Human Rights Council – 52nd session
Item 3 - Interactive Dialogue with the Special Rapporteur on the rights of persons with disabilities
Statement delivered by Iceland on behalf of Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Latvia, Lithuania, Norway and Sweden
13 March 2023
Mr. President,
I have the honour to speak on behalf of the Nordic and Baltic countries.
Let me start by thanking the Special Rapporteur for his valuable work and recent report on reimagining services to give effect to the right of persons with disabilities to live independently and be included in the community.
We fully agree that active consultation with persons with disabilities and their representative organisations is required to understand what persons with disabilities need and want. We need human rights-based, inclusive and gender transformative solutions that can work in different countries and in different circumstances.
We thank the Special Rapporteur for highlighting the potential of businesses and new technologies, including artificial intelligence, in transforming services for persons with disabilities. As stated in the report, the business sector is increasingly regarded as an important human rights actor.
Mr. Special Rapporteur, how can we better engage with businesses as partners for change in the transformation of services and support for persons with disabilities?
Thank you.