Speeches and presentations

2023

• Statement by the Special Rapporteur at the 78th session of the General Assembly, 26 October 2023 (English only) - Video
• Remarks by the Special Rapporteur at the online launch event of the World Health Organization (WHO) and the UN Human Rights Office (OHCHR) new guidance on “Mental health, human rights and legislation: guidance and practice”, 9 October 2023 (English only)
• Remarks by the Special Rapporteur at the side event “Technology and Innovation to promote the Right to Health of Persons with Disabilities”, at the 54^th session of the Human Rights Council, 4 October 2023 - script (English only)
• 16th Conference of States Parties to the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, New York, 13-15 June 2023:
  • Opening remarks (English only)
  • Closing remarks (English only)
• Statement by the Special Rapporteur at the 52nd session of the Human Rights Council, presenting his annual report on the Tansformation of Services for Persons with Disabilities, 13 March 2023 (English only)

2022

• 15th Conference of States Parties to the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, New York, 14-16 June 2022:
  • Opening remarks (English only)
  • Closing remarks (English only)
• Remarks by the Special Rapporteur at the COSP15 side event on “LGBTIQ youth with disabilities: re-envisioning the road to equality”, 15 June 2022 - video, script (English only)
• Remarks by the Special Rapporteur at the COSP15 side event on “Protecting the Rights of Children with Disabilities in Armed Conflict”, 15 June 2022, - video, script (English only)
• Presentation by the Special Rapporteur at the Disability Advocacy Research in Europe (DARE) conference “Exploring Voice, Power and Change”: “Linking Research to Change: Risks and Opportunities”, 12 May 2022 (English only).
• Statement by the Special Rapporteur at the 49th session of the Human Rights Council, presenting his annual report on Artificial Intelligence and Disabilities, 14 March 2022 (English only)
• "The rights of older persons tomorrow". Remarks by the Special Rapporteur on the issue of a proposed international treaty on the rights of older persons, 22 February 2022 (English only)

2021

• Remarks by the Special Rapporteur on “promoting leadership and participation of persons with disabilities in peace processes” at a side-event on the occasion of the International Day of Persons with Disabilities and Humanitarian Week, 7 December 2021 (English only)
• Remarks by the Special Rapporteur at the launch of the Russian Easy-to-read version of the Convention on the Rights of persons with Disabilities (OSCE, ODIHR), 2 December 2021 (English only)
• Presentation by the Special Rapporteur at the Human Rights Council Intersessional consultation on mental health and human rights, 15 November 2021 (English only)
• Remarks by the Special Rapporteur at the Human Rights Council Intersessional panel discussion on the right to social security on the theme: “the right to social security in the changing world of work”, 1 November 2021 (English only)
• Remarks by the Special Rapporteur on the occasion of the 2021 International Day of Sign Language celebrations organized by the United Nations Office at Geneva (UNOG), 23 September 2021 (English only)
• Speech by the Special Rapporteur at the Annual Conference of the Equality and Anti-Discrimination Ombud of Norway on the theme: "Self - determination for people with cognitive impairments in health and care services and the need for a new self-decision-making system [Articles 12, 14, 19, 25 of the CRPD]", 23 September 2021 (English only)
• Remarks by the Special Rapporteur at the webinar on “Group homes for children with disabilities? Disability rights perspectives: reflections, practices and a call for action” (English only), 7 September 2021
• Remarks by the Special Rapporteur on Intersectionality and disability in  international human rights law  at the online seminar on “Indigenous  peoples: language culture and life cycle” (English only), 31  August 2021
• Remarks by the Special Rapporteur at the 2021 Annual Conference of the Netherlands Institute for Human Rights Research: “Putting the Human Back into Human Rights - Intersectional Perspectives” (English only) 21 June 2021
• 14th Conference of States Parties to the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, New York and online, 15-17 June 2021:
  • Opening remarks (English only)
  • Closing remarks (English only)
• Remarks by the Special Rapporteur at the 2021 General Assembly of the International Disability Development Consortium (IDDC), on the theme: “Build Back Inclusively” (English only), 18 May 2021
• Remarks by the Special Rapporteur at the COFACE Disability Platform event on S.H.I.F.T.: online session on the transition towards meaningful inclusion in Europe, 29 April 2021 (English only)
• Remarks by the Special Rapporteur at the public Hearing of the Committee on Social Affairs, Health and Sustainable Development of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe, on de-institutionalisation of persons with disabilities, 16 March 2021 (English only)
• Statement by the Special Rapporteur at the 46th session of the Human Rights Council, presenting his annual report to the Human Rights Council (A/HRC/46/27) Geneva (online), 3 March 2021, (English only)
• Statement by the Special Rapporteur on the rights of persons with disabilities at the 59th Session of the Commission for Social Development – Interactive dialogue with senior officials of the UN Systems on the priority theme: “socially just transition towards sustainable development: the role of digital technologies on social development and well-being of all” - New York (online), 10 February 2021

