11/02/2026
Status update on accessibility services for the upcoming Committee on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities and the Human Rights Council
Following our public statement last week on the impact of funding shortfalls on access to the Committee on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD), IDA has sought direct engagement with senior United Nations authorities responsible for human rights and conference management.
In this context, IDA has formally requested prompt intervention and the exploration of solutions to ensure that the minimum accessibility conditions required for the upcoming 34th session of the Committee and for disability-related panels during the 61st session of the Human Rights Council are confirmed in a timely manner.
During an organisational meeting of the 61st session of the Human Rights Council on 9 February, a representative of the UN Office at Geneva’s Division of Conference Management reaffirmed the cash-conservation measures currently in place and reported that no additional funding has been received from Member States. As a result, accessibility services, including international sign interpretation and captioning, remain unconfirmed for the forthcoming CRPD Committee session and related Human Rights Council panels.
Several States, including , , , and , expressed concern at the meeting and sought clarification. Finland emphasised that budgetary measures should not have a disproportionate negative impact on persons with disabilities and experts with disabilities, while Spain stated that the exclusion of persons with disabilities is unacceptable.
While discussions between relevant parties are ongoing, IDA and the wider disability community continue to expect that the necessary accessibility services will be confirmed in time for the forthcoming sessions. Guaranteeing accessibility is essential to the effective functioning of the CRPD Committee and to the meaningful participation of persons with disabilities in Human Rights Council processes.
IDA therefore reiterates its call on States Parties to fulfil their funding obligations and on the relevant UN offices to take the necessary steps to confirm and promptly communicate the availability of accessibility services. Accessibility and reasonable accommodation are not optional measures but binding obligations under the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities and essential components of the UN Disability Inclusion Strategy.
World Federation of the Deaf Youth Section World Federation of the Deaf Ry World Federation of the Deafblind ASEAN Disability Forum RIADIS World Blind Union Pacific Disability Forum World Network of Users and Survivors of Psychiatry European Disability Forum International Federation for Spina Bifida and Hydrocephalus African Disability Forum - ADF Federation of Hard of Hearing People United Nations Human Rights INCLUSION INTERNATIONAL
