A major multilateral effort is underway across Latin America to guarantee the full autonomy and decision-making power of people with disabilities. Organized by the Organization of American States (OAS), the Development Bank of Latin America and the Caribbean (CAF), and El Salvador’s INABVE, a high-level regional workshop marked the official launch of a pioneering framework designed to advise El Salvador, Mexico, and Paraguay in modernizing their national policies and legal structures.
The landmark conference brought together international delegates, legal experts, and government leadership—including INABVE President Daniel Eduardo Platero MartĂnez, CAF Inclusion Director Juan Pablo Salazar, interim OAS Director Claudia Bengoa, and Legal Advisor to the First Lady’s Office Francesca Rivas. During the opening ceremony, representatives united under a shared commitment to align domestic frameworks with the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, emphasizing that recognizing legal capacity requires ensuring that every individual can exercise their full rights with necessary support mechanisms.
Moving beyond basic theoretical principles, the initiative drew directly upon successful legislative reform precedents established in Colombia, Argentina, Peru, Costa Rica, and Brazil. By evaluating both the breakthroughs and structural obstacles experienced by these early adopters, regional leaders aim to equip El Salvador, Mexico, and Paraguay with actionable insights to accelerate their own legislative updates and inclusive public policy overhauls.
Addressing the broader strategic goal of the alliance during the opening session, authorities reaffirmed their dedicated mandate to foster regional cooperation, emphasizing that “a unified, cross-border commitment is vital to guaranteeing true autonomy, social inclusion, and the unhindered exercise of rights for persons with disabilities.” Through continued collaboration, the partner organizations plan to establish a progressive legal model that can be scaled across the entire Western Hemisphere.