Violence, injuries and disability | News | Establishment of UN partnership to promote the rights of persons with disabilities 

Establishment of UN partnership to promote the rights of persons with disabilities 

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The Partnership brings together six UN agencies (WHO, International Labour Organization (ILO), United Nations Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR), United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs (UNDESA), United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and UNICEF), governments, organizations for people with physical disabilities and other partners to work jointly to uphold the rights of persons with disabilities  in all aspects of society and development.

On 3 May 2008, the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities and Optional Protocol entered into force, a major breakthrough in the effort to ensure the full and equal enjoyment of human rights and the fundamental freedoms of persons with disabilities, and to promote respect for their inherent dignity. The challenge is to translate the provisions of this Convention into real actions on the ground.

One step along the way was taken by the six UN entities – WHO, ILO, OHCHR, UNDESA, UNDP and UNICEF – in December 2011, that joined hands to set up the UN partnership to promote the rights of persons with disabilities with the overall goal of developing "the capacities of national stakeholders, particularly governments and organizations of persons with disabilities, for the effective implementation of the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, including through promoting disability-inclusive internationally agreed development goals".

In support of the efforts of the partnership, a multi-donor trust fund was established to generate and manage resources for action towards the partnership’s goal with the full and active participation of persons with disabilities.

Press release 

UN partnership to promote the rights of persons with disabilities and the multi‐donor trust fund [pdf 191kb] 

Trust fund factsheet

International Disability Alliance