The right to work and employment for persons with disabilities in Low and Middle Income Countries: lessons from the front line and what this means for states, the UN and civil society (COSP17 Side Event)
Summary
In partnership with UN ESCWA and the Permanent Mission of Malta to the UN, The Leprosy Mission are hosting a COSP17 side event that seeks to provide insights into securing the right to work and employment for persons with disability in low and middle income countries.
Description
We will learn about the practical challenges that persons with disabilities face in accessing livelihoods, consider how to ensure women are not excluded from economic empowerment programming, and hear from OPDs about the role they must play in the programming of governments and CSOs.
We hope the lessons and practical steps from our speakers will provide a greater understanding of how we can ensure the rights to work and employment that are enshrined within the CRPD.
Keynote speaker:
Ms Heba Hagrass, UN Special Rapporteur on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities
Chair:
Mr Mathias Duck (Paraguay), Global Advocacy Lead, The Leprosy Mission International
Words of Welcome:
H.E. Ambassador Vanessa Frazier Permanent Representation of Malta to the United Nations
Panellists:
- Dr Salma Al-Nims, UN ESCWA (Economic & Social Commission for Western Asia)
- Mr Amar Timalsina, (Nepal) The Leprosy Mission and IDEA
- Dr Elvira Psaila, Services Manager, Aġenzija Sapport (Malta)
- Ms Robinah Alambuya, President of Transforming Communities for Inclusion (TCI, Uganda)
- Jennifer Feldman, Specialisterne
- Dena Gassner, The Arc and US Government's Inter-Agency Autism Coordination Committee
The recording of the side event can be viewed on the UN website.