Meelis Joost Biography

Meelis has been actively involved in the disability and chronic disease movement since 2000. His work has focused on strengthening the national umbrella organisation, which currently represents 55 member organisations and continues to grow. He has also played a key role in promoting cross-border cooperation and advancing advocacy and policy work at both European and international levels.

He serves on the Board of the Estonian Agrenska Foundation, an Estonian-Swedish cross-border foundation dedicated to supporting families of children with disabilities. The foundation works to reduce the burden of care, provide peer counselling for people living with rare diseases, and advocate for the full inclusion of persons with disabilities in society.

Meelis has been a member of the European Economic and Social Committee (EESC), the advisory body to the European Parliament, the Council of the European Union and the European Commission. He has also been closely involved in the implementation and monitoring of the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD), including contributing to the drafting of Estonia’s shadow report for the country’s state review. With the next review cycle due in 2026, his organisation is once again preparing to contribute to the reporting process.

Throughout his career, Meelis has led numerous international and cross-border cooperation projects, several of them in partnership with the European Disability Forum (EDF). He continues to develop and oversee new initiatives, with a number of projects currently in the application and development stages.