Wilma Newhoudt-Druchen, WFD Vice President gives a video summary of the Civil Society CPRD Forum and the first session of the 6th COSP meeting that is scheduled to end Saturday 20 July in New York, USA.

The Conference of State Parties (COSP) opened sessions from Tuesday 15 July to discuss matters with regard to the implementation of the Convention on Rights for Persons with Disabilities. The theme for the 6th COSP is: “ensuring adequate standard of living: empowerment and participation of persons with disabilities within the framework of the CRPD.”

Many Disabled People’s Organisations (DPOs) and disability experts from around the world came together for the expert group meeting. The first session of COSP started with the Civil Society Forum (CSF) that opened the floor to civil society members including the World Federation of the Deaf.

Two important points were made at the end of the CSF meeting. They were that society couldn’t have development if persons with disabilities were not included. Persons with disabilities must be involved. The second point was that Millennium Development Goals organisations, agencies and government should not leave PWD behind in their developmental agendas.

Following the CSF meeting, the Conference of State Parties (COSP) began the next day on Wednesday 17 July. In this meeting only governments give their reports for three minutes. Each government presents their country’s developments with the CPRD.

A panel discussion followed the reports, focusing on economic and social developments involving people with disabilities. And after the panel, the floor was open to official delegates in the room.

People with Disabilities from around the world gather at the 6th COSP to learn from each other how they can work to achieve their goals. People with Disabilities and their colleagues including deaf and hard of hearing people come together to network and exchange information for future developments.