Third Committee, 26th plenary meeting - General Assembly, 81st session
Promotion and protection of human rights, Implementation of human rights instruments, Human rights questions, including alternative approaches for improving the effective enjoyment of human rights and fundamental freedoms, Human rights situations and reports of special rapporteurs and representatives, Comprehensive implementation of and follow-up to the Vienna Declaration and Programme of Action - Items 70, 70 (a), 70 (b), 70 (c), 70 (d) (A/81/303, A/81/270, A/81/265, A/81/302)
Agenda items · 581st session
Item 70
Promotion and protection of human rights
Item 70(a)
Implementation of human rights instruments
Item 70(b)
Human rights questions, including alternative approaches for improving the effective enjoyment of human rights and fundamental freedoms
Source: United Nations (un.org, igov.un.org)
Speaking timeChair (11.1%) · Special Rapporteur on the Rights of Persons (4%) · chair of the committee on the rights of persons with disabilities (3.2%) + 58 more · Unattributed (28.3%)
Third Committee, 26th meeting of the 81st session. Agenda item taken up: “Promotion and protection of human rights, Implementation of human rights instruments, Human rights questions, including alternative approaches for improving the effective enjoyment of human rights and fundamental freedoms, Human rights situations and reports of special rapporteurs and representatives, Comprehensive implementation of and follow-up to the Vienna Declaration and Programme of Action - Items 70, 70 (a), 70 (b), 70 (c), 70 (d) (A/81/303, A/81/270, A/81/265, A/81/302)”. 54 speakers were heard, representing 51 delegations.
Partly attributed: 36% of speech unattributed. Attributed to a named speaker 53% · unattributed 36% · Chair 11%.
Points of disagreement
Rwanda rejected the report's assertion that Ronda justified alleged support for the military activities of M23 on the basis of protecting minority communities, calling the characterization in paragraph 44 inaccurate and not reflecting Ronda's stated position.
Democratic Republic of the Congo stated Rwanda was instrumentalizing a single ethnic group to loot strategic natural resources and massacre local populations, citing what it called verification by the United Nations, notably Security Council resolution 2773, and described events in the east as a war of aggression.
Key points
Namibia, on behalf of African group, noted that the convention turns 20 this year, that every member of the group is a party to it, and that the continent has added its own protocol on the rights of persons with disabilities, in force since 2024.
European Union, on behalf of European Union and its member states, stressed that disability inclusion is not an optional add on but an indispensable and core component of principled, effective, and life saving humanitarian assistance, requiring a twin track approach of mainstreaming and targeted interventions.
Luxembourg, on behalf of Benelux countries, Belgium, the Netherlands, commended the Special Rapporteur's comprehensive report, which it said highlights the disproportionate risks persons with disabilities continue to face during crisis.
Statement by statement · 54 speakers
chair of the committee on the rights of persons with disabilities
chair of the committee on the rights of persons with disabilities welcomed Tunga's ratification of the Convention and Tadiskistan's recent decision to ratify it, and congratulated both countries on these steps towards universal ratification.
chair of the committee on the rights of persons with disabilities requested a third annual session of at least three weeks with adequate secretariat staffing and conference services, and stated that accessibility must be guaranteed under the United Nations Disability Inclusion Strategy 2.0.
chair of the committee on the rights of persons with disabilities said States should require accessible design in artificial intelligence, assess the impact on disability rights and ensure human oversight and effective remedies, and that persons with disabilities must participate in AI development and governance from the outset.
Special Rapporteur on the Rights of Persons
Special Rapporteur on the Rights of Persons presented a report on inclusive humanitarian assistance and safeguards for the rights of persons with disabilities in the context of the current humanitarian reform processes.
Special Rapporteur on the Rights of Persons expressed concern that, despite progress, persons with disabilities continue to face significant barriers in accessing humanitarian assistance and protection, with persistent gaps in accessibility, participation, disability disaggregated data, funding and accountability.
