Policy Officer) who utilised her diverse skill sets to represent women and gender diverse people with disability, as well as the various issues currently facing all people with disability, both in Australia and internationally. Clare was selected to attend through the Department of Social Services’ Supporting Participation by Representatives of People with Disability in Key International Forums on Human Rights program.
This was Clare’s third attendance at CoSP, and her participation allowed her both to solidify her international and Australian connections, broaden her networks, gain new skills, and solidify her existing expertise.
Download Claire’s full report to read more about the key activities, outcomes and benefits of attending COSP17!
