Statement by the Republic of Latvia at the 18th session of the Conference of States Parties to the CRPD delivered by Oļegs Iļģis, DPR of the Permanent Mission of the Republic of Latvia to the United Nations
11 June 2025, UN HQ
Madam Chair! Excellencies!
It is my honour to address you at the 18th session of the Conference of States Parties to the CRPD. Latvia aligns itself with the statement by the European Union.
The latest data show encouraging – but still fragile – momentum: more States are embedding accessibility standards, strengthening disability rights legislation, and closing data gaps that once masked exclusion. Yet, scarcely one in six disability related SDG indicators is on track; most have stalled or even slid backwards.
Building on that global snapshot, Latvia has set clear and targeted measures for the inclusion of persons with disabilities in society. Let me illustrate it with two concrete measures that have a direct and positive impact on the inclusion of people with disabilities in society, and are in line with principles of the CRPD.
- First, the introduction of a new social service for people with mental disabilities - a support person in decision-making, with the aim of strengthening the ability of people with mental disabilities to live independently in society and make independent decisions.
- Second, strengthening the requirements for accessibility of the environment, services and information, both normatively and methodologically, highlighting accessibility as one of the basic conditions for independent living.
There is always room for improvement. That’s why we are here – to share and learn about best practices to ensure full equality of rights and opportunities for persons with disabilities.
Madam Chair,
Progress, however, can be wiped away overnight when war erupts. Russia’s aggression against Ukraine has created tens of thousands of new disabilities and displaced many more persons already living with impairments - patterns we also witness in Gaza, Sudan and elsewhere.
Latvia has responded by recognising Ukrainian disability documentation for immediate access to services, offering accessible housing, providing mobility aids and psychosocial support.
As a newly elected member of the United Nations Security Council, Latvia will champion the full implementation of Resolution 2475 and work to ensure that disability inclusion becomes standard practice in protection mandates, humanitarian carve-outs and ceasefire monitoring. We will press for systematic data on disability in UN field briefings – because what is not measured is too easily ignored.
In closing, Latvia stands ready to collaborate, innovate and be held to account so that persons with disabilities, in peace and in war, can exercise their full rights and shape our common future.
Thank you!