Special Rapporteur on the Rights of Persons called for member states, United Nations entities, humanitarian organizations and donors to ensure that humanitarian reforms strengthen rather than weaken disability inclusion, including by safeguarding existing commitments and investing in accessible and disability disaggregated data.
🇵🇱 Poland
Poland noted the launch of the implementation of the humanitarian reset reform announced in march 2025 by the Emergency Relief Coordinator, and said it particularly appreciated its emphasis on streamlining humanitarian structures, prioritizing life saving assistance and strengthening local ownership.
Poland expressed concern that current framework and strategic documents, including the roadmap, gave insufficient consideration to persons with disabilities; it stated that humanitarian reform must leave no one behind and should explicitly address their rights and needs, including in conflict situations.
🇸🇻 El Salvador
El Salvador recognized the importance of the mandates of the Special Rapporteur and the Chair of the Committee in promoting and protecting the rights of persons with disabilities, especially in places of risk and humanitarian emergencies.
El Salvador highlighted the outcome of its 2024 housing census, carried out with UNFPA technical support, which provided data on persons with disabilities as a tool for planning and adopting more inclusive measures.
🇳🇦 Namibia · on behalf of African group
Namibia, on behalf of African group, noted that the convention turns 20 this year, that every member of the group is a party to it, and that the continent has added its own protocol on the rights of persons with disabilities, in force since 2024.
Namibia, on behalf of African group, asked the Special Rapporteur what safeguards she proposes to keep disability inclusion a condition of humanitarian funding rather than a programme to be cut, and how organizations of persons with disabilities are to be brought into pooled funds and country plans.
🇨🇺 Cuba
Cuba stated that Cuba was committed to fulfilling the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disability and had a human rights approach to protecting and treating these people in order to leave no one behind, while still facing challenges.
Cuba noted that Cuba faced shortfalls of important materials as a result of what it called the economic and secondary sanctions of the United States against Cuba.
🇪🇬 Egypt
Egypt stated Egypt enacted the law of 2018, aligned all its provisions with the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, and established a governance framework including the National Council for Persons with Disabilities and the Differently Abled Fund.
Egypt asked how Member States can establish concrete accountability mechanisms ensuring persons with disabilities, particularly women, children, and persons with intellectual psychosocial disabilities, participate in humanitarian decision making and have equitable access to life saving assistance, even where resources are severely limited.
🇨🇾 Cyprus
Cyprus reaffirmed its commitment to the full and equal enjoyment of human rights by persons with disabilities in line with the UNCRPD, including as a member of the Human Rights Council for 2025 2027.
Cyprus stated that Cyprus is implementing its national strategy on disability 2024 2028 and is advancing a reform of its national framework through a law on social participation, inclusion, and independent living of persons with disabilities.
🇨🇱 Chile
Chile reaffirmed its commitment to the promotion of inclusive and accessible responses that take into consideration the needs and rights of all persons, including persons with disabilities in emergency situations.
Chile asked the Special Rapporteur what measures she believed were a priority to ensure that humanitarian approaches strengthen the participation and inclusion of persons with disabilities, especially in contexts of limited resources.
🇬🇪 Georgia
Georgia stated that improving social conditions and ensuring equal opportunities for persons with disabilities remains a national priority in Georgia, and that significant progress has been made in the last decade.
Georgia asked how a state can fulfill its obligations towards persons with disabilities living in what it called the occupied regions, given what it described as Russia's continued occupation of the Abkhazian regions of Georgia, which leaves the government unable to ensure full enjoyment of rights there.
🇧🇷 Brazil
Brazil emphasized the need to embed disability inclusion as a central element of principled, effective, and rights based humanitarian action.
Brazil asked the Special Rapporteur what practical changes and arrangements she would recommend so that entities of persons with disabilities, including small community based organizations with limited capacity to meet donor due diligence requirements and United Nations partnership standards, can participate in international humanitarian response mechanisms.
