Going to the global stage

L’Arche enjoys Special Representative Status with the United Nations, meaning we can send an official delegation from across our Federation of 37 countries to the Conference of the States Parties (COSP), held annually at the U.N. Headquarters in New York. Most recently, L’Arche attended the 17th session of the Conference of State Parties (COSP17) to the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD) in June of 2024.

Our official delegates from the United States, Canada and Lithuania joined hundreds of people with disabilities, Civil Society representatives and governmental officials from around the world at the UN Headquarters in New York. They contributed to important discussions on current issues that feed into the U.N.’s Summit of the Future in September, as well as help advance the implementation of the CRPD and ensure the rights of persons with disabilities are respected.

L’Arche works in some of the world’s most fragile contexts, where crises further complicate the already challenging effort to promote inclusion and provide accompanying services to people with intellectual and developmental disabilities. This conference was a key moment for us to share ideas, learnings and experiences and develop partnerships to create a world where everyone is valued and belongs.