
World Down Syndrome Day at United Nations Geneva
We welcome you to join us in Geneva to mark World Down Syndrome Day at the United Nations.
Thursday 20 March
A day of General Discussion.
Time: 10.00 am to 1.00 pm and 3.00 pm to 5.00 pm.
Venue: Conference Room XVI, Palais des Nations, Geneva
A day of General Discussion on the rights of persons with disabilities to participate in political and public life.
The event is organised by the UN Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR), on behalf of the UN Committee on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities.
This event will feature panel discussions on different topics linked to participation in political and public life.
The link to register for this event will be live on 15 February 2025. There is no charge to attend.



Friday 21 March - daytime
A day of activities at the Palais des Nations as we call on Governments to Improve Our Support Systems.
Time: 10.00 am to 11.00 am
Activity: Tour of the Palais des Nations for individuals with Down syndrome and their families.
Venue: Palais des Nations
Time: 1.00 pm to 2.00 pm.
Activity: Celebration, including speeches and live performance.
Venue: Bar Serpent in Palais des Nations
A special celebration organized by the United Nations Office at Geneva (UNOG), in collaboration with Down Syndrome International (DSi), European Down Syndrome Association (EDSA) and Association Romande Trisomie 21 (ART 21).
Highlights:
- Speeches from key representatives of the UN and the global Down syndrome community.
- Live performance.
- Recognition of efforts to enhance support systems for individuals with Down Syndrome.
This event is generously sponsored by several UN Permanent Missions (TBC).
Time: 2.00 pm to 3.00 pm
Activity: Discussion.
Venue: Room XVII, Palais des Nations.
This discussion will take place during the afternoon session of the Committee on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities and will focus on ways to improve support systems for individuals with Down syndrome and their families.
This session is linked to the World Down Syndrome Day 2025 theme, Improve Our Support Systems.
Register to attend:
Please click below to register for the activities on Friday 21 March.
You will need to create an Indico account to register.
There is no charge to attend.



Friday 21 March - evening
Swiss fondue evening in Geneva, organised by ART21.
Swiss organisation for people with Down syndrome, ART 21 Association Romande Trisomie 21 hosts this evening activity.
More information about this activity will be shared soon.


Saturday 22 March
An evening of traditional & folk music by ART 21 – Vaud.
Time: from 5.00 pm.
Venue: Grande Salle de Perceval, Route de Lussy 45 or Chemin de Warnery 36, 1162 St-Prex, (school car park).
The Vaud branch of Swiss organisation for people with Down syndrome, ART 21 Association Romande Trisomie 21 – Vaud hosts this evening of traditional and folk music.
Attendees are asked to bring a contribution to a Canadian buffet.
After the buffet, there will be a dance workshop followed by a concert and dance.



The 'Lots Of Socks' campaign.
Attendees of these activities are invited to wear their boldest socks and join the ‘Lots Of Socks’ campaign.
Got a question?
If you have any questions about these activities, please contact our events team by email to events@ds-int.org
Please note that we are not able to support attendees with costs of attending these activities.
Hear what advocates thought of this event last year.
Meet Pearl, Jacob and Alex, who came along to the United Nations in Geneva for the World Down Syndrome Day celebrations in 2024.
14th World Down Syndrome Day Conference, New York
Please note, these activities are not to be confused with the World Down Syndrome Day Conference which will take place at the United Nations headquarters in New York.
To learn more about the Conference, please visit the dedicated website:
Learn more about World Down Syndrome Day:

World Down Syndrome Day.
On 21 March each year, we speak up about the things that matter to people with Down syndrome around the world.