This was the final day of the formal conference, although side events will continue tomorrow. Our delegates attended morning side events including a very compelling one on assisted dying which brought forth many questions.
Roundtables continued with repeated themes around climate change and disaster risk management, the impact (or lack thereof) of digital technology and the pandemic, and the violence that women and girls with disability experienced during the pandemic and in conflicts.
Delegates made new friends and colleagues, learned about the plight of disabled people in other countries and observed the formal processes that support the implementation of the CRPD.
Statements to the UN from QAI and AFDO were held today. We will have recorded versions of statements available on the DPOA website for viewing.
QAI held their side event about disability aware OPCAT Monitoring on Thursday evening, and PWDA will hold their second event, about microbusiness and customised employment, on Friday morning.
It has been an honour and a privilege for the Australian Civil Society Delegation to represent disabled people at the UN in New York and to bear witness to the process of international diplomacy.
We would also like to acknowledge the Australian government delegation from DSS and DFAT. Together we formed ‘Team Australia’ and supported the election of Rosemary Kayess to the CRPD committee.
And so we sign off from COSP15 but we will continue to fight the good fight. #NothingAboutUsWithoutUs
DPOA (WWDA, PWDA, FPDN, NEDA)
AFDO
QAI
DSA
