Soufiane El Amrani was invited to speak at an event called Twenty Years On: Recognising Progress to date and Setting Priorities for the Future under the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (UNCRPD). It was organised by the EU Presidency Trio of Ireland, Lithuania and Greece.
The event took place in Brussels on 5 November 2026. You can read more about the event here.
This is what Soufiane El Amrani said:
Why is the UNCRPD important?
The Convention is important because it protects our rights.
It says that I have the same rights as everyone else.
This means that I can have a job,
I can choose where to live,
and I can decide about my life.
And this applies to all people with intellectual disabilities.
The Convention says that we have the right
to get information in a way everyone can understand.
This is important, because without clear information,
nobody can make decisions.
Europe must end segregation of people with disabilities.
What can governments and the EU do to make these rights real?
Europe must end segregation of people with disabilities!
This means closing institutions,
and supporting people to have a good life included in the community.
It means accessible housing,
good support,
and also equal access to all public services.
It means respecting our right to decide,
and providing support in decision-making to those who need it.
I also want to say:
We are here today celebrating 20 years of the UNCRPD.
But look around Europe:
- Governments are cutting money for disability services,
- Countries are bringing back harmful things like institutions,
- Or making access to education worse for children with disabilities.
Governments need to stop this!
We won’t go back on rights we fought for.
We won’t give up the rights protected by the UNCRPD.