Summary

In the present report, submitted to the Human Rights Council pursuant to Council resolution 53/14, the Special Rapporteur on the rights of persons with disabilities, Heba Hagrass, provides an overview of the activities undertaken in 2025 and presents a thematic study on the equal participation of persons with disabilities in political life, particularly the right to stand for election and hold public office effectively.

The Special Rapporteur stresses that, despite a strong legal basis under the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, persons with disabilities remain significantly underrepresented in political decision-making worldwide. She identifies persistent barriers, including discriminatory legal restrictions linked to legal capacity, stigma and ableism, inaccessible political environments, lack of reasonable accommodation, financial constraints and limited access to political education and leadership pathways. She provides recommendations and calls for comprehensive reforms, including the repeal of discriminatory laws, affirmative measures to improve representation, binding accessibility standards, public funding to cover disability-related costs, strengthened data collection and sustained investment in empowerment and leadership development to ensure the meaningful and equal political participation of persons with disabilities.