Cyprus will be serving as Vice Chair of the 20th and 21st Sessions of the Conference of States Parties to the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (UNCRPD) for the next two years.
A press release issued on Sunday by the Deputy Ministry of Social Welfare said that Cyprus was nominated during the 19th Session of the Conference of States Parties to the UNCRPD by the Asia-Oceania geographical group, to which it belongs.
The Deputy Ministry vows to work closely with all states to the Convention to protect and promote the rights of persons with disabilities.
Deputy Minister, Klea Hadjistefanou-Papaellina, attended the 19th session of the Conference of the States parties to the Convention, in UN headquarters in New York, between 9-11 June.
This year’s Summit was held under the general theme “Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities at 20: celebrating and consolidating achievements and shaping the next phase of implementation in a changing world” and coincided with the 20th anniversary of the adoption of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities.
Cyprus, in the framework of its EU Presidency, organized a side event named ‘Supported decision-making for persons with disabilities – Best practices in legislative reforms and provision of support services at the international level’.
The event focused on the importance of supported decision-making, highlighting international best practices, legislative reforms and support mechanisms that promote the autonomy, dignity, self-determination and social inclusion of persons with disabilities.
The Deputy Minister also participated as a speaker at an EU event during which she delivered the national statement of the Republic of Cyprus, reaffirming the country’s commitment to the full implementation of the Convention and the promotion of inclusive policies based on human rights.
At the same time, Cyprus co-organized with the EU a working breakfast on the promotion of the Enhanced European Strategy on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, with particular emphasis on integration, autonomy and supported decision-making.
On the sidelines of the Summit, the Deputy Minister held a series of bilateral meetings with officials of international organizations and government representatives.
She met, inter alia, with the UN Under-Secretary-General for Economic and Social Affairs Li Junhua, with whom she exchanged views on the implementation of the UNCRPD, the challenges ahead and the progress achieved. They also discussed the implementation of the 2030 Agenda and the Sustainable Development Goals.
The Deputy Minister also met with the Irish Minister for Disability, Emer Higgins, discussing the priorities of the Cyprus EU Presidency and the upcoming Irish Presidency.
She also met with the Head of the Greek Delegation, Stelios Kympouropoulos, President of the National Accessibility Authority of Greece. During the meeting, they exchanged views on recent legislative developments in Cyprus and Greece, underlining the importance of accessibility, as well as the provision of quality support services and personal assistance to people with disabilities.
Papaellina also held meetings with the Head of the Qatari Delegation, Khalifa Issa Al Kubaisi with whom she discussed the prospects for cooperation in view of the next Global Disability Summit.
The Deputy Ministry pointed out in its press release that the contacts are part of the framework of strengthening international cooperation and the exchange of good practices on the rights of persons with disabilities and social inclusion policies.
Head of the Cyprus Confederation of Disabled Persons’ Organizations also participated in the Cyprus delegation. Themida Anthopoulou had been nominated by the Deputy Ministry of Social Welfare and was selected by the Conference Committee to participate and intervene in a round table discussion, representing the Cyprus civil society.