UN Chief at the 12th session of the Conference on the rights of Persons with Disabilities

Remarks by H.E. Mr. António Guterres, United Nations Secretary-General, at the 12th session of the Conference of States Parties to the Convention on the rights of Persons with Disabilities.
UN Chief António Guterres said, “disability inclusion is a fundamental human right. When we fight to secure those rights, we move our world closer to upholding the core values and principles of the United Nations Charter.”
Speaking at the opening of the conference on the Convention of Rights of Persons with Disabilities today (11 Jun), UN Secretary-General António Guterres reiterated that disability inclusion is “central to the promise of the 2030 Agenda on Sustainable Development.”
He said, “when we remove policies or biases or obstacles to opportunity for persons with disabilities, the whole world benefits.”
Guterres also announced the launch of the United Nations Disability Inclusion Strategy. He noted that it is not a strategy of words, but a a strategy of action. It aims to raise the standards of the UN’s performance on disability inclusion across the board, and action to bring about the unified and transformative change the world needs.
The UN chief reiterated that he wants the Organization to be fully accessible for one and all.
He said, “I count on the strong support of Member States as we move this Strategy forward. And I count especially on persons with disabilities and their organizations to ensure that the entire UN family makes good on the promise of this strategy.”
Guterres stated, “together, we can raise awareness and remove barriers. Together, with persons with disabilities as agents of change, we can build an inclusive, accessible and sustainable world.”