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Agius Saliba delegate to UN state parties conference on rights of disabled persons
Laboyr MEP Alex Agius Saliba is one of seven MEPs nominated by political groups to attend a UN conference on the rights of people with disabilities
12 May 2022, 7:00am
Sebastian Vassallo
Sebastian Vassallo
2 min read
Labour MEP Alex Agius Saliba has been nominated by the Socialists and Democrats to the Conference of State Parties to the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (UNCRPD) in New York.
“This mission to the UN Headquarters is crucial since persons with disabilities still face barriers in various fields in their daily life, such as access to public transport, built environment, use of sign languages, equal pay and equal job opportunities, financing or equal access to education and vocational training,” Agius Saliba said.
“The European Union has a duty to respond to its citizen’s concerns and to improve the lives of persons with disabilities in a barrier-free Europe. This is fundamental to achieve social and economic inclusion and participation of persons with disabilities in society, free from discrimination and in full respect of their rights on an equal basis with others.”
At the beginning of his parliamentary term, Labour MEP Agius Saliba was nominated as PETI (petitions committee) representative of the EU monitoring UNCRPD Framework.
The EU Framework collects data and information to check that EU law and its application are coherent with the CRPD. The European Parliament monitors the application of EU law through implementation reports, human rights reports, oral questions, studies and implementation assessments.
As a representative of the EU-monitoring UNCRPD Framework at the European Parliament, Agius Saliba will have the opportunity to discuss with different NGOs, UN entities, national human rights institutions and United Nations system entities building disability-inclusive and participatory societies in the COVID context and beyond.
Agius Saliba worked as the rapporteur on the report on the protection of persons with disabilities which called on the European Commission and the Member States to implement a number of initiatives aimed at ensuring that the Member States are in line with the United Nations Convention on the Rights for Persons with Disabilities and the EU Charter of Fundamental Rights. Currently, the MEP and S&D spokesperson in the Committee on Petitions, is working on the file “Towards equal rights for people with disabilities”.
This article is part of a content series called Ewropej. This is a multi-newsroom initiative part-funded by the European Parliament to bring the work of the EP closer to the citizens of Malta and keep them informed about matters that affect their daily lives. This article reflects only the author’s view. The action was co-financed by the European Union in the frame of the European Parliament's grant programme in the field of communication. The European Parliament was not involved in its preparation and is, in no case, responsible for or bound by the information or opinions expressed in the context of this action. In accordance with applicable law, the authors, interviewed people, publishers or programme broadcasters are solely responsible. The European Parliament can also not be held liable for direct or indirect damage that may result from the implementation of the action.
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