Kurt M. Campbell Deputy Secretary of State | Official Website
Sara Minkara, the Special Advisor on International Disability Rights, is set to embark on a diplomatic mission from October 14 to 23. Her itinerary includes visits to Italy, Vatican City, and Finland. The purpose of her trip is to advocate for the integration of disability rights into key U.S. bilateral and multilateral partnerships.
Minkara's first stop will be in Perugia, Italy, from October 14 to 17. There, she will attend the inaugural G7 Ministerial on Inclusion and Disability. This event will bring together global leaders to discuss various issues concerning disability rights. Topics on the agenda include independent living, artificial intelligence (AI), humanitarian response and emergency management, and sports.
Following her visit to Italy, Minkara will travel to Vatican City from October 18 to 19. During this time, she has scheduled engagements with the Holy See Secretariat and Pope Francis’s AI advisor. Discussions will focus on incorporating accessibility in physical places of worship and within AI products.
The final leg of Minkara's journey takes her to Helsinki, Finland, from October 20 to 23. In Helsinki, she plans to meet with government officials, private sector representatives, and NGO leaders. The discussions aim at expanding the inclusion of persons with disabilities in various sectors such as technology and peace and security forums.
For additional details about Minkara's trip or related inquiries, individuals are encouraged to follow updates from the Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor on social media platforms X and Facebook at @StateDRL or contact them via email at DRLPressRequests@state.gov.
