19th Session of The Conference of States Parties to the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (COSP19)
Statement delivered by Ms. Deivi-Päivi Jahami, Attaché, Permanent Mission of Estonia to the United Nations
11 June 2026, New York
Excellencies, Distinguished delegates,
Estonia aligns itself with the statement of the European Union.
As we mark the twentieth anniversary of the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, Estonia reaffirms its strong commitment to its full implementation, in close cooperation with persons with disabilities and civil society.
Our cross-cutting priority is to advance accessibility and ensure equal participation. This involves strengthening policies to promote equal treatment and remove barriers, and improving accessibility to services and digital environments.
As social policies increasingly rely on technology and innovation, we are working to make services more personalized and proactive. Automatically organised services reduce administrative burden and free up resources for meaningful support. In Estonia, multiple digital systems are in use that can exchange information with each other. This enables smoother access to services, ranging from applications, assessments such as the degree of disability and work ability, and entitlement to benefits and allowances. This approach reduces the burden of collecting documents from different authorities and for instance means that if a person is entitled to support, the state offers it automatically.
We are also working towards a society free from exploitation, violence and abuse, including in digital space. To support safe and equal participation, we continue to strengthen accessibility and provide 24/7 support through Children’s Helpline and the Victim Support Crisis Line. Sign language users can access these services through a solution that enables connection with an interpreter via a dedicated application.
Finally, we are advancing the transition from large institutional settings towards community-based support. Civil society remains a key partner in this effort. To further strengthen this partnership, we recently allocated 1.5 million Euros through a strategic partnership framework to the Estonian Chamber of People with Disabilities, representing nearly 300 organizations across Estonia.
Estonia remains committed to advancing the rights, inclusion and full participation of persons with disabilities in all areas of life, in line with the Convention.
Thank you.