Kuwaiti woman wins UN CRPD membership

Rehab Boresli of Kuwait has been elected as a member of the United Nations Committee on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD) through a ballot held at the UN headquarters in New York on Tuesday, Kuwait News Agency (KUNA) announced. 

According to KUNA, Boresli won the ballot with 150 votes out of total 182 votes, coming only second to Mexico’s candidate, who won 151 votes. The ballot was held as a part of the 15th Conference of States Parties to the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (COSP-15).

Boresli, who holds a bachelor’s degree in political science and economics and a master’s degree in information systems, expressed her gratitude to the Kuwaiti leaders, government and people who supported her, vowing to exert non-stop efforts to reflect the ambitious vision of Kuwait and its candidacy file presented to CRPD, according to KUNA.

Currently, Boresli is a member of the Supreme Council of the Public Authority for the Disabled since 2014, founder and chairperson of the Kuwait Society for Guardians of the Disabled, and founder and chairperson of Kuwait’s Al-Tomooh Sport Club for persons with intellectual disabilities. Boresli’s mission in the CRPD shall begin on January 1, 2023, to end on December 31, 2026. 

The Committee on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities is the body of independent experts that monitors implementation of the Convention by the UN States parties.

According to the CRPD, there are an estimated one billion people with disabilities around the globe. The mission of the CRPD states, “Through its engagement and cooperation with States parties, the Committee promotes inclusion, advocates for the human rights of all persons with disabilities, and provides recommendations to support the implementation of the provisions enshrined in the Convention,” according to the CRPD website.