A Wake-up Call for Disability Inclusion: UN Deputy Chief's Message at the Global Disability Summit

His Majesty King Abdullah II bin Al Hussein, King of the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan,

H.E. Mr. Olaf Scholz, Federal Chancellor of the Federal Republic of Germany,

Mr. Nawaf Kabbara, Chair and President, International Disability Alliance,

Excellencies, Dear friends,

I am truly sorry that I could not join you in person today but it is a true honor to open this third Global Disability Summit.

More than that, I want to thank you for your leadership and commitment to shape a more just world.

Expanding hope and opportunities for people with disabilities is close to my heart – and that of the Secretary-General.

It is a matter of dignity… of humanity… of human rights.

It is a test of our common values.

And it is also plain common sense.

When persons with disabilities can fully participate in society, societies are stronger.

When we unlock potential and recognize talents, economies and communities thrive.

When we advance human rights, all of humanity moves forward.

Disability rights are human rights – and everyone one wins when we make them real.

And so I thank the International Disability Alliance and the Governments of Germany and Jordan for bringing us together.

You are meeting at a crucial time – with the 5-year clock ticking on the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.

I was involved in the shaping of that agenda – and saw firsthand how so many of you helped put the rights and hopes of persons with disabilities front and center.

In doing so, you gave deeper meaning to the promise of leaving no one behind – and laid the foundation for the progress we strive to advance today.

The Pact for the Future, adopted last year, reinforces that call for a more peaceful, inclusive, accessible and equitable world – with persons with disabilities a full and equal part of our shared effort to advance sustainable development, climate action and digital transformation.

Yet today, we face a sobering truth.

Progress is not just slow – in some cases, we are moving backward.

The UN Disability and Development Report found that about 98 per cent of the SDG indicators for persons with disabilities are off track.

This is far more than a statistic – it is a wake-up call.

Persons with disabilities are being left behind.

The world is failing them.

We are seeing growing and stark inequalities across the board – with higher poverty, greater unemployment, deeper food and health insecurity and more limited access to digital technologies.

Women, Indigenous Peoples, rural residents with disabilities, and persons with intellectual or psychosocial disabilities face even greater exclusion. 

Not to mention those in humanitarian and emergency situations.

In Gaza, Ukraine, Sudan and elsewhere, countless civilians have sustained permanent injuries and deep psychological trauma.

Children with disabilities are especially vulnerable.

Gaza alone has the highest number of child amputees in modern history.

Too often, persons with disabilities also face inaccessible evacuation routes, shelters, and services – an assault on their human rights and dignity.  

Many are deprived of the assistive devices critical to their survival.

When I think of people with disabilities in conflict, I think of people like Mai.

Mai was a young Palestinian, and a proud employee of the United Nations, living and working in Gaza.

Mai did not let her muscular dystrophy or her wheelchair confine her dreams. 

She was a top student, became a software developer and devoted her skills to working on information technology for the United Nations. 

When given the opportunity, she excelled – bringing skill and determination to all she did.

Unfortunately, she was killed along with her family in November 2023. 

Her story still weighs heavily on our hearts.

I share it not only to honour her memory, but because it reminds us both of what is possible when barriers are removed – and of the terrible truth that persons with disabilities are often among the first casualties in conflict.

Excellencies,

Ladies and gentlemen,

Despite the challenges, we have much to build upon. 

The Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities has led to significant legislative progress worldwide.

Yet, implementation is lagging.

The problem is not always a lack of will, but a lack of resources.

Nearly 90 per cent of developing countries have laws or policies protecting education for persons with disabilities – yet only about one-third of those countries have accessible schools.

Meanwhile, almost half of all persons with disabilities in these countries face inaccessible transportation.

Behind these figures are people. 

Children shut out of classrooms. 

Adults who cannot get to work. 

Families denied essential services.

This must change.

And we must all be part of it.

The United Nations is committed to leading by example.

 Our UN Disability Inclusion Strategy is striving to drive action across the system.

We are working to strengthen institutional capacities, mainstream disability inclusion across our work, and expand employment opportunities for persons with disabilities.

At the country level, we are working to ensure that our cooperation frameworks with governments are fully inclusive of the needs and rights of persons with disabilities.

And we are committed to supporting Member States turn global commitments into local progress – for and with persons with disabilities.

This Summit presents opportunities to strengthen cooperation with all partners – and reaffirm the leadership of organizations of persons with disabilities.

Development assistance for disability inclusion has been growing – but it is still far from enough.

And in today’s troubling context, it is under increasing threat.

So too, perversely, is the very concept of accessibility.

Developed countries, in particular, have a responsibility to step up support.

Now is the time to recommit to the 2030 Agenda by:

Securing decent work and dignified livelihoods;

Fostering inclusive education and career opportunities;

Building accessible and affordable housing;

Promoting equitable health systems;

And harnessing technologies that enable autonomous living for all.

That means investing in inclusive public institutions;

Empowering representative organizations as full partners in policy and implementation;

And integrating disability inclusion into national development plans – backed by clear targets and real funding.

Dear friends,

I know so many of you have spent years, even decades, breaking down barriers, and opening doors – for all of us.

Let this Summit help drive that action forward.       

As we look ahead to the Second World Summit for Social Development in Qatar and beyond, let’s together send a clear message:

Inclusion is not optional.

Rights are not negotiable.

Accessibility is essential.

Promises made must be promises kept.

Let’s keep fighting for the inclusive, just, sustainable future for all that our world needs.