DPO Australia is participating in the 11th Session of the Conference of States Parties (COSP) to the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD). COSP runs from 12th to 14th June 2018 at the United Nations Headquarters in New York.
The annual conference brings together countries that have ratified the UN CRPD and representatives from DPOs and civil society organisations to discuss implementation of the CRPD.
The theme of this year’s COSP is “Leaving no one behind through the full implementation of the CRPD” and includes three subthemes:
- National fiscal space, public-private partnerships and international cooperation for strengthening the implementation of the CRPD
- Women and girls with disabilities
- Political participation and equal recognition before the law
Our delegation
The DPO Australia delegation includes:
- Therese Sands, People with Disability Australia
- Matthew Bowden, People with Disability Australia
- Margherita Coppolino, President, National Ethnic Disability Alliance
- Dwayne Cranfield, National Ethnic Disability Alliance
- Sarah Houbolt, Women With Disabilities Australia
- Damian Griffis, First Peoples Disability Network Australia
- June Riemer, First Peoples Disability Network Australia
- Paul Calcott, First Peoples Disability Network Australia
- Evelyn Collins, First Peoples Disability Network Australia
The DPO Australia delegation will be working with representatives from other disability representative organisations, including:
- Stephanie Gotlib, Children and Young People with Disability Australia
- Danny Dickson, Children and Young People with Disability Australia
- Bobby Fish, Children and Young People with Disability Australia
- Julie Phillips, Children and Young People with Disability Australia
- Robert Strike, NSW Council for Intellectual Disability
- Rachel Spencer, NSW Council for Intellectual Disability
- Kylee Roberts, NSW Council for Intellectual Disability
- Trevor Carroll, Australian Federation of Disability Organisations
- Liz Reid, Australian Federation of Disability Organisations
- Emily Steel, Rights and Inclusion Australia
The DPO Australia delegation will also be working closely with representatives from the Australian Government. Representatives from the Department of Social Services (DSS), the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT) and the Australian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) make up the Australian Government delegation.
Our work at COSP
The DPO Australia delegation will undertake significant work at COSP, including hosting and co-hosting side events; attending and participating in pre-arranged high-level meetings; speaking at a range of side events being hosted and co-hosted by Governments, international organisations and civil society; as well as networking and stakeholder engagement.
On the 11th June, the day before the COSP, there will be a Civil Society Forum where DPOs and civil society organisations participating in COSP participate in discussions in preparation for the main program. For more information visit International Disability Alliance.
Key DPO Australia activities
DPO Australia will be hosting a side event, LGBTI people with disability & implementation of the CRPD. This will be the first time that inclusion of LGBTI people with disability has been discussed at COSP. This side-event will include Matthew Bowden (People with Disability Australia), Margherita Coppolino (National Ethnic Disability Alliance) and Paul Calcott (First Peoples Disability Network Australia).
For more information download the side-event flyer:
Evelyn Collins from First Peoples Disability Network will participate in a side-event, Addressing intersections of gender and disability: voices of women with disabilities from the Global South. This side-event is hosted by the Disability Rights Fund (DRF) and Humanity and Inclusion (HI).
Damian Griffis from First Peoples Disability Network will participate in a side-event on prisoners with disability and the criminal justice system. This side-event is hosted by Human Rights Watch.
Our colleagues at NSW Council for Intellectual Disability (NSW CID) are conducting a side-event, Include people with intellectual disability. It is being conducted by people with intellectual disability and features Robert Strike and other self-advocates from a number of countries. More information is available on NSW CID website.
Committee elections
The COSP will include the elections for nine new members of the Committee on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities. DPO Australia will be strongly supporting the election of our Australian candidate, Ms Rosemary Kayess.
For more information about Rosemary and the election process:
- Rosemary Kayess CRPD Candidacy brochure PDF
- Rosemary Kayess CRPD Candidacy brochure PDF Easy English
- Women Enabled International
- Visit UNTB Elections and scroll down to the relevant treaty body.
- Video information with International Sign Language interpretation
The DPO Australia delegation look forward to working with our civil society colleagues and Government representatives to further the rights of all people with disability. DPO Australia acknowledges with appreciation the funding provided by the Department of Social Services to enable us to participate in this event.
Further information about the COSP is available on the UN website
The COSP will be webcast on UN Web TV.