The European Union nominated, for the first time, its candidate to the UN Committee on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities.
The candidate is Inmaculada Placencia Porrero. Inmaculada Placencia Porrero is senior expert on disability at the European Commission.
“It is a great honour to be nominated by the European Union as a candidate to the Committee on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities. The EU is strongly committed to combatting discrimination of all kind, to remove barriers faced by persons with disabilities and to work to ensure the enjoyments of rights and opportunities so that everyone can fully participate in society on equal basis with others.”
CRPD Committee
The Committee on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities is composed of 18 independent experts.
The term of 9 Committee members expire on 31 December 2024. 9 new members must be elected this year.
The elections will take place during the 17th session of the Conference of the States parties to the Convention, in New York from 11 to 13 June 2024.
Lean more:
- What is the UN CRPD (easy to understand video)
- What is the CRPD Committee (easy to understand video)
- 17th Conference of State Parties, information from Inclusion International
EU candidate to the Committee
EU candidate to the Committee says:
“Disability policies must be designed to benefit all of society but most of all to ensure that persons with disabilities have effective access to their rights and improve their socio-economic participation and situation.
“I have over 30 years of expertise in the area of disability. Throughout those years I have worked passionately and constructively with organisations representing persons with disabilities, public administrations, experts, human rights defenders, and industry to advance the development of disability policy, legislation, action plans and strategies across the areas covered by the UNCRPD in the European Union and internationally.
“I will strongly contribute to advancing the dialogues with State Parties in the area of accessibility and new technologies where solutions should be of a global nature, particularly in the area of ICT. I will also work on promoting independent living and access of persons with disabilities to services, education, and the labour [market].
“The Committee will be enriched with expertise in terms of cooperation and join efforts among states, gained working within the only Regional Integration Organisation that is currently a party to the UNCRPD. Mutual learning among regions and countries is essential to advance the UNCRPD agenda.”