IF congratulates the new UN Special Rapporteur on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities Professor Gerard Quinn and the new members of the CRPD Committee

One of IF’s primary missions is to advance the rights of individuals with SBH by advocating for the full implementation of the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities. Active participation and monitoring of the Committee on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities is an important aspect of this work. Recently, as a part of the board of the International Disability Alliance, IF had a meeting with the new UN Special Rapporteur on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities Professor Gerard Quinn. IF congratulates Professor Quinn on his appointment and wishes him a productive and prosperous term. 

Additionally, the 13th session of the Conference of State Parties to the CRPD began on the 30th of November 2020. Due to the Covid-19 pandemic, the session, which normally takes place in June, had been postponed and reorganised as a mostly online event. 

During the session 9 out of the 18 members of the Committee on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities were elected for the period 2021-2024. It is commendable to see that gender parity was achieved. Women with SBH and other disabilities face specific challenges due to their gender and taking an intersectional approach to disability rights is incredibly important in order to ensure equality for all. 

IF welcomes and congratulates the new members of the CRPD Committee: 

Ms. Rosa Idalia ALDANA SALGUERO (Guatemala)

Ms. Odelia FITOUSSI (Israel)

Mr. Floyd MORRIS (Jamaica)

Mr. Samuel KABUE (Kenya)

Ms. Gerel DONDOVDORJ (Mongolia)

Mr. Robert George MARTIN (New Zealand)

Ms. Soumia AMRANI (Morocco)

Ms. Vivian FERNÁNDEZ DE TORRIJO (Panama)