Joint Statement on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities and COVID 19

The Group of Friends of the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities and other countries, consider it of utmost importance to highlight the disproportionate impact of the pandemic on persons with disabilities around the world.

National and global responses to the pandemic should be disability inclusive and provide persons with disabilities with the same range, quality and standard of free or affordable health care and programmes as provided to other persons.  The participation of persons with disabilities and their representative organisations in responses to the pandemic is essential.

It is important to respect persons with disabilities’ autonomy and independence, therefore actions should be taken to overcome disruptions during the pandemic of essential support systems for persons with disabilities, ensure access to habilitation and rehabilitation services, and comply with States’ obligations to ensure children with disabilities’ right to education, and promote their access to communication technologies.

Considering that, persons with disabilities, including older persons, living in institutions are more likely to contract the virus, it is crucial to ensure their human dignity through effective hygiene measures, equitable quality and access to care and medicines, and concentrate our efforts and resources in community-based solutions.

We invite the Office of the High Commissioner, to continue monitoring the human rights impact of the pandemic on persons with disabilities at the country level.

We encourage States to promote the mainstreaming of the rights of persons with disabilities in COVID-19 responses, and to report on related actions under the UPR and periodic reporting on human rights treaties.

The only way to leave no one behind is to design and implement policies that lead us to inclusive and accessible societies and this crisis represents an opportunity to move in this direction.

Group of Friends of the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities:

1. Argentina
2. Australia
3. Austria
4. Bosnia and Herzegovina
5. Bulgaria
6. Burkina Faso
7. Canada
8. Chile
9. Djibouti
10. Ecuador
11. Ethiopia
12. Finland
13. France
14. Guatemala
15. Hungary
16. India
17. Indonesia
18. Israel
19. Italy
20. Jordan
21. Kenya
22. Malta
23. Mauritius
24. Mexico
25. Morocco
26. New Zealand
27. Pakistan
28. Panama
29. Paraguay
30. Philippines
31. Slovenia
32. South Africa
33. Spain
34. Sweden
35. Switzerland
36. Thailand
37. Turkey
38. Ukraine
39. Uganda
40. United Kingdom
41. Uruguay

Other countries:

1. Greece
2. The Netherlands