Professor Gerard Quinn has been appointed as the United Nations rapporteur on the rights of persons with disabilities. 

In this role Professor Quinn will promote the rights of persons with disabilities in line with the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD).  He will engage with States and other stakeholders and he will consult with persons with disabilities and their representatives, supporting national efforts to realise the rights of persons with disabilities. He will offer recommendations on how to promote and enforce the relevant standards.

Professor Quinn said that he will work to ensure that the voices of persons with disabilities are heard loud and clear, in global responses to general calamities caused by Covid-19, climate change and the scourge of armed conflicts.

He highlighted the need for systemic change to underpin the gains of the UN CRPD, and to focus attention on the cultural and structural changes needed for the Sustainable Development Goals to be attained.

He will also continue to bring attention to the positive contribution of persons with disabilities to peace-building, nation-building and development, highlighting the need to promote their active citizenship.  

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OHCR website