Nothing Without Us: Disability Inclusion and the Pandemic Recovery

 Watch Video on Demand 

Hosted by the Governments of Canada, Philippines and Hungary

At the 14th Session of the Conference of States Parties to the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities

Background

The pandemic has disproportionally impacted the most vulnerable and marginalized groups who lack access to essential health, education, and economic resources. The United Nations Policy Brief titled, “A Disability-Inclusive Response to COVID-19”, called for an integrated approach to ensure that persons with disabilities are not left behind in the COVID-19 response and recovery. It calls for placing persons with disabilities at the centre of the response, participating as agents of planning and implementation. Further, the inclusion of persons with disabilities in the COVID-19 response and recovery is a vital part of achieving the pledge to leave no one behind, and a commitment to the Convention of the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD), the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, and the Agenda for Humanity. It is also central to the UN’s commitment to achieve transformative and lasting change on disability inclusion, reflected in the United Nations Disability Inclusion Strategy launched by the Secretary-General in June 2019.

The disability community in Canada and internationally has continually called upon all levels of government to include persons with disabilities in its management of the current pandemic and recovery efforts. This side event would focus on how countries can take an overarching “Nothing without us” approach to the pandemic recovery and ensure full social and economic inclusion of persons with disabilities.

Disability Inclusion

This panel will share how persons with disabilities are being included in the pandemic recovery plans, identify challenges being faced and highlight elements that are essential to success. We will also hear about a broad range of initiatives, supports, mechanisms and initiatives that have been put in place throughout the pandemic or are being developed to support persons with disabilities.

Introductory Remarks: The Honourable Robert Rae, Ambassador and Permanent Representative-Designate of Canada to the United Nations in New York
Speakers:
o The Honourable Carla Qualtrough, Canada’s Minister of Employment, Workforce Development and Disability Inclusion
o Undersecretary Ana C. Dione, Department of Labour and Employment, Government of Philippines
o Mr. Gopal Mitra, Senior Social Affairs Officer, Executive Office of the Secretary-General, United Nations
o Dr. Deborah Stienstra, Professor of Political Science and the Director at Live Work Well Research Centre at the University of Guelph
o Dr. László Gábor LOVÁSZY (PhD), Former member of the UN CRPD Committee (2013-2021); Secretary General, United Nations Association of Hungary, Member organization of the World Federation of United Nations Associations; and Senior research fellow, University of Public Service and Corvinus University of Budapest

American Sign Language, Langue des signes québécoise, Communication Access Real-Time Translation (CART) (captioning) in English and French, and English/French translation will be provided.

For the link to this event, please register by sending the following information to accessible-canada@hrsdc-rhdcc.gc.ca
 Name
 Title
 Email Address
 Organization and/or Country

Note that registration is not mandatory to participate in this event.

Concept Note Canada-Nothing Without Us Disability Inclusion and the Pandemic Recovery.pdf

Note de Concept Canada-Rien Sans Nous Inclusion des personnes en situation de handicap.pdf