At the 19th Conference of States Parties to the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD), ESCWA is organizing a side event titled “Lessons from 20 Years of CRPD Advocacy: How do we rethink partnerships between international organisations, governments and advocates to achieve change?”. It is held with the European Commission, the Permanent Missions of Malta and Brazil to the United Nations in New York, The Leprosy Mission International, and Malta Commission for the Rights of Persons with Disability.
The event brings together policymakers, international organizations, and civil society to reflect on two decades of CRPD implementation across regions. The discussion examines what has and has not worked in advancing disability rights, with a focus on participation and consultation under General Comment No. 7 of the CRPD Committee and the principle of “Nothing about us without us.”
Drawing on experiences from the Arab region and Europe, and examples from Brazil and Malta, speakers explore government–civil society engagement, participatory mechanisms within CRPD frameworks, access to justice, and partnership models such as reparations for persons affected by leprosy, while considering how to strengthen consultation and participation over the next 20 years of CRPD implementation.
Athens, Greece
