Audley-Fitusi of Bat Yam, who suffers from a muscular dystrophy from birth, will serve as a member of the Committee of Experts for People with Disabilities • Ambassador Arden:
"Feels privileged to be a member of the CRPD Committee."
Audley-H. Fitoussi
Photography:
Israeli delegation to the UN
An Israeli citizen from Bat Yam has been precedent-settingly elected to serve on a prestigious UN
committee.
Her election comes as a result of an ongoing diplomatic effort by the State Department, the UN delegation to New York and Fitoussi herself, who worked for about a year to advance her candidacy.
The Committee of Experts (CRPD) is the leading body of the UN that formulates a global policy towards the member states of the Convention (182 countries) for the rights of people with disabilities. Its the highest demand of all UN expert committees.
Fitoussi met herself with about a hundred diplomats from around the world to present her candidacy.
At the same time, Foreign Minister Gabi Ashkenazi, Israel's ambassador to the UN, Gilad Ardan, and other Israeli diplomats worked to advance its election. Twenty-seven countries competed for nine seats in the election held today at the UN headquarters in New York.
Fitoussi was selected in the first round with the support of 109 countries.
It should be noted that Arab countries also supported the Israeli representative, and the UN delegation estimates that this is another positive result of the Abrahamic agreements.
The Committee on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities operates in Geneva, and is responsible for the implementation of the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities in the 182 signatory states.
Israel was one of the leading countries that took part in writing the Convention and in 2012 joined it.
Since then, the State of Israel has been working extensively in the framework of legislation and social activities for people with disabilities.
In the State of Israel, which is responsible for the implementation and supervision of the Convention, is the "Equality Commission for Persons with Disabilities."
Fitoussi, who, among other things, cares for children and mentors teachers, said after her election: "I feel privileged to be a member of the CRPD Committee, where Israel was a partner in creating a new language for people with disabilities, a language of rights, of pride in who you are, our uniqueness as people. With disabilities that enrich the company with all the good we have built. "
Israel's Ambassador to the UN, Gilad Ardan, congratulated Odeli-Ha on his victory and said:
Odley-e brings immense pride to Israel in one of the most important issues and her choice symbolizes more than anything the victory of the spirit.
"Israel's unique experience in exercising the rights of people with disabilities will greatly contribute to the committee's activities and will have a positive impact on the lives of many people around the world and I am sure Odelia will be an excellent Israeli ambassador and will make a tremendous contribution to the quality of life of people with disabilities around the world."
Foreign Minister Gabi Ashkenazi added: "Odeli-H is the right choice in light of her years-long activity to advance the issue and raise it to the public agenda.
