For our readers here, who are not aware of what this annual conference is, or its relevance to people with dementia, the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD) was adopted by the UN General Assembly by its resolution 61/106 of 13 December 2006. It came into force on 3 May 2008 upon its 20th ratification. The CRPD is a legally binding agreement between Member States (countries) who have signed the Convention to uphold, promote and protect the rights of persons with disabilities as defined in the treaty.
People with dementia are well recognised as people with acquired disabilities and have been for well over a decade. Hence, our access to the CRPD should be the same as for all others living with disabilities, although most dementia organisations (and researchers) are yet to embed that dementia causes disabilities, or our disability rights into practice.
This year it is the 16th session of the Conference of States Parties (CoSP) to the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD), which will take place from Tuesday, June 13th to Thursday, June 15th at the UN headquarters in New York.
Theme and sub-themes of CoSP16
Overarching theme: Harmonizing national policies and strategies with the CRPD: achievements and challenges
Sub theme 1: Ensuring equal access to and accessibility of sexual and reproductive health services for persons with disabilities
Sub theme 2: Digital accessibility for persons with disabilities
Sub theme 3: Reaching the under-represented groups of persons with disabilities
Provisional agenda and program
Provisional Agenda English | Français | Español | Русский | عربي | 汉语
COSP16 Draft Program (as of 23 May 2023)
Easy Read version of the COSP16 Draft Program (as of 23 May 2023)
The Civil Society Forum, preceding the CoSP, will also be held on Monday, June 12th. The CoSP16 will be held largely in person, with UN WEB TV webcasting the main proceedings.
12 June 2023: In-person meeting of the Civil Society Forum
13 June 2023: In-person meetings: Opening of the conference and matters related to the implementation of the Convention, General Debate
14 and 15 June 2022: In-person meetings: roundtable discussions, interactive dialogue with the UN system, and the closing.
Follow the entire conference by clicking here.
Article 40 of the CRPD stipulates that States Parties (that is, countries who have signed the Convention) must meet regularly in a Conference of States Parties (COSP) to consider any matter with regard to the implementation of the Convention. Since 2008, the COSP has been held annually at the United Nations Headquarters in New York, covering a range of themes and issues in roundtables, side events, and interactive dialogue. DAI hosted the first Side event in the history of the CoSP in 2019, specifically focuses on dementia as a disability, the first organisation ever to have held a side event on dementia at this important event. Unfortunately, with the loss of some of our funding, we are no longer able to represent ourselves at this important conference.
You can also watch the DAI 2019 CoSP Side Event by clicking here.