A/HRC/31/62 95. International decision-making processes beyond the United Nations system are also crucial. The involvement and participation of representative organizations of persons with disabilities in the drafting of regional treaties, the adoption of international trade agreements, and the review and update of the World Bank safeguard policies, among other things, are equally important. 6. International cooperation 96. International cooperation is pivotal to support national efforts for the realization of the purpose and objectives of the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, especially in developing countries. States must undertake appropriate and effective measures to foster international cooperation between and among States, including SouthSouth and triangular cooperation, in partnership, as appropriate, with relevant international and regional organizations and CSOs, particularly organizations of persons with disabilities. Involvement and consultation by persons with disabilities is essential in order to ensure that they are both agents and beneficiaries of official development aid. States should take into account their expertise in identifying priority areas for funding, as well as key areas for capacity-building and research. Contributions to the present report illustrate the added value of establishing disability-inclusive consultative forums or working groups attached to national cooperation agencies. 97. The adoption of the Sustainable Development Goals with concrete references to persons with disabilities constitutes an excellent opportunity for achieving the coordinated engagement of international donors in the advancement of the rights of persons with disabilities. The Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities and the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development are complementary and should be mutually reinforced to guarantee the full inclusion and participation of persons with disabilities. 98. International cooperation agencies should directly engage with and support representative organizations of persons with disabilities, and should consider increasing funding to achieve that engagement and support. In recent years, many donors have reduced the number of regions and countries in which they operate, thereby affecting organizations of persons with disabilities in middle-income countries. Additionally, funding is often tied to the condition that organizations must provide a percentage of co-funding from another source, but many representative organizations of persons with disabilities are unable to comply with this requirement and are thus excluded from such aid. Donors should take this factor into account and show flexibility in their conditions. V. Conclusions and recommendations 99. The right of persons with disabilities to participate in political and public life on an equal basis with others encompasses the right to participate in decision-making. The latter is an essential condition for a human rights-based approach to development and the realization of the Sustainable Development Goals. The Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities provides a robust framework for guaranteeing the participation of representative organizations of persons with disabilities, and their active involvement and participation in public decision-making. States must embrace these obligations as an opportunity to enhance good and effective governance and to foster agency and empowerment among persons with disabilities. 100. The Special Rapporteur offers the following recommendations to assist States in realizing the right of persons with disabilities to participate in decision-making: 22