🇲🇪 Montenegro
Montenegro stressed that disability inclusion must not be treated as optional but as a fundamental human rights obligation, and that accessibility, meaningful participation and adequate funding must remain central to humanitarian preparedness and response.
🇲🇾 Malaysia
Malaysia reaffirmed its commitments to the promotion and protection of the rights of persons with disabilities under the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, and said it was pursuing amendments to the Person with Disabilities Act 2008 to strengthen protection, accessibility and meaningful participation.
Malaysia stated efforts to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of humanitarian assistance were necessary but must not come at the expense of those already at greater risk.
🇳🇬 Nigeria
Nigeria underscored the implementation of the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, especially Article 11, and said disability inclusion must be integrated into national preparedness, humanitarian response and recovery with due regard for national circumstances and priorities.
🇷🇺 Russian Federation
Russian Federation noted that the committee's work on three general comments is outside its mandate and should not be done to the detriment of its main work, given its serious backlog in national periodic review report review.
Russian Federation expressed concern about potential negative impacts of the humanitarian reset of the system, and that assistance to persons with disabilities is not in the roadmap for humanitarian reform.
Russian Federation stated that the Special Rapporteur on minority issues' study is blatantly politicized, copies Western narratives, ignores what it called the neo-Nazi heart of the Kiev regime, and makes recommendations beyond its mandate regarding the ICJ.
🇵🇹 Portugal
Portugal stated a human rights-based approach to persons with disabilities in situations of crisis was essential to ensure their protection, autonomy, and meaningful participation in all stages of emergency preparedness and response.
Portugal noted Portugal had adopted a multiannual strategy with a cross-cutting pillar on governance, data, and social participation, and continued to strengthen accessibility in public spaces, transports, and digital services.
🇰🇷 Republic of Korea
Republic of Korea expressed concern that persons with disabilities continue to face disproportionate risks and barriers, especially in conflict-affected settings, as noted by the Special Rapporteur.
Republic of Korea stated that its government had recently announced a comprehensive plan to establish state responsibility for the care of persons with developmental disabilities.
🇺🇦 Ukraine
Ukraine stated that the number of persons with disabilities in Ukraine now exceeds 3.6 million, and that Russia's war of aggression continues to cause injuries, trauma and disabilities on a massive scale.
Ukraine stressed that disability inclusion cannot wait until a conflict ends and must be integrated into humanitarian response and reconstruction with meaningful participation of persons with disabilities.
🇮🇱 Israel
Israel stated that since 2024 it had established a legal framework and a central database connecting local authority focal points with emergency response systems, and that it enforces standards for accessible shelters, real time alert for the deaf and hard of hearing, and continuity of essential care.
Israel reaffirmed its strong commitment to promoting and protecting the rights of persons belonging to national, ethnic, and religious minorities.
🇮🇹 Italy
Italy stated that inclusion of persons with disabilities is essential to effective, equitable and rights-based humanitarian assistance, and cited the Third National Action Plan for the Rights and Inclusion of Persons with Disabilities, the national guarantor authority and the LIFE project.
Italy asked the Special Rapporteur what concrete measures states should adopt to ensure that emergency plans and humanitarian operations include accessible early warning systems.
🇵🇬 Papua New Guinea
Papua New Guinea noted the adoption of the Disability Services Act 2025 as a recent milestone, strengthening the legal and institutional framework for the protection and inclusion of persons with disabilities.
Papua New Guinea said work to strengthen disability governance data and monitoring commenced in March this year, to identify where support is needed and ensure services reach persons with disabilities.
🇮🇪 Ireland
Ireland reaffirmed its support for the Committee's work as the 20th anniversary of the Convention is marked, and welcomed the Committee's guidance to state parties on implementing their obligations under the Convention.
Ireland welcomed the report's recognition of the humanitarian reset as an opportunity to strengthen disability-inclusive humanitarian action, and stated that the rights of persons with disabilities in conflict will remain a priority as it takes its seat on the Human Rights Council in 2027.
