In an unprecedented achievement, Israel’s Odelia Fitoussi elected to serve on UN Committee on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD)
Ambassador to the UN Gilad Erdan: “Odelia is a tremendous source of pride for Israel. Her election represents a true triumph of the human spirit that will be an example for people with disabilities all over the world.”
Foreign Minister Gabi Ashkenazi: “I am proud of Odelia and am pleased with her election as Israel’s representative to the UN CRPD. I thank the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Israel and around the world for its diplomatic efforts for over a year, behind the scenes and in public, with the aim of convincing countries to vote for our candidate.”
(New York – November 30, 2020) Following an international diplomatic campaign, Odelia Fitoussi was elected Monday to represent Israel on the United Nations Committee on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD).
Fitoussi, who was born with muscular dystrophy (SMA2), will become the first Israeli selected to serve on this prestigious committee, which is among the most sought after UN expert committees.
The CRPD is the leading UN body responsible for formulating a global policy for the 182 signatory states to the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities. In the election held today at the UN headquarters in New York, representatives from 27 countries competed for nine slots on the committee. Israel won in the first round, receiving support from 109 countries.
Israel’s ambassador to the UN, Gilad Erdan, congratulated Fitousi on her victory, saying she had brought immense pride to Israel in one of the most important issues and that her selection had “moved him greatly.”
“It represents a true triumph of the human spirit,” said Erdan. “Israel’s extensive experience in the field of rights for people with disabilities will contribute greatly to the committee’s activities and will have a positive influence on the lives of many around the world. I am sure that Odelia will be an excellent ambassador and achieve great things.”
Over the past year, Israel’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Israel’s Mission to the United Nations have led a diplomatic effort in capitals around the world and in New York with UN member states to mobilize support for Fitoussi’s candidacy. Fitoussi herself met with more than 100 diplomats from around the globe. Erdan discussed her candidacy in his meetings with other UN ambassadors and even succeeded in garnering support from representatives of some Arab countries, which usually refrain from supporting Israeli candidates in UN bodies.
Odelia Fitoussi: “I feel privileged to be a member of the CRPD, the place where Israel was a partner in creating a new language for people with disabilities, a language of rights, of pride in who you are, in our uniqueness as people with disabilities who enrich society with all the good we have built.”
Fitoussi, 43, is a resident of Bat Yam who chose to dedicate her life to fighting for the rights of people with disabilities. She works as an art therapist with children and has pushed for greater inclusion of teachers with disabilities in the education system and to implement the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities in Israel.
The Geneva-based CRPD is responsible for monitoring and examining the activities of signatory states to the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities and its implementation to improve the lives of people with disabilities around the world.
The UN Convention on Rights of Persons with Disabilities has been ratified by 182 countries. Israel was one of the leading nations that took part in drafting the convention, joining it in 2012. Since then, Israel has been active in many legislative and social initiatives for people with disabilities. It is responsible for implementing and overseeing the “Commission for Equality of Persons with Disabilities.”