A Day for All – International Day of Persons with Disabilities 3/12 – UN Geneva

On 3 December, persons with disabilities around the world, UN representatives, civil society

organisations and the general public will come together to celebrate International Day of Persons

with Disabilities (IDPD). The 2015 event marks 9 years since the landmark Convention on the Rights

of Persons with Disabilities was approved in New York and more than 20 years of IDPD celebrations.

This year, under the theme “A Day for All”, UN agencies and disability advocacy organizations in

Geneva are hosting a series of events to showcase progress made around the world in advancing the

rights of persons with disabilities and inclusion, and to recognize and celebrate persons with

disabilities as a manifestation of diversity in our societies.

 

Organisers

– Special Envoy of the Secretary General for Disability and Accessibility

– Special Rapporteur on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities

– Independent Expert on the enjoyment of human rights by persons with albinism

– Office of the High Commissioner of Human Rights (OHCHR)

– International Labour Organization (ILO)

– International Telecommunication Union (ITU)

– UNESCO International Bureau of Education (IBE)

– United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF)

– United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR)

– United Nations Institute for Training and Research (UNITAR)

– United Nations Office of Geneva (UNOG)

– World Health Organization (WHO)

– International Disability Alliance (IDA)

– Anti- Personnel Mine Ban Convention Implementation Support Unit

– International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC)

– ICRC Special Fund for the Disabled

 

Program of the Day

10:30-12:00 – International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) and ICRC Special Fund for the

Disabled (SFD): Panel discussion Exchange on sports and disability

Live testimonies and experience on the deeper benefits of sports on individuals and society will be

heard. It is an occasion to discuss how sports can play a significant factor for inclusion and positive

role in society of persons with disabilities.

This activity is open to all UN agencies, diplomatic missions and NGOs. Contact Person: Marc

Zlot mzlot@icrc.org ICRC Humanitarium. Coffee will be served at 10.00.

Facilitator: Deputy Ambassador for Australia Ms. Tanya Bennett  Speakers:  – Coach of Afghanistan

men’s and women’s national wheelchair basketball teams: Jess Markt,  – Head of Disability Cricket,

England and Walles Cricket Board: Ian Martin,  – UEFA Football and social responsibility: Iris Hugo

Bouvier  – ICRC head of Physical Rehabilitation Programmes and board member of the ICRC Special

Fund for the Disabled: Claude Tardif  Participation from the floor: David Constantin, NGO Motivation,

who produces affordable basketball wheelchairs; Christian Gunkel, responsible for sports at Otto

Bock, main manufacturer of wheelchairs, rehabilitation and medical products; International Disability

Alliance and Handicap International.

 

10:30-12:00 – International Labor Organization (ILO): Open debate Challenging stereotypes in the

workplace

Discussion with Spanish actor Pablo Pineda on stereotypes faced by persons with disabilities in the

workplace. Mr. Pineda received the San Sebastian International Film Festival’s “Concha de Plata”

award as best actor of 2009 for his leading role in the movie “Yo También” (“Me too”). He is also the

first student with Down syndrome in Europe to obtain a university degree. Mr. Pineda is also

connected to Fundación Adecco in Spain. Adecco is one of the 11 multinational companies that

signed the ILO Global Business and Disability Network Charter on promoting the inclusion of

disabled persons in the world of work.

ILO Headquarters, Route des Morillons, 4, Salle II

Contact Person: Mr Stefan Tromel tromel@ilo.org It will be webcast live

at www.treatybodywebcast.org

11:30-12.30 – Special Rapporteur on the rights of persons with disabilities and the Office of the

High Commissioner for Human Rights: Accessible yoga

52 rue des Pâquis, Palais Wilson, Geneva. This activity is open to staff and partners with valid UN

badges only. Contact Person: Ms Cristina Michels cmichels@ohchr.org

 

12:30-13:00 – UNITAR: Brown bag lunch – Disability and the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable

Development

An opportunity to discuss about the linkages between disability and the 2030 development agenda.

During this brown bag lunch, UNITAR will also present its e-learning course on the Human Rights-

Based Approach to Disability, developed with the support of IASG.

Room S4, Palais des Nations – Refreshments and snacks will be served. Contact Person: Ms Maria

Fernanda Betancourt, mariafernanda.betancourt@unitar.org

13:30-14:45 – World Health Organisation (WHO) – WHO global disability action plan 2014-2021

Roundtable on the Disability Action Plan special focus on Community Based Rehabilitation (CBR) with

remarks from International Disability and Development Consortium (IDDC), Rehabilitation

International (RI), CBR Global Network and States Permanent Representatives to the UN in Geneva.