🇯🇵 Japan
Japan noted that humanitarian emergencies, natural disasters and other situations of risk disproportionately affect persons with disabilities, and that inclusive and accessible measures are key to ensuring their full enjoyment of human rights and fundamental freedom; Japan had taken proactive steps to develop more inclusive disaster risk management measures.
Japan requested that the Secretary-General continue guaranteeing necessary support and access to information for committee members.
🇲🇹 Malta
Malta stressed that inclusivity must remain at the heart of humanitarian action, and that efforts to improve efficiency, effectiveness and localization must not come at the expense of the rights and needs of persons with disabilities.
Malta expressed concern that persons with disabilities continue to face exclusion from humanitarian decision making, while disability inclusive assistance remains hindered by shortfalls in data, meaningful participation and insufficient funding.
European Union · on behalf of European Union and its member states
European Union, on behalf of European Union and its member states, stressed that disability inclusion is not an optional add on but an indispensable and core component of principled, effective, and life saving humanitarian assistance, requiring a twin track approach of mainstreaming and targeted interventions.
European Union, on behalf of European Union and its member states, asked what safeguards are considered critical to ensure disability inclusion remains fully integrated into humanitarian coordination, funding and accountability mechanisms.
🇦🇹 Austria
Austria stated that Austria's humanitarian aid strategy explicitly recognizes persons with disabilities as a group requiring particular attention, and that in 2025, 16 projects of the Austrian Development Agency, totaling approximately 27 million euros, benefited people with disabilities.
Austria asked the Special Rapporteur which practical measures would be recommended to ensure that disability inclusion is systematically integrated into humanitarian funding, coordination and response plans.
🇱🇰 Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka stated that Sri Lanka's National Disaster Management Plan recognizes persons with disabilities as a priority group, and that it is working to improve accessibility, early warnings and emergency shelters while training officials in disability inclusive response.
Sri Lanka noted that disability inclusive budget allocations had been increased by nearly 70% since 2022, and that Cyclone Ditwa showed the challenges in turning commitments into action.
🇨🇳 China
China said China has more than 85 million persons with disabilities, has enacted more than 90 laws directly related to protecting their rights, and has submitted its fourth and fifth periodic reports under the Convention.
China called for the international community to pay special attention to the needs of persons with disability and to accelerate implementation of the CRPD and the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.
China stated that the so-called Tibetan government in exile is a separatist political group with no right to represent the people of Xhang, and that China objects to the Special Rapporteur's participation in events organized by separatist organizations.
🇮🇷 Islamic Republic of Iran
Islamic Republic of Iran expressed concern that the recent war of aggression against Iran, coupled with the humanitarian consequences of unilateral coercive measures and sanctions, had further endangered persons with disabilities, through damage to civilian infrastructure and disruptions in access to medicines.
Islamic Republic of Iran stressed that unilateral coercive measures were unlawful and incompatible with international law, and called for accountability for their humanitarian impacts on persons with disabilities.
🇭🇺 Hungary
Hungary stated that Hungary remained committed to the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities and that humanitarian assistance must always remain inclusive, responsive to individual needs, and accessible to those who need it most.
🇲🇽 Mexico
Mexico stated that Mexico, as a promoter of the Convention and co-chair with New Zealand of the Group of Friends of Persons with Disabilities, has a firm commitment to the promotion and protection of the rights of persons with disabilities.
🇧🇩 Bangladesh
Bangladesh recognized the concerns regarding the disproportionate impacts on persons with disabilities during armed conflicts, humanitarian emergencies, and natural disasters, as well as challenges relating to accessibility, reliable data, and adequate funding.
Bangladesh stated that Bangladesh's national initiatives, including the Family Card Initiative and Disability Allowance Program, aim to strengthen social protection and economic security, and that disability is included in national education and skill development policies.
