The Conference of State Parties is an annual event organised by the United Nations. During the Conference, participants discuss the implementation of the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities.

Participants include representatives of the State Parties (countries and regional organisations that ratified the Convention), civil society organisations (such as organisations of persons with disabilities) and disability rights experts (such as the UN Special Rapporteur on the rights of persons with disabilities and academics).

The 19th session of the Conference of State Parties to the UN CRPD (COSP19) will take place from 9-11 June 2026 in New York. The overarching theme is “CRPD at 20: celebrating and consolidating achievements and shaping the next phase of implementation in a changing world’

Three subthemes:

•  Creating a world free from exploitation, violence and abuse for all persons with disabilities
• Resilient societies: strengthening care and support systems to ensure the empowerment, autonomy and independence of all persons with disabilities
• From participation to representation: enhancing accessible civic engagement, leadership and advocacy in political and public life.

If you are attending the COSP in person and want to know who else is attending and be connected with other civil society organisations, share your details with the International Disability Alliance!

Many events will be livestreamed through the UN Web TV.

• 10 June, 15:00 to 18:00: Nadia Hadad, our Vice-President, will moderate Roundtable 2: Resilient societies: strengthening care and support systems to ensure the empowerment, autonomy and independence of all persons with disabilities. Themida Anthopoulou, Chairperson of the Cyprus Confederation of Disability Organizations (our member), will speak at the same roundtable.
• 9 June, 13:15 to 14:30: Ana Peláez Narváez, our Secretary General, will speak at the side-event ‘Consolidating Achievements for Inclusive Societies: Shaping the Next Phase of Implementation to Ensure the Empowerment, Autonomy and Independence of all Persons with Disabilities‘ organised by the Permanent Mission of Greece to the United Nations and UNDESA
• 10 June, 8:00: Ana Peláez Narváez, our Secretary General, will speak at the high-level closed roundtable breakfast Disability-Inclusive Humanitarian Response and Recovery.
• 10 June, 10:00 to 11:15: Nadia Hadad, our Vice-President, will speak at the side-event ‘Deinstitutionalisation under the CRPD: Perspectives and Practice‘ organised by the Permanent Mission of the Republic of Slovenia to the United Nations, Human Rights Ombudsman of the Republic of Slovenia, Swedish Institute for Human Rights, German Institute for Human Rights
• 10 June, 16:45 to 18:00: Ana Peláez Narváez, our Secretary General, will speak at the side-event ‘CRPD and Refugees Rights: Have Parties fulfilled their obligations to ensure protection and safety for displaced persons with disabilities?‘ organised by the Permanent Mission of Kenya to the United Nations.

In addition to the events, the Forum will attend a series of meetings with Members of the European Parliament, European Commission, European Member States and fellow colleagues from the global disability movement.

The Civil Society Coordination Mechanism, which is facilitated by the International Disability Alliance, hosts a Civil Society Forum, as an addition to the COSP19, as an opportunity to amplify the voice and facilitate adequate and active participation of persons with disabilities. 

The Forum will be held on Monday 8 June. 

The Civil Society Forum will adopt a “People’s Assembly” format. Following a brief opening segment, four substantive sessions will be convened, each focused on a specific theme. Three sessions will align with the sub themes of COSP, while the fourth will address the overarching theme of the 20th anniversary of the CRPD, incorporating broader United Nations reform processes.

Each session will begin with the moderator providing a concise overview of the topic. The moderator will then invite pre-selected organizations to deliver a three-minute statement, presentation, or call to action relevant to the session theme. The final 15 minutes of each session will be reserved for interventions from the floor. These contributions will be limited to one-minute reflections directly related to the discussion. 

At the conclusion of the Forum, a Civil Society statement will be issued, reflecting the key themes and outcomes of the day’s discussions.

The language of the Civil Society Forum will be in English only. International Sign and Captioning will be provided. 

Our participation

• Ana Peláez Narváez, our Secretary General, will speak in Session 1: 20 Years of the CRPD – Gains, Gaps and the Future in a Reforming UN.
• Nadia Hadad, our Vice-President, will moderate Session 3: Resilient societies: strengthening care and support systems to ensure the empowerment, autonomy and independence of all persons with disabilities.

Our members

• Michael Doyle, former Chairman of the Disability Federation of Ireland will contribute to Session 3: Resilient societies: strengthening care and support systems to ensure the empowerment, autonomy and independence of all persons with disabilities

Tuesday, 9 June 2026 | 13:15 – 14:30 (New York time) – Conference Room 6

Our side-event, co-hosted with the European Union, will take place on 9 June from 13:15 to 14:30 ‘Supporting Organisations of Persons with Disabilities (OPDs) & Civil society: Celebrating the 20th anniversary of the UNCRPD’ in Conference Room 6

As the world marks the 20th anniversary of the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD), this side event will spotlight the critical role of Organisations of Persons with Disabilities (OPDs) and broader civil society such as service providers in advancing disability-inclusive policy development both within the EU and globally. The side-event will bring both an EU and an international perspective, drawing on the EU programmes supporting disability rights and inclusive policies worldwide.

Learn more about the side event

• Themida Anthopoulou, Chairperson of the Cyprus Confederation of Disability Organizations (our member), will speak in the official session  Roundtable 2: Resilient societies: strengthening care and support systems to ensure the empowerment, autonomy and independence of all persons with disabilities.
• Civil Society Forum (8 June): Michael Doyle, former Chairman of the Disability Federation of Ireland will contribute to Session 3: Resilient societies: strengthening care and support systems to ensure the empowerment, autonomy and independence of all persons with disabilities
• GRIP and the European Network on Independent Living co-organise ‘CRPD at 20: Are we any closer to Independent Living for All?‘ (9 June 10:00 – 11:15 EDT)
• The Cyprus Confederation of Disability Organizations will speak at the side event ‘Supported decision-making of persons with disabilities – Best practices of legislative reforms and delivery of support services at international level’  (9 June 15:00 – 16:15 EDT)
• Dovilė Juodkaitė (Lithuanian Disability Forum) will speak at the side event Citizen Data on Residential Institutionalization for Persons with Disabilities (9 June 16:45-18:00 EDT)
• Cerebral Palsy Europe will co-organise two side events: Rights to Results: Political Prioritization of Disability Health Equity 20 Years After the CRPD (10 June 11:30 – 12:45 EDT);  Play Without Barriers: From Early Intervention to Inclusive Societies (10 June 15:90 – 16:15 EDT)