Executive Director of the Dominica Association of Persons with Disabilities, Nathalie Murphy, was among 17 persons elected to serve on the Executive Committee of the Commonwealth Disabled Peoples’ Forum (CDPF). 27 representatives of the Commonwealth of Nations assembled at the United Nations headquarters in New York on Thursday June 13 for the re-launch of the forum which had been in-active for almost eight years.
The purpose of CDPF is:
To bring disabled people together, regardless of type of impairment, gender, age, race, indigenous, geographical background, religion, political affiliation from all countries of the Commonwealth, with a view to having one voice to advocate for promotion and equalization of opportunities for all disabled people.
To engage and influence the structures and organs of the Commonwealth, especially the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting and the wider global human rights and disability rights movement.
Mrs. Murphy was elected as the Caribbean representative on the forum and will also serve as Dominica’s Country Focal Point.
The functions of the Country’s Focal Point shall include, among other things:
- Recruitment of qualifying DPOs as members of the Forum.
- Providing information to DPOs about the Forum and promote the interests of the Forum in that country.
- Ensuring that member DPOs discharge their responsibilities to the Forum.
- Monitoring on behalf of the Forum the implementation of the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities and submit reports appropriately.
- Submitting annual reports to the Board on the state of
disabled persons in the country especially with regard to new innovative policies, legislation in the area of promoting inclusion and protection of rights, among others.
- Undertaking any other tasks as may be assigned by the Board or the Chairman from time to time.
In addition to reviewing and adopting the Constitution
and Work Programme of the CDPF the meeting issued a Declaration, which can be seen in the adjacent column.
Mrs. Murphy was accompanied by her husband and DAPD Treasurer Michael Murphy, as can be seen in the photo above.
