Event information

9 May 2019, 18:00-19:30

Downloads

Flyer >

First to be Forgotten – Persons with Disabilities and Armed Conflict

Event

View of the cover page of the publication Disability and Armed Conflict View of the cover page of the publication Disability and Armed Conflict

To launch our new publication on persons with disabilities and armed conflict, we host a joint-panel with the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) to explore the impact of armed conflict on persons with disabilities, as well as states, armed non-state actors and humanitarian organisations’ obligations towards them.

Armed conflict has a particularly devastating and disproportionate impact on persons with disabilities, who based on their impairment, are denied the rights and protections they are entitled to under both international human rights law (IHRL) and international humanitarian law (IHL). Persons with disabilities are the subject of targeted killings and sexual and gender-based violence, and more likely to be killed or sustain serious injury as a result of inaccessible protection mechanisms and evacuation procedures. Inaccessible humanitarian assistance (including food, water, medical care, shelters and displacement camps) has a catastrophic impact on persons with disabilities. In the aftermath of conflict, persons with disabilities are not granted equal participation and full involvement in peace processes.

Despite the severe consequences that armed conflict has on persons with disabilities, they remain the forgotten victims of armed conflict. ‘Disability’ is still widely considered a niche issue, particularly in the conflict setting and very little research or literature exists on the topic.

Our new publication ‘Disability and Armed Conflict’, the output of a three-year research project, assesses the relationship between the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities and IHL, and makes recommendations regarding a range of conflict-specific issues including the proportionality assessment, effective warning systems, evacuation procedures and the treatment of prisoners of war and internees from a disability inclusive perspective. Copies of the publication will be available at this launch.

Alice Priddy, Senior Researcher at Geneva Academy will present the key findings and recommendations from our report. Her presentation will be followed by a panel discussion with key experts on IHL, the CRPD and humanitarian response.

In conjunction with this event, a photography exhibition by Giles Duley on persons with disabilities and armed conflict will take place on Quai Wilson from 30 April 30 to 30 May 2019.

Welcome and Introduction

  • Marco Sassòli, Director, Geneva Academy and Professor of International Law, University of Geneva
  • Stephen Wilkinson, Global International Humanitarian Law Advisor, Diakonia

Moderation

  • Mina Mojtahedi, Disability Inclusion Adviser, ICRC

Panelists

  • Ezequiel Heffes, Thematic Legal Advisor, Geneva Call
  • Alice Priddy, Senior Researcher, Geneva Academy
  • Hugo Slim, Head of Policy, ICRC

Registration

You need to register to attend this event via an online form on the ICRC website.

MORE ON THIS THEMATIC AREA

Mô Bleeker News

UNSG Special Adviser Mô Bleeker Becomes Senior Fellow at the Geneva Academy

15 April 2025

Mô Bleeker, UNSG Special Adviser on the Responsibility to Protect, shares how her work as Senior Fellow at the Geneva Academy contributes to our shared goals.

Read more

neurotech image News

Human Rights Concerns in Neurotechnology Examined in New Research Brief

15 April 2025

Our research brief 'Neurotechnology - Integrating Human Rights in Regulation' examines the human rights challenges posed by the rapid development of neurotechnology.

Read more

Event

Strengths and Challenges of Inter-State Applications Before the European Court of Human Rights

22 May 2025, 18:30-20:00

In this Geneva Academy Talk Judge Lətif Hüseynov will discuss the challenges of inter-State cases under the ECHR, especially amid rising conflict-related applications.

Read more

Asian workers working at technology production factory with industrial machines Training

Business and Human Rights

19-23 May 2025

This training course will examine how the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights have been utilized to advance the concept of business respect for human rights throughout the UN system, the impact of the Guiding Principles on other international organizations, as well as the impact of standards and guidance developed by these different bodies.

Read more

Universal Declaration of Human Rights Booklet Training

The International Human Rights Standards and System: Monitoring and Implementation Strategies at the National Level

7-11 July 2025

This training course will delve into the means and mechanisms through which national actors can best coordinate their human rights monitoring and implementation efforts, enabling them to strategically navigate the UN human rights system and use the various mechanisms available in their day-to-day work.

Read more

Online folders Project

Digital Human Rights Tracking Tools and Databases

Started in March 2023

This initiative wishes to contribute to better and more coordinated implementation, reporting and follow-up of international human rights recommendations through a global study on digital human rights tracking tools and databases.

Read more

Neutrotechology Project

Neurotechnology and Human Rights

Started in August 2023

This project addresses the human rights implications stemming from the development of neurotechnology for commercial, non-therapeutic ends, and is based on a partnership between the Geneva Academy, the Geneva University Neurocentre and the UN Human Rights Council Advisory Committee. 

Read more

Cover Page of Research Brief Publication

War on Minorities’ Under the Guise of Countering Terrorism and Violent Extremism

published on December 2024

Beatrice Meretti

Read more

Cover Page of Research Brief Publication

Navigating Pathways Toward Transitional Justice in Ukraine

published on October 2024

Robin van der Lugt, Chhime Namdol Sherpa

Read more