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During her official visit to Kyrgyzstan Heba Hagrass meets with Edel Bayslov, Deputy Prime Minister, and discusses improving the living conditions of persons with disabilities in the Republic

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Making people's rights real require cultural shifts that go beyond signing treaties. Only co-production between people and governments can produce the ideas needed to unlock change.

THE SPECIAL RAPPORTEUR’S WORK

As Special Rapporteur, Heba Hagrass works to promote the participation of persons with disabilities in the co-production of laws and policies at local, regional and international levels. This is the only way to make sure that their experiences are visible, and their rights known and respected.

To do this, Heba consults with organizations, government agencies, individual experts and international institutions to identify key issues affecting people with disabilities. Then she makes recommendations and offers technical support to ensure that their experiences, aspirations and needs are taken into account in all relevant laws and policies.

Heba also promotes the visibility of persons with disabilities and their rights in global challenges such as armed conflicts, the COVID 19 pandemic, climate change and other factors driving humanitarian emergencies, advocating for their participation. The Special Rapporteur's work is guided by the international human rights treaties, in particular the UN Convention on the rights of persons with disabilities, or CRPD.

WHY THIS WORK IS IMPORTANT

HOW THE WORK IS DONE

ABOUT GERARD's MANDATE

THEMATIC REPORTS

UN Special Rapporteur Outlines Vision for Advancing Disability Rights (2)

Ten years of the mandate of the Special Rapporteur on the rights of persons with disabilities: taking stock and looking ahead

January 29, 2024

In the present report, submitted to the Human Rights Council pursuant to Council Resolution 53/14, the Special Rapporteur on the rights of persons with disabilities, Heba Hagrass, provides an overview of activities undertaken in 2023, takes stock of the work and achievements of the mandate during the 10 years since it was created in 2014 […]

banner of report on transformative role of persons with disabilities in peacebuilding

The transformative role of persons with disabilities in peacebuilding processes.

August 31, 2023

Peacebuilding is a unique moment in time when historic injustice can be confronted as such and when new beginnings can be established. This report highlights the agency of persons with disabilities in rebuilding broken societies in the post-conflict context.

Transformation of services for persons with disabilities.

January 11, 2023

New technologies and participation allow us to rethink the support services of persons with disabilities beyond traditional models based on impairment and dependency. This report offers a framework to rethink support services with personhood, autonomy and human rights at their center.

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News and Media

Heba Hagrass (at microphone), Special Rapporteur on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities

Dr. Heba Hegres' speech on World Care and Support Day

October 29, 2024

This image is from a conflict or disaster zone in Palestine, showing civilians in the aftermath of a building being destroyed. In the foreground, there are two people in wheelchairs, with several other people standing around them. Many of the women are wearing headscarves, and there appears to be rubble and destroyed buildings in the background. The people appear to have been displaced or affected by whatever event caused the destruction. The image conveys the human impact of conflict or disaster on vulnerable populations, including those with disabilities.

A tragedy within a tragedy: UN experts alarmed by harrowing conditions for Palestinians with disabilities trapped in Gaza

October 25, 2024

GENEVA – One year into the ruthless military assault by Israel in Gaza, UN experts warned today that Palestinians with disabilities face unbearable protection risks, including inescapable death and injuries, amid indiscriminate attacks by Israeli occupation forces which have destroyed critical infrastructure, and annihilated the possibility of humanitarian assistance. “A tragedy within a tragedy is taking […]

The image depicts a scene of destruction and displacement, in Palestine. In the foreground, there are several people, including: 1. A woman in a wheelchair being pushed by another person wearing a red shirt and white hat. 2. A young man wearing a blue and red shirt standing nearby. 3. A woman wearing a black hijab standing to the right. Behind them, there is extensive damage to buildings and infrastructure. A large building appears to have collapsed or been destroyed, with rubble and debris scattered around it. The surrounding area shows signs of destruction, with partially standing walls and damaged buildings visible. The scene suggests that these individuals are civilians fleeing or moving through an area that has seen significant destruction, possibly due to conflict. The presence of the wheelchair suggests that they may be assisting vulnerable individuals to evacuate or move through the affected area. The image conveys a sense of hardship and the human impact of destruction, whether from war or other causes. The report highlights the challenges faced by civilians in such situations, particularly those with limited mobility.

7 October: UN experts call for end of violence and accountability after year of human loss and suffering and blatant disregard for international law

October 10, 2024

GENEVA – Marking the Hamas attack on 7 October 2023, the Israeli attack against the Palestinian population in Gaza that followed and consequent expansion of violence to the rest of the occupied Palestinian territory and other countries in the region, UN experts* today recalled the unbearable human cost of this escalation and reiterated the immediate need […]

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