🇰🇵 Democratic People's Republic of Korea
Democratic People's Republic of Korea stated that crises such as armed conflict, economic decline and natural disasters, compounded by persistent public misconception, remained major obstacles to the international community's efforts to secure equal rights and opportunities for persons with disabilities.
Democratic People's Republic of Korea stated that the DPRK, in line with its People First policy, had reinforced domestic legal and institutional mechanisms and expanded social services so that persons with disabilities could enjoy their rights regarding medical service, education and employment.
🇬🇹 Guatemala
Guatemala stated it shared the Special Rapporteur's call to overcome gaps in accessibility, meaningful participation, funding and disaggregated data, and that inclusion of persons with disabilities should not be considered something extra but an essential dimension of every effective rights-based humanitarian response.
Guatemala asked the Special Rapporteur what measures she would recommend to align national disability policies with disaster risk management systems and to ensure that humanitarian responses are accessible, inclusive and adapted to different territorial contexts.
🇳🇿 New Zealand
New Zealand welcomed the report's focus on concrete measures supporting inclusive humanitarian responses, including funding, data collection, accessibility and meaningful participation.
New Zealand stated that the government is currently progressing action on 46 of the 63 recommendations received from the committee, and that New Zealand regularly advocates for disability inclusion in international humanitarian policy platforms.
🇨🇦 Canada
Canada welcomed a clear focus on the gap between existing commitments and their implementation, particularly regarding accessibility, meaningful participation, protection, disability disaggregated data, funding, and accountability.
Canada supported embedding disability inclusion throughout the humanitarian cycle, and stated that persons with disabilities must meaningfully shape humanitarian action, disaster risk reduction, recovery, and peacebuilding.
🇵🇦 Panama
Panama stated that Panama, as one of the first countries to sign and ratify the CRPD, had a firm commitment to inclusion, equality of opportunity, and respect for the dignity of all persons.
Panama welcomed the SG's report as highlighting Panama's efforts to protect persons with disabilities from violence.
🇲🇦 Morocco
Morocco welcomed the progress made since 2019 on inclusive humanitarian assistance, noting that UN entities were now meeting this need on half of the indicators.
🇶🇦 Qatar
Qatar noted that the State of Qatar ratified the CRPD agreement in 2008, completed its omnibus report in Geneva in August, and would benefit from the dialogue's results and the committee's recommendations in developing its national policies and programs.
🇵🇰 Pakistan
Pakistan highlighted the adoption by consensus of General Assembly Resolution 80-305 on access to assistive technology, presented by Pakistan, which underscores such access during humanitarian emergencies and national disasters.
Pakistan asked the special rapporteurs how access to essential assistive technology can be systematically integrated into humanitarian preparedness, emergency response and recovery, particularly in situations of armed conflict and foreign occupation.
🇱🇺 Luxembourg · on behalf of Benelux countries, Belgium, the Netherlands
Luxembourg, on behalf of Benelux countries, Belgium, the Netherlands, commended the Special Rapporteur's comprehensive report, which it said highlights the disproportionate risks persons with disabilities continue to face during crisis.
Luxembourg, on behalf of Benelux countries, Belgium, the Netherlands, expressed concern that women and children with disabilities remain insufficiently protected, and about the potential impact of the ongoing humanitarian reset process on disability inclusion.
🇲🇲 Myanmar
Myanmar said persons with disability in Myanmar faced worsened hardships in what it called the illegal post coup era, including what it described as atrocities engineered by the military, and were disproportionately affected by economic collapse, job losses and rising commodity prices.
🇪🇸 Spain
Spain reaffirmed its commitment, at the 20th anniversary of the Convention, to translating the recommendations into effective rights.
Spain highlighted reforming Article 49 of its constitution, guaranteeing the right to vote for all persons with disabilities, a civil code reform on support for legal capacity, a de-institutionalization strategy, and a 65 million euro plan for women and girls with disabilities.
