New York, June 9 (Petra) -- Jordanian expert Muhannad Al-Azzeh has won a second consecutive term on the United Nations Committee on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD) for the 2027–2030 cycle.
The election took place on Tuesday at the UN headquarters in New York on the sidelines of the 19th Conference of States Parties to the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (COSP19). Al-Azzeh secured his seat after receiving 122 votes from the participating member states.
The election saw intense competition initially among 17 candidates. Following the withdrawal of two contenders, 15 nominees vied for 9 vacant seats on the committee. Al-Azzeh stood as the sole Arab candidate in this electoral cycle.
Al-Azzeh is recognized as a leading independent expert in human rights and disability rights, backed by over 20 years of experience in legal, human rights, and public policy frameworks.
During his first term on the committee, he assumed significant leadership roles, including chairing the Working Group on the Committee's Methods and Mechanisms of Work, where he helped streamline operational procedures and enhance engagement with states parties and disabled persons' organizations (DPOs).
He also served as a country rapporteur for several states parties and participated in working groups handling individual communications, the Optional Protocol, women with disabilities, and de-institutionalization. Notably, he led the working group tasked with drafting the specialized report on the situation of persons with disabilities in the Gaza Strip and the occupied Palestinian territories.
Commenting on the results, Al-Azzeh expressed his gratitude for the international community's renewed trust. He emphasized that his re-election represents a commitment to continue working alongside committee members, state parties, and advocacy groups to accelerate the implementation of the CRPD and safeguard disability rights globally.
Al-Azzeh extended his appreciation to HRH Prince Mired bin Raad, Chief Chamberlain and President of the Higher Council for the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (HCD), for his steadfast support, as well as to the entire HCD team for their technical backing throughout his initial tenure and re-election campaign.
He also commended the Ministry of Foreign and Expatriate Affairs and Jordan's Permanent Mission to the UN in New York, led by Ambassador Walid Obeidat, for their extensive diplomatic campaign. He further thanked the Minister of Social Development, Wafa Bani Mustafa, the Arab League, and brotherly Arab nations for their endorsement during the voting process.
The UN Committee on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities is the independent international body responsible for monitoring the implementation of the convention by states parties, interpreting its provisions, and developing global compliance standards.
//Petra// AF
