By IDA

(First published on the IDA website on September 2, 2021)

The International Disability Alliance (IDA) welcomes the first report on rights of persons with disabilities in armed conflict by the Special Rapporteur on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, Gerard Quinn.

This report provides guidance on how to safeguard the rights of persons with disabilities in the context of armed conflict. To keep them safe, we need to include them and their representative organizations in decision making. All safeguarding measures should be aligned with Article 11 of the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD) on situations of risk and humanitarian emergencies and with United Nations (UN) Security Council Resolution 2475 (2019).

In particular, we note the following conclusions and recommendations:

• The expertise and experience of persons with disabilities should be used across the peace continuum.
• States, multilateral agencies, and humanitarian organizations should undertake disability-inclusive programming, by ensuring the active participation of persons with disabilities and their organizations.
• Much needs to be done to enable the military to gain insights into the protection and participation of persons with disabilities before, during, and after conflict. Militaries should step up their engagement in this area.
• States should explicitly incorporate Article 11 of the CRPD in military manuals, procedures, practices, and include a disability-rights training module for all military and security forces.
• The UN Peacekeeping and Special Political Missions should implement the UN Disability Inclusion Strategy, including engagement with, and building the capacity of, OPDs.

IDA was pleased to play an active role in the development of the report, and appreciates the inclusive drafting process that enabled the report to reflect the perspective of OPDs from around the world.

We express our commitment and offer our support as the global network of OPDs to promote implementation of the recommendations of the report. We call on all stakeholders to promptly and comprehensively implement the recommendations of the Special Rapporteur, in close consultation with and active involvement of persons with disabilities, through their representative organizations.

In particular, we call on the United Nations Security Council to ensure equal protection, inclusion and participation of persons with disabilities in its measures to restore and maintain international peace and security, as recommended by the Special Rapporteur and stated in UN Security Council Resolution 2475 (2019). Read the full report here: https://undocs.org/en/A/76/146