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<b><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-size:11.0pt">Coronavirus ‘starkly’ exposes vulnerability of persons with disabilities</span></b><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-size:11.0pt"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="page-break-after:avoid"><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-size:11.0pt"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-GB">GENEVA, 18 AUGUST 2020 (UN NEWS CENTRE) ---The COVID-19 pandemic has “starkly exposed” the heightened vulnerability and risks to persons with disabilities, a major meeting convened to discuss the international treaty
that supports persons with disabilities, heard on Monday. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-GB"> <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-GB">In the first online session for the Committee on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, Ibrahim Salama, head of the Human Rights Treaties Branch in the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) lauded
the treaty body, which, despite significant challenges posed by the virus, have done “extraordinary work” to implement their mandate.
<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-GB"> <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-GB">Speaking on behalf of the Secretary-General and the UN human rights chief, he commended their work in focusing on the rights of persons with disabilities in the context of COVID-19.
<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-GB"> <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span lang="EN-GB">Procedural developments <o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-GB"> <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-GB">Salama updated the meeting that the mandates of the Special Rapporteur on the rights of persons with disabilities and on the Elimination of discrimination against persons affected by leprosy, had been extended for a period
of three years. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-GB"> <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-GB">Moreover, nine UN entities had been working collaboratively to support disability inclusiveness on COVID-19 response and recovery at the national level.
<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-GB"> <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span lang="EN-GB">Treaty body review <o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-GB"> <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-GB">The OHCHR representative also informed the committee that the 2020 review of the treaty body system was launched on 02 June, where UN High Commissioner Michele Bachelet highlighted the need for “better digital tools”
to strengthen treaty bodies’ accessibility, including for persons with disabilities, said Salama.
<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-GB"> <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-GB">“The High Commissioner stated that the COVID-19 pandemic presented an opportunity to rethink and expand working methods to have more impact and visibility on the ground, while addressing the need for language interpretation
and other technical challenges of working online”, he added. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-GB"> <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-GB">According to the OHCHR representative, Bachelet maintained that the pandemic “presented an opportunity to rethink and expand working methods to have more impact and visibility on the ground”, while also “addressing
the need for language interpretation and other technical challenges of working online”.
<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-GB"> <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span lang="EN-GB">Need to uphold rights, ‘greater than ever’
<o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-GB"> <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-GB">The Treaties Branch head informed that during a virtual meeting at the end of July, the Chairs stressed that “in this time of unprecedented global crisis, the need to uphold human rights is greater than ever”.
<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-GB"> <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-GB">They called on States and the Secretary-General to “fully support the work of human rights treaty bodies and to enable them to exercise their mandates to the maximum extent possible in the coming months”, stated Salama.
<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-GB"> <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-GB">Against the backdrop of having to work online since March, the committee Chairs discussed with Deputy High Commissioner for Human Rights, Nada Al-Nashif, the challenges they are facing.
<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-GB"> <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-GB">However, until they can resume face-to-face sessions, the Chairs decided that the COVID -19 Working Group of treaty body members should continue to focus on the practical impact of the virus on human rights.
<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-GB"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span lang="EN-GB">Explore technology <o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-GB"> <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-GB">Others also made contributions, including the Chair of the Human Rights Council Taskforce for the accessibility for persons with disabilities, Socorro Flores Liera, who maintained that “increased reliance on technology
opens up new avenues for accessibility” and that they should be “better explored”.
<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-GB"> <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-GB">The Director of the UN Office for Disaster Risk Reduction (UNDRR), Ricardo Mena, acknowledged, “we are very much aware that much more needs to be done to ensure that persons with disabilities are included in disaster
planning and that their inclusion and participation is monitored and well supported”.
<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-GB"> <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-GB">And the President of the International Disability Alliance, Ana Lucia Arellano, urged State parties to “work hand-in-hand with persons with disabilities and their representative organisation as well as with allies from
other civil society organisations in the design and implementation of public policies”. ....PACNEWS<o:p></o:p></span></p>
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-size:16.0pt">Pacific News Agency Service</span><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-size:12.0pt"> - administered by the Pacific Islands News Association (PINA)<o:p></o:p></span></p>
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-size:12.0pt">Second Edition
</span><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-size:12.0pt;font-weight:normal">Tuesday 18 August 2020</span><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-size:12.0pt"> © Copyright PINA 2020<o:p></o:p></span></p>
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