《Recording of the webinar available now》Inclusion of Invisible and Neglected Disabilities (Leprosy) in Climatechange Action and Disaster Risk Reduction for a Sustainable and Resilient Future

Side Event of the 15th session of the Conference of States Parties to the CRPD

Highlighting the need for participatory approaches and inclusion of persons with disabilities in the development process, the side-event aims to build awareness on the needs and inclusion of invisible and neglected disabilities, such as Leprosy, to ensure that State Parties recognize a diversity of disabilities and provide them with equal access and opportunities as other mainstream disabilities under the national laws in compliance with the UNCRPD. The side event aims to identify policy gaps and implementation challenges, confront barriers that prevents participation of the disability community particularly persons affected by Leprosy, as well as identify opportunities for optimizing a disability inclusive disaster risk reduction through lived experiences and examples of good practices of inclusion within the disaster risk management and climate-related decision-making at local, national, regional and global levels guided by the principle of ‘Leave No One Behind’!

Date: June 16, 2022

Time: 8:30 to 9:45 am/ EST-New York (12:30-1:45 pm/ UTC)

Theme: “Inclusion of Invisible and Neglected Disabilities (Leprosy) in Climatechange Action and Disaster Risk Reduction for a Sustainable and Resilient Future”

Language: English. Captioning and Sign Language Interpretation will be provided

Organizers: Disabled Peoples’ International, Sasakawa Health Foundation

Co-sponsors: Permanent Mission of Japan, Centre for Disability in Development (CDD), National Centre for Promotion of Employment for Persons with Disabilities (NCPEDP)

Program:

  1. Welcome Address& Moderator
    Mr. Arman Ali, National Centre for Promotion of Employment for Persons with
    Disabilities (DPI India)
  2. Keynote Address
    Dr. Mr. Floyd Morris, Member, UNCRPD Committee
  3. Special Message
    Ms. Alice Cruz, UN Special Rapporteur on the elimination of discrimination against persons affected by Leprosy and their families
  4. Testimony from person affected by Leprosy
    Mr. Dinesh Basnet, President, IDEA Nepal
  5. Panel Discussion
    – Perspective from the disability and leprosy sector:
    ・Dr. Sruti Mohapatra, Vice Chairperson, DPI India and Founder and Director, Swabhiman, India
    ・Ms. Lilibeth Evarestus, Legal Practitioner and National Coordinator, Purple Hope Initiative, Nigeria
    ・Ms. Ipul Powaseu, Disability Rights Activist, PhD Scholar at Deakin University, De, Former Chairperson, Papua New Guinea National Assembly of Disabled People (DPI PNG)
    – Perspective from supporting organizations:
    ・Dr. Takahiro Nanri, Executive Director, Sasakawa Health Foundation, Japan (policy level)
    ・Mr. Nazmul Bari, Director, Centre for Disability in Development (CDD), Bangladesh (programme level)
  6.  Q&A
  7. Closing Remarks
    H.E. Ambassador Mr. KIMURA Tetsuya, Permanent Mission of Japan to the United Nations