By Tim Harte GAICD – Independent Director, Australian Federation of Disability Organisations (AFDO)
Earlier this month, I had the privilege of joining the Australian Federation of Disability Organisations (AFDO) delegation to the 18th Session of the Conference of States Parties (COSP18) to the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD) at the United Nations Headquarters in New York.
COSP18 brought together governments, civil society, and Disabled People’s Organisations (DPOs) from around the globe to assess progress on the CRPD. Under the overarching theme of “Enhancing public awareness of the rights and contributions of persons with disabilities for social development”, the conference was a powerful reminder that inclusive policy cannot be achieved without the voices of people with disability at the centre.
AFDO’s delegation reflected a rich diversity of lived experience and leadership. Alongside AFDO President Grant Lindsay, our group included Jane Spring AM (Chair of Australia’s Disability Strategy Advisory Council), Jen Blyth, Brooke Parsons, Alexander Tofler, and myself. Each brought expertise spanning health, legal rights, international development, and youth advocacy. We engaged in roundtables on innovative financing, AI and inclusion, and Indigenous disability rights, highlighting Australia’s perspectives while learning from global peers.
Caption: Left to Right, Tim Harte, Brooke Parsons, Grant Lindsay, Jane Spring AM and Alexander Tofler. Note: Jen Blyth was an apology for the group photo as they were in another scheduled event.
For me, COSP18 reaffirmed that disability advocacy must be both local and global. Whether I was delivering an intervention on the need for a resourced and representative global youth disability network, or listening to Pacific delegates call for climate-responsive disability action, the message was clear “nothing about us without us” everywhere.
AFDO’s strategic engagement at COSP18 continues our commitment to elevating the voices of Australians with disability on the world stage. As an Independent Director, I am proud to be part of an organisation that sees international participation not as symbolic, but essential to advancing rights, equity, and meaningful inclusion, at home and abroad.