National Statement delivered by Ms. Malin Larsson, Head of Delegation, Senior Advisor, Ministry of Health and Social Affairs, at the 17th Session of the Conference of States Parties to the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (COSP17): ‘Rethinking disability inclusion in the current international juncture and ahead of the Summit of the Future’, 12 June 2024
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Thank you, Chair.
Excellencies, ladies and gentlemen, colleagues,
Sweden fully aligns itself with the statement made by the European Union and its Member States, the joint statement of the Group of Friends of persons with disabilities and the joint statement by the LGBTI Core Group.
We are living in challenging times; the impact of COVID-19 is still with us, we are being exposed to serious and organised crime, terrorist threats and cyberattacks, and with Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, Europe is facing its biggest security challenge since the Second World War. And meanwhile, many other crises are devastating individuals and communities elsewhere in the world.
It is not easy to handle all these challenges, and when it comes to accessible crisis preparedness and crisis information, we can do better.
We know that persons with disabilities often face a higher risk in times of crisis.
It is therefore crucial that governments and decision-makers consult and actively involve persons with disabilities, including through their representative organisations in the development and implementation of national and local crisis response strategies and when developing protection and support systems.
Chair,
One thing that we have learnt in Sweden is that in times of crisis, it is absolutely essential that we provide adapted accessible information to all. Our emergency response was severely tested during the COVID-19 pandemic, and we quickly became aware of the flaws in our system, such as the lack of accessible communication and information material.
As the situation was new, gathering information became a crucial part of the work of the Swedish Government and government agencies in order to understand what was working and what was not.
Against this background, it may not come as a surprise that crisis preparedness was identified as one of the 12 prioritised areas in our national disability strategy.
Of course, meetings with the Swedish disability movement also provided an indispensable source of knowledge for both the Swedish Government and responsible government agencies.
But it is also important to learn from other countries. How can we share expertise and experience?
We hope the COSP side event held on Tuesday June 11, Accessible crisis preparedness and crisis communication – hosted by the Permanent Mission of Sweden and the Nordic Council of Ministers – provided such an opportunity. I hope that we can continue to share experience and knowledge on this topic in order to make crisis preparedness as accessible as possible in our respective countries.
Thank you.