An estimated one billion people, around 15% of the global population, experience some form of disability. As a result, they are more likely to face barriers in realizing their basic human rights. These challenges affect social, economic and cultural rights, such as access to education, employment opportunities, and social inclusion due to inadequate accessibility, as well as civil and political rights, including limited political representation, obstacles in exercising voting rights, and restricted access to information and communication. Moreover, 80% of persons with disabilities live in the Global South, where they encounter even greater challenges in accessing and fully participating in social and public life.
In response to these issues, on 5 February 2025, Konrad-Adenauer-Stiftung, in partnership with the Universal Rights Group, convened a multilateral policy dialogue that brought together State representatives and leading experts to discuss the implementation and impact of UN human rights recommendations concerning persons with disabilities. The event was co-sponsored by the Permanent Missions of Germany, Mexico, and Türkiye in Geneva, along with the International Disability Alliance.
Speaking as a sponsor, the representative from the German Mission to the UN in Geneva welcomed the initiative ahead of the Global Disability Summit, which will be co-hosted by Germany and Jordan in April 2025 in Berlin. The representative emphasised the value of engagement with the UN human rights mechanisms, and the importance of implementing the resulting recommendations, which can have a significant influence on national policy. Moreover, reviews under the Universal Periodic Review (UPR) and Treaty Body (e.g., UN Committee on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities) regularly remind States of the need to ensure the participation of persons with disabilities at all levels. The principle of "Nothing about us without us" was highlighted as a guiding framework to ensure that the voices of persons with disabilities are heard nationally and internationally.
The representative from the Permanent Mission of Mexico in Geneva, also taking the floor as a sponsor, welcomed the meeting’s focus on implementation. By leveraging the international human rights system, particularly the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD), national policies can be significantly strengthened. In addition to the UPR and CRPD, Mexico, in partnership with New Zealand, played a key role in establishing the mandate of a dedicated Special Rapporteur on the rights of persons with disabilities at the Human Rights Council. While acknowledging ongoing challenges to the realisation of the rights of persons with disabilities, including a lack of disaggregated data, limited resource allocation, and persistent social barriers, the representative drew attention to important progress, such as active participation of persons with disabilities in policymaking, inter-institutional collaboration, and training and awareness-raising. That said, he called for stronger and deeper steps forward, including establishing more robust monitoring mechanisms, further enhancing international cooperation, and creating stronger partnerships with UN agencies.
The representative from the third cosponsor, the Permanent Mission of Türkiye, described key challenges in their national context, particularly the need for improved cooperation between civil society and government ministries. The upcoming national assessment of the country’s action plan, developed after the last CRPD review, presents an opportunity for further progress. The representative emphasised the importance of capacity building, not only for government institutions but also for UN country teams, which could benefit from greater specialisation on disability rights. It was noted that disability rights are often treated as an ancillary concern rather than a primary focus, highlighting the need for a shift in approach.
In addition, the representative from Konrad-Adenauer-Stiftung (KAS) stressed that having action plans is not enough; strong monitoring mechanisms and a whole-of-government approach are essential to ensure meaningful implementation.
The representative from the International Disability Alliance, the civil society sponsor of the meeting, provided a sobering reality check, stating that exclusion, discrimination, and lack of access to basic services remain widespread for persons with disabilities. Despite the adoption of the CRPD 20 years ago, progress has been slower than expected. Three priority areas for action were highlighted: developing stronger cross-cutting partnerships, building the capacity of organisations of persons with disabilities (OPDs) to ensure meaningful participation, and ensuring proper financing at both domestic and global levels to move beyond rhetorical commitments.
The representative from the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) discussed the role of field offices in supporting the implementation of UN recommendations. Although limited in capacity, two out of three OHCHR field offices are currently engaged in disability rights work, including legislative reform, capacity-building workshops, monitoring, and awareness-raising initiatives. Key recommendations to drive change include issuing more specific and high-quality recommendations through the UPR, integrating the CRPD into discussions on the care and support economy, strengthening national mechanisms for implementation, reporting, and follow-up (NMIRFs), and ensuring that persons with disabilities are actively involved in monitoring and implementation. Within the UN system, stronger cross-agency collaboration and increased financial support for OHCHR as the lead entity on human rights were also emphasised.
A representative of the Universal Rights Group (URG) presented initial findings from the joint KAS-URG study on the implementation and impact of UN human rights recommendations on persons with disabilities. The study has identified approximately 13,000 relevant recommendations issued by the three main UN human rights mechanisms, with the majority coming from Treaty Bodies (around 53%, over half of which were issued by the CRPD Committee), followed by the UPR (approximately 41%), and Special Procedures (around 5%). The Asia-Pacific region received the highest proportion of UPR recommendations (31%), followed by the African region (24%), the Western European and Other States Group (19%), the Eastern European Group (14%), and the Latin American and Caribbean Group (13%). A similar distribution was observed among regions issuing recommendations. Despite this wealth of guidance, initial findings suggest implementation of these recommendations is lagging behind rights covered by other UN treaties, such as those related to women or children. This may be due to the absence of a dedicated UN agency leading disability rights implementation, leaving the issue as an "add-on" rather than a priority.
A member of the UN Committee on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities echoed concerns about the poor implementation of the CRPD. The convention is both simple and ambitious, affirming that persons with and without disabilities have equal rights. However, achieving this requires a fundamental shift in societal structures that have historically created segregated systems. The importance of cooperation with OPDs, capacity building, and adequate State-level resources was underscored. The representative also highlighted that, despite its potential role in guiding States towards effective implementation, the CRPD Committee itself faces resource constraints due to inadequate financing of the Treaty Bodies.
A range of other States, UN agencies, and NGOs took the floor during the dialogue. Speakers acknowledged that, despite the CRPD's paradigm shift in protecting the rights of persons with disabilities, implementation is lagging. Removing discriminatory practices would not only advance human rights but also bring economic and social benefits. A key topic of discussion was funding, with some government representatives suggesting the need to attract investors and industry interest in disability-inclusive development. These discussions are expected to continue at the Global Disability Summit in Berlin, providing further opportunities to advance the implementation of UN human rights recommendations for persons with disabilities. In March, KAS and URG will also present the initial findings of their study to the Committee on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities.
