Uniting to save and achieve the SDGs for, with and by people with disabilities
Given the various crises we currently face, the world is not on track to achieve a number of Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) targets by 2030. Preliminary findings from the upcoming United Nations Disability and Development Report 2023 indicate that the world is further off track in achieving several SDGs for people with disabilities.
Given that people with disabilities have historically been marginalized and are among the most marginalized, our efforts to salvage the achievement of the SDGs for, with and by people with disabilities need to be intensified and accelerated.
A fundamental shift in commitment, solidarity, financing and action is crucial. Encouragingly, with the adoption of the recent SDG Summit Political Declaration, world leaders recommitted to achieving sustainable development and shared prosperity for all by focusing policies and actions that target the poorest and most vulnerable, including people with disabilities.
United Nations Disability Inclusion Strategy
When launching the UN Disability Inclusion Strategy in June 2019, the Secretary-General said the UN must lead by example and raise the organization’s standards and performance on disability inclusion in all pillars of its work, from Headquarters to the field.
The United Nations Disability Inclusion Strategy provides the foundation for sustainable and transformative progress on disability inclusion across all pillars of the United Nations work. Through this strategy, the United Nations system reaffirms that the full and complete realization of the human rights of all persons with disabilities is an inalienable, integral and indivisible part of all human rights and fundamental freedoms.
In August 2023, the Secretary-General presented his fourth report on measures taken by the UN system to implement the UN Disability Inclusion Strategy in 2022.
Commemorative event: UNHQ, December 1, 2023, 10:00am-1:00pm (New York time)
The discussion will be structured around the five pillars of sustainable development – people, planet, prosperity, peace and partnerships – with a particular focus on priority areas identified in the 2023 SDG Progress Report, the outcome documents of recent SDG Summits, the policy briefs prepared for the Future Summit and the upcoming UN Disability and Development Report 2023. For the purposes of this discussion, the priority areas can be identified as gender equality (people), climate action (planet), financing for development (prosperity), a new agenda for peace (peace) and strengthening multilateralism (partnerships).
Concept Note [PDF]
Did you know that?
Of the 1 billion people with disabilities, 80% live in developing countries. It is estimated that 46% of people over 60 years of age are disabled. One in five women will experience a disability in their lifetime, and one in ten children will have a disability.
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New York Times bestselling author, producer, activist and actor Nyle Di Marco talks about disability and human rights.