Photography Exhibition “Only Wings Matter: Breaking Stereotypes”

Mr. Minister,
Ms. Volokhova,
Mr. Martynov,
Ms. Gonchar,
Ladies and gentlemen:

It is my great pleasure to welcome you today to the opening of the photo exhibition “Only Wings Matter: Breaking Stereotypes”. I wish to express my sincere gratitude to the Russian Federation for bringing this compelling exhibition to the Palais des Nations and for giving weight to the concerns of people with disabilities through the presence of such a high-level delegation. Thank you also to the Charity Foundation “Give Love to the World” and the All-Russian Society of the Disabled People for making this photo project possible.

Similarly to last year’s uplifting dance performance by Russian children suffering from Down’s syndrome, brought to us by the Permanent Mission of Russia, this exhibition takes us into the world of people living with disabilities, demonstrating their strengths and capacities. Have you ever thought, people with disabilities could fearlessly jump with a parachute? By engaging in extreme sports, they overcome gravity, they grow wings.

As the next Paralympic Games will be starting on 9 March 2018 in PyeongChang, the images of the Games will be one more visual reminder of what people with disabilities are capable of. They will once again challenge the stigma and stereotypes they are facing worldwide and that prevent them from enjoying equal opportunities for education, employment, and personal fulfilment.

The Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities is also to be seen in this context. As one of the most widely ratified international human rights instruments, it has become a real game changer in spurring progress for equality, inclusion and empowerment for all people with disabilities around the world. Disability is being increasingly incorporated into the global human rights and development agendas, including at this session of the Human Rights Council. It is our joint responsibility to create opportunities that truly leave no one behind by engaging with people with disabilities and by inviting them to sit at the table. This will help us to remove the barriers that prevent them from real participation and inclusion in our societies.

If there is one thing we can learn from the exhibition we are opening today and from the people it features, it is that it is indeed possible to overcome stereotypes. If you have the courage and energy to go beyond your own limits, you can grow wings. But breaking stereotypes is also a collective challenge to society, to all of us. Let us work together for an inclusive and sustainable world that embraces humanity in all its diversity. Adjusting our environments and mindsets, will ultimately benefit all of us.

Thank you all for being here with us today and please enjoy the exhibition.