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Welcome to the Website of UN Special Rapporteur Gerard Quinn

People with disabilities are making their perspectives count in the most pressing debates of our time.

As Special Rapporteur, Gerard Quinn supports the struggle for lifting the barriers holding them back.

MORE ABOUT GERARD's WORK
Banner of Disability Dialogues Podcast Series, featuring Gerard Quinn. The image links to the podcast page

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.

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THE SPECIAL RAPPORTEUR’S WORK

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

He 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.  His work is guided by the international human rights treaties, in particular the UN Convention on the rights of persons with disabilities, or CRPD.

THEMATIC REPORTS

Transformation of services for persons with disabilities.

Posted on: 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.

The protection of persons with disabilities during military operations in armed conflict.

Posted on: September 6, 2022
Second of a series of 3 reports to the UN General Assembly, this report is dedicated to enhancing the inclusion and protection of persons with disabilities during the conduct of hostilitie
Cover of thematic report on AI and the rights of persons with disabilities.

Artificial intelligence and the rights of persons with disabilities.

Posted on: June 5, 2022
Advances in AI could be of great benefit to persons with disabilities, who may require assistance in performing a wide range of tasks. AI may also lead to the development of new assistive technologies to help persons with disabilities.

News and Media

Image featuring an older person smiling. Text: interpreting the 2000 Hague convention consistently with the rights of pesons with disabilities

Interpreting the 2000 Hague Convention on the International Protection of Adults Consistently with the 2007 UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities

Posted on: May 10, 2023
This Study analyses how the private international law rules of the 2000 Hague Convention can be interpreted in light of the UN CRPD and all other current human rights protections.
Podcast Ep 3 image, featuring photo of Catalina Devandas

Podcast Ep.3: The Dialogue of the Special Rapporteurs, with Catalina Devandas.

Posted on: April 24, 2023
Catalina Devandas was the first Special Rapporteur on the rights of persons with disabilities. She held the mandate from 2014 until 2020. On this podcast, she reflects on her experience as prominent leader of the disability rights movement, and discusses the important challenges faced by persons with disabilities in a rapidly changing world.
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Monthly Newsletter of the UN Special Rapporteur on Disability- April 2023

Posted on: April 17, 2023
Highlights of Gerard's work and upcoming events. If you are not on the mailing list and would like to receive his montlhy newsletters via email, please contact us!
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