Representatives from UN member states, civil societies and academies, as well as people with disabilities gathered Tuesday at the UN headquarters to discuss how to promote the participation and inclusion of people with disabilities in society.

The Tenth Session of the Conference of States Parties to the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD), will last till Thursday, with a theme of "the Second Decade of the CRPD: Inclusion and full participation of persons with disabilities and their representative organizations in the implementation of the Convention."

Theresia Degener, Chair of the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, said that during the past decade, the convention has strongly promoted the rights of people with disabilities, adding that many countries have made positive changes in legislation in custody, psychological health, election and education.

However, she noted that violations of the rights of the people with disabilities still largely exist.

The meeting will focus on addressing the impact of multiple discrimination on persons with disabilities and promoting their participation and multi-stakeholder partnerships for achieving the Sustainable Development Goals in line with the CRPD, as well as inclusion and full participation of persons with disabilities in humanitarian action and promoting inclusive urban development and implementation of the New Urban Agenda - Habitat III.

More than one billion people, or approximately 15 percent of the world's population, live with some form of disability. Eighty percent of people with disabilities live in developing countries.

The Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, adopted in December 2006, is a legally binding human rights treaty with an explicit social development dimension that recognizes the human rights and fundamental freedoms of all persons with disabilities.

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