On 23 September 2013, the United Nations General Assembly will convene a High-level Meeting on Disability and Development at the level of Heads of State and Government, with the overarching theme "The way forward: a disability inclusive development agenda towards 2015 and beyond." The High-level Meeting will result in an action-oriented outcome document in support of the aims of the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD) and the realization of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). On June 14, 2013, the General Assembly submitted a report in advance of its sixty-eighth session as a contribution to the High-level Meeting of the Assembly on the realization of the Millennium Development Goals and other internationally agreed development goals for persons with disabilities. The report reviews good practices and existing approaches to disability-inclusive development and concludes by recommending steps to include disability as an integral part of all development efforts, with a view to contributing to an action-oriented outcome document of the upcoming High-level Meeting.
Co-facilitators Spain and the Philippines will hold meetings to negotiate the first draft of the outcome document at the United Nations headquarters in New York, USA. On 17, 19 and 21 June 2013, the co-facilitators carried out informal consultations in which representatives of disabled people's organizations (DPOs) were encouraged to take part. On 24, 26 and 28 June 2013, formal intergovernmental negotiations will take place with representatives of Member States only. For information on the High-Level Meeting, and to view the official documents from the preparatory process, please use the following link: http://www.un.org/disabilities/default.asp?id=1590#officialdocuments and for information on online and regional consultations for the draft outcome document, please use the following link: http://www.un.org/disabilities/default.asp?id=1610