Salle A, World Health Organisation. Refreshments and snacks will be served. Contact person: Rachel

Mackenzie mackenzier@who.int

 

15:30 – 16:30 – Unveiling of an artistic intervention to the ‘broken chair’ monument

UN agencies, UN mandate holders, Civil Society Organisations, Ambassadors and representative of

State Missions and individuals will celebrate the International Day around the Broken Chair*

monument to recall that much has been done on the rights of persons with disabilities, but much

more remains to be done in the near future, which will demand joint commitment.

Remarks from:

His Excellency Mr John Quinn, Australian Ambassador

Her Excellency Mr María Fernanda Espinosa Garcés, Ecuador Ambassador

His Excellency Mr Thani Thongphakdi, Thailand Ambassador

His Excellency Mr Keith Harper, U.S. Ambassador

Mr Malcolm Johnson, Deputy Secretary General, ITU

Mr Craig Mokhiber, Chief, Development and Economic and Social Issues Branch, OHCHR

Ms Mmantsetsa Marope, Director of the International Bureau of Education, UNESCO

Mr Alexander A. Mejia, Decentralized Cooperation Programme Head, CIFAL Global Network, UNITAR

Dr Etienne Krug, Director, Management of Noncommunicable Diseases, Disability, Violence and

Injury Prevention, WHO

Ms Petra Schroeter, Director General, Handicap International

Mr Yves Dacord, Director General, International Committee of the Red Cross

Ms Patricia Almeida, International Disability Alliance

*«Broken Chair» erected on Place des Nations in Geneva, Switzerland, is a work of Daniel Berset, and

property of Handicap International.

Place the Nations. This activity is open to all. Contact Person: Ms Cristina

Michels cmichels@ohchr.org, Ms Alarcos Cieza ciezaa@who.int, or Ms Tchaurea Fleury media@ida-

secretariat.org

 

17:00 – 18:00 – The Special Rapporteur on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, on behalf of all

Organizers – Roundtable with Spanish actor and writer Pablo Pineda

The discussion will address stereotypes faced by persons with disabilities and his personal

experiences. Mr Pineda received the San Sebastien International Film Festival’s “Concha de Plata”

award as best actor of 2009 for his leading role in the movie “Yo Tambiem” (Me Too).

The interview will be facilitated by the Special Rapporteur, Ms Catalina Devandas, with introductory

remarks Mr Michael Møller, Director General of the UN in Geneva. Videos from RJ Mitte and Aimee

Mullins will be project before the interview. Interactive discussion will be supported from the floor

by Their Excellencies Mr Peter SØRENSEN, Head of Delegation of the European Union, Mr Thomas

Hajnoczi, Ambassador of Austria, Mr Jorge Lomonaco, Ambassador of Mexico (tbc), Mr Juan Aguirre

Martinez, Ambassador of Paraguay and Mr Amr Ramadan, Ambassador of the Arab Republic of

Egypt (tbc).

Location: Room XX, UN Palais des Nations. This activity is open to staff and partners with valid UN

badges only. Contact: Ms Cristina Michels cmichels@ohchr.org

Sign Language interpretation, simultaneous English-Spanish interpretation and captioning in English

will be provided. The event will be webcast live

From 18:00: Reception and evening event, showcasing the talents of persons with disabilities at

the Serpentine area at Palais des Nations.

The reception will be opened by brief remarks from Their Excellencies Ms Rosemary McCarney,

Ambassador of Canada, Ms Paivi Kairamo, Ambassador of Finland, and Mr Alberto Bertoni, Minister

Counsellor of Italy; and followed by a dance performance by the Association DanseHabile, from

Geneva.

This activity is open to staff and partners with valid UN badges only. Contact Person: Ms Cristina

Michels cmichels@ohchr.org

Thanks message

We warmly thank the Permanent Missions to the UN in Geneva of Spain, New Zealand, Italy, Israel,

Thailand, Canada, Australia, United States of America, European Union and Finland for their strong

support to the afternoon events.

Communication and information

All events will have media coverage from the partners hosting and supporting the event.

For particular information in any specific event, kindly contact the person mentioned above.

Contact Person:

Ms Cristina Michels cmichels@ohchr.org,

Ms Alarcos Cieza ciezaa@who.int, or

Ms Tchaurea Fleury media@ida-secretariat.org

Relevant Hashtags:

#aDay4All !

#IDPWD, #disabilities, #inclusion, #handicap, #disabilityproud, #BeTheChange, #PWD

Links to Partners:

@SR_Disability, @IDA_CRPD_Forum, @WHO, @WHOdisability, @ilo, @HI_Advocacy, @UNESCO,

@IBE_UNESCO , @UNOG_DG,@IDPwD, @ITU, @RefugeesMedia,@ohchr, @WIPO