MINISTRY OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS AND FOREIGN TRADE
2 Port Royal Street, Kingston
MEDIA RELEASE
June 14, 2024
Foreign Ministry congratulates Professor Floyd Morris on re-election to the United Nations Committee on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade is congratulating Professor Floyd Morris on his re-election to the United Nations Committee on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD) for the 2025-2028 term.
In welcoming the results, Minister of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade, Senator the Honourable Kamina Johnson Smith declared, “this significant achievement not only affirms Jamaica’s standing internationally, but underscores Jamaica’s longstanding commitment to advancing the rights of persons with disabilities on a global scale”.
The Committee on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities is instrumental in monitoring the implementation of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities. Comprising 18 experts, the members serve in their personal capacity, providing tailored recommendations to assist States Parties in implementing their obligations under the Convention.
Professor Morris’ re-election is testament to the confidence of the international community in his contribution to the work of the Committee, on which he has served since his election in 2021. He is widely renowned for his dedication to the rights and empowerment of persons with disabilities.
A Professor and Director at The University of the West Indies (UWI) Centre for Disability Studies, Professor Morris’ remarkable career in the field of disability is highlighted by his recent historic achievement as the first visually impaired individual to be appointed as a full professor at the university. This milestone is the first such appointment in the 75-year history of UWI, and is believed to be the first in the Caribbean.
The highly competitive election to the CRPD took place during the 17th Session of States Parties to the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, at the United Nations in New York on 11th June 2024. 191 States Parties are eligible to vote, with a required majority of 94 votes to secure membership on the Committee. 135 votes were registered for Professor Morris, who was endorsed by the Caribbean Community (CARICOM).
The Ministry is pleased to congratulate Professor Morris on his well-deserved re-election.