🇬🇧 United Kingdom
United Kingdom stated the UK was committed to implementing the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, noting that considerable progress had been made towards full inclusion but significant challenges remained.
United Kingdom welcomed the report on inclusive humanitarian assistance and safeguards for the rights of persons with disabilities, and said humanitarian actors should identify and address barriers that prevent persons with disabilities from accessing support.
🇦🇪 United Arab Emirates
United Arab Emirates asked how to improve effective and meaningful participation of persons with disabilities and their organizations in designing, implementing and monitoring response plans, and what the Special Rapporteur recommends to guarantee safe evacuation to shelters equipped to meet their needs during conflicts, emergencies and disasters.
United Arab Emirates stated that the United Arab Emirates adopted a policy in 2021 on empowering persons with willpower in emergencies and disasters, and runs the Step of Hope program supplying artificial limbs to Palestinian children in Gaza.
🇨🇷 Costa Rica
Costa Rica highlighted the committee's observations on risk situations and political participation, including the situation of persons with autism, approximately 0.8% of the global population, and encouraged data on barriers they face in future reports.
🇷🇴 Romania
Romania reaffirmed its strong commitment to the protection and promotion of the rights of persons belonging to national minorities as an integral part of the universal human rights framework, and said it attaches particular importance to dialogue and bilateral mechanisms.
Romania supported cooperative solutions among states rather than unilateral initiatives, while respecting the limits set by the Venice Commission's October 2001 report on preferential treatment of national minorities by their kin state.
🇷🇼 Rwanda
Rwanda rejected the report's assertion that Ronda justified alleged support for the military activities of M23 on the basis of protecting minority communities, calling the characterization in paragraph 44 inaccurate and not reflecting Ronda's stated position.
Rwanda asked whether the special rapporteur had the opportunity to engage directly with affected minority communities in the DRC to understand their experiences and protection needs.
🇱🇮 Liechtenstein
Liechtenstein asked the Special Rapporteur to expand on the relevance of autonomy, self-governance and self-administration as modalities for self-determination for national minorities within and across states.
🇬🇷 Greece
Greece supported the Special Rapporteur's view that persons belonging to minorities play a specific role in guaranteeing diversity in society, and that states shall abstain from acts contrary to the UN Charter regarding minorities living outside their territory and respect any bilateral agreements.
Greece asked in what way states could fulfill in practice their primary duty to implement, in good faith, their international human rights obligations towards persons belonging to minorities within their territories.
🇮🇳 India
India stated that India is the world's most multireligious, multi-ethnic and multilingual society, with constitutional provisions on linguistic and religious minorities and a National Commission for Minorities that monitors developments.
🇨🇩 Democratic Republic of the Congo
Democratic Republic of the Congo said the DRC is an ethnic and linguistic mosaic of some 250 different ethnic groups and some 700 languages, and that it equitably protects all ethnic groups and allows them full participation in the political and social life of the country.
Democratic Republic of the Congo stated Rwanda was instrumentalizing a single ethnic group to loot strategic natural resources and massacre local populations, citing what it called verification by the United Nations, notably Security Council resolution 2773, and described events in the east as a war of aggression.
🇲🇬 Madagascar
Madagascar stated that Madagascar has not encountered any problems with its minorities, that there are no conflicts between minority groups as covered in its constitution, and that the rights of all 18 ethnic groups are upheld by its government and they live in harmony.
🇳🇵 Nepal
Nepal highlighted Nepal's constitutional and legal framework, including guarantees of equality, Dalit rights, proportional inclusion and social justice, and measures strengthening the representation of women, Dalits, indigenous peoples, Modesis, Tharus, Muslims and other marginalized groups in public institutions.
Nepal stated Nepal was continuing efforts to strengthen inclusion, combat caste based discrimination and untouchability, improve access to education, justice and public services, and enhance marginalized communities' participation in governance and decision making.
Each line is checked against the transcript before it is shown and plays the moment it comes from. The transcript is the record.