Ministry Statements & Speeches:
Mr President,
New Zealand would like to take this opportunity to commend the important work of the Special Rapporteur, Mr. Gerard Quinn, and thank him for his professional and valued contributions to this mandate.
New Zealand is proud to continue to co-lead with Mexico, the Council resolution which established the mandate of the Special Rapporteur on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities. New Zealand continues to be a steadfast supporter of this mandate, and is dedicated to leading global efforts to progress the rights of persons with disabilties.
We welcome the report of the Special Rapporteur and commend the actions and communications taken to examine and address the intersection between artificial intelligence and the rights of persons with disabilities. We recognise the unique risks, which carry differentiated and disproportionate repercussions, that artificial intelligence poses to persons with disabilities and support the Special Rapporteur in his endeavour to address this.
New Zealand endorses the recommendations in the report as they look to address the barriers persons with disabilities face. In particular we appreciate the focus on exploring positive ways of using artificial intelligence tools to identify and address when reasonable accommodation is needed for individuals.
To end, New Zealand would like to reiterate our sincere thanks to Mr. Gerard Quinn, and we urge all States to support the continuation of this important mandate.
Thank you Mr President.