2020

• 13th Conference of States Parties to the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, New York, 30 November - 3 December 2020:
  • Opening remarks (English only)
  • Closing remarks (English only)
• Statement by the Special Rapporteur at the 75th session of the General Assembly, 22 October 2020 (English only)
• Panel discussion on the rights of persons with disabilities in the context of climate change, HRC44, statement by the Special Rapporteur, Geneva, 8 July 2020 (Spanish only)
• Annual Interactive Debate on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities - Article 8 of the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities on awareness-raising, Statement by the Special Rapporteur, Geneva, 6 March 2020 (Spanish only)
• Statement by the Special Rapporteur at the 43rd session of the Human Rights Council, Geneva, 28 February 2020 (Spanish only)

2019

• Statement by the Special Rapporteur at the 74th session of the General Assembly, 21 October 2019 (Spanish only).
• 12th Conference of States Parties to the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, New York, 11-13 June 2019:
  • Opening remarks (Spanish only)
  • Roundtable 2 (Spanish only)
  • Closing remarks (Spanish only)
• Annual Interactive Debate on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities - Article 26 of the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities on habilitation and rehabilitation, Statement by the Special Rapporteur, Geneva, 6 March 2019 (Spanish only)
• Statement by the Special Rapporteur at the 40th session of the Human Rights Council, Geneva, 5-6 March 2019 (Spanish only)
• Annual full-day meeting on the rights of the child: Empowering children with disabilities for the enjoyment of their human rights, including through inclusive education; Statement by the Special Rapporteur, Geneva, 5 March 2019 (Spanish only)

2018

• Video statement by the Special Rapporteur at the Joint Conference European Commission/Hague Conference on Private International Law : "Cross-border Protection of Vulnerable Adults", Brussels, 5-7 December 2018
• Statement by the Special Rapporteur on the rights of persons with disabilities (via VTC), United Nations Security Council - Arria formula meeting on persons with disabilities in armed conflicts, Kuwait City, 3 December 2018
• Statement by the Special Rapporteur at the 73rd session of the General Assembly, New York, 22 October 2018 (Spanish only)
• 11th Conference of States Parties to the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, New York, 2-14 June 2018:
  • Opening remarks (Spanish)
  • Roundtable 3 (Spanish only)
  • Closing remarks (Spanish only)
• Annual Interactive Debate on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities - Article 13 of the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities on access to justice, Statement by the Special Rapporteur, Geneva, 7 March 2018 (Spanish only)
• Statement by the SR at the 37th session of the Human Rights Council, Geneva, 6 March 2018 (Spanish only)
• 56th Session of the Commission for Social Development: High Level Panel "Towards inclusive, resilient and sustainable development: an evidence-based approach to the mainstreaming of disability in the implementation, monitoring and evaluation of the 2030 Agenda", Statement by the UN Special Rapporteur on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, New York, 31 January 2018 (Spanish)

2017

• Statement by the SR at the 72nd session of the General Assembly, New York, 24 October 2017 (Spanish only)
• 10th Session of the Conference of States Parties to the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities: "The Second Decade of the CRPD: Inclusion and full participation of persons with disabilities and their representative organizations in the implementation of the Convention", opening remarks by the SR, New York, 13 June 2017 (Spanish only)
• 10th Session of the Conference of States Parties to the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities - Roundtable 2: Inclusion and full participation of persons with disabilities in humanitarian action, New York, 14 June 2017
• Statement by the SR at the 34th session of the Human Rights Council, Geneva, 3 March 2017 (Spanish only)
• 55th Session of the Commission for Social Development: High Level Panel on "Leaving no one behind: Poverty and Disability", New York, 3 February 2017 (Spanish only)

2016

• Statement by the SR at the 71st session of the General Assembly, New York, 26 October 2016
• Statement by the Special Rapporteur at the 31st session of the Human Rights Council, Geneva, 4 March 2016 (Spanish only)
• World Humanitarian Summit, Statement by the UN Special Rapporteur on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, Istanbul, Turkey, 23 May 2016
• Launch of the Irish Human Rights and Equality Commission's research on the subject of article 33 of the CRPD: "Establishing a Monitoring Framework in Ireland for the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities", Dublin, Ireland, 9 May 2016
• OSCE Human Dimension Committee, Vienna, Austria, 5 April 2016
• 15th Irish Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade NGO Forum on Human Rights: "The United Nations Human Rights Council: Ten Years On", Dublin, Ireland, February 2016
• 54th Session of the Commission for Social Development: "Rethinking and strengthening social development in the contemporary world", Panel discussion on the "Implementation of the Post-2015 development agenda in light of the CRPD", Statement by the UN Special Rapporteur on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, New York, 5 February 2016

2015

• Presentation by the Special Rapporteur on her first report to the General Assembly, 70th session, New York, 27 October 2015 (Spanish only)
• Keynote speech of the Special Rapporteur delivered during the European Union High Level Meeting on Disability, Riga (Latvia), 11 May 2015
• Opening remarks by the Special Rapporteur during the Day of General Discussion on the Right to Education of Persons with Disabilities of the CRPD, Geneva, 15 April 2015
• Statement by the Special Rapporteur during the side event on "Building climate resilience: the rights of groups in focus", 28th session of the HRC, Geneva, 18 March 2015
• Presentation by the Special Rapporteur of her first report to the Human Rights Council, 28th session, Geneva, 10 March 2015 (Spanish only)
• Statement by the Special Rapporteur during the 53rd session of the Committee on Social Development, New York, 9 February 2015 (Spanish only)