Ambassador Gallegos is Chairman of the Global UN Partnership for Inclusive Information and Communication Technologies and Chairman of the Universal Design Commission. The Congress of Ecuador has honored him twice and he has received a number of awards for his work in the promotion and protection of the human rights of persons with disabilities, amongst them, the prestigious "Justice for All Disabilities Right Award."
His career as a diplomat began in 1966 when he joined the Ecuadorian Foreign Service. He is at present the Permanent Representative of Ecuador to the United Nations in Geneva. He also holds the post of Vice President and Rapporteur of the Human Rights Council and is the Focal Point on Disability of the HRC. He was a member of the UN Committee Against Torture from 2006 to 2011. He is internationally recognized for his work as Chair of the Working Group that drafted the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD) from 2002 to 2005.
United Nations Athlete Lead Panel
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Ambassador Luis Gallegos
Ambassador Gallegos is Chairman of the Global UN Partnership for Inclusive Information and Communication Technologies and Chairman of the Universal Design Commission. The Congress of Ecuador has honored him twice and he has received a number of awards for his work in the promotion and protection of the human rights of persons with disabilities, amongst them, the prestigious "Justice for All Disabilities Right Award." -
Dustin Plunkett
Dustin Plunkett is an athlete and athlete leader who served as spokesman and Global Messenger for the 2015 Special Olympics World Summer Games in Los Angeles as well as on-air broadcaster for ESPN during the 2015 Games and the 2017 Special Olympics World Winter Games in Austria. -
Nyasha Derera
Chair, Global Athlete Congress; Special Olympics Athlete, Zimbabwe; United Nations Panel -
Emanuelle Dutra Fernandes de Souza
Special Olympics Brazil athlete, former Sargent Shriver Global Messenger -
Tajha Ilerant
Tajha Ilerant is a recent graduate of Immokalee High School and is exceptionally active within her school and community.
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Chaica Al Qassimi
Chaica is a 22-year-old Emirati graduate of Sharjah English School who also studied art at the International School of Arts and Sciences in Dubai. She is fully focused on her martial arts, having attained a black belt from Shotokan Japanese Sports Center. She trains and competes in nine different martial arts with her main interests being Brazilian Jiu Jitsu and Judo. -
Jared Niemeyer
Jared Niemeyer is an active Special Olympic athlete and has been for 18 years, in a variety of sports. Very engaged in school, community and church, he pursues responsible citizenship in every endeavor.
