© UNICEF/Bashar Al-Kheder. The Syrian teenager boy said he dreamed of finishing his studies and becoming a doctor.
In a message on the eve of the International Day of Persons with Disabilities on 3 December, UN Secretary-General António Guterres noted that at the midpoint of achieving the 2030 Agenda, persons with disabilities continue to face systemic discrimination and barriers that limit their meaningful inclusion in all areas of society.
He said that to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals, the commitment to leave no one behind, especially the world's 1.3 billion people with disabilities, must be fulfilled.
"For people with disabilities to achieve true sustainable development, they must focus on their needs and rights, not only as beneficiaries, but also as active contributors to social, economic and political life," Guterres said. ”
He called on the world to work side-by-side with persons with disabilities to design and deliver affirmative rights-based solutions in every country and community.
Armed conflict endangers the human rights of persons with disabilities
Four independent UN human rights experts also noted today that armed conflict endangers the human rights of all civilians, including persons with disabilities, and that many people with disabilities have lost their lives.
The joint statement noted that this year, persons with disabilities have borne the brunt of armed conflict and have suffered the most. Persons with disabilities are disproportionately and persistently affected by armed conflict, which disrupts critical infrastructure, support services and networks.
Armed conflict remains one of the greatest obstacles
This year, the experts said they had proposed the theme "Acting in solidarity for people with disabilities, with, by people with disabilities and achieving the Sustainable Development Goals".
Seventy-five years after the adoption of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, armed conflict remains one of the biggest obstacles to achieving the Sustainable Development Goals, the statement said. Therefore, the importance of Goal 16 (Create peaceful and inclusive societies for sustainable development) is clear for the promotion of peaceful and inclusive societies, and we must integrate the rights and needs of persons with disabilities into post-conflict reconstruction efforts.
Persons with disabilities must have equal opportunities
The experts stressed that persons with disabilities, such as persons with albinism and leprosy, must have equal opportunities to benefit from the Sustainable Development Goals. However, sustainable development plans have so far not succeeded in fully including people with disabilities, leaving them to remain "left behind".
They noted that ensuring that the implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development effectively addresses the concerns of persons with disabilities requires the joint efforts and effective participation of persons with disabilities.
Inclusion in the implementation of the sustainable development agenda
Persons with disabilities and their rights must also be included in discussions to review progress in the implementation of the sustainable development agenda, the experts said. In 2023, the United Nations will hold a summit on the Sustainable Development Goals, with countries around the world adopting a political declaration, and in 2024, the United Nations will convene the Summit of the Future, which and its outcome document, the Future Compact, and related annexes will rethink how to effectively mainstream the rights of persons with disabilities. This process provides an important opportunity for countries to commit to concrete actions to make societies more accessible and inclusive.
The experts noted that the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities clearly enshrines the legal obligations applicable to the implementation of the sustainable development agenda by States and provides guidance for mainstreaming disability as a strategic component while achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) to ensure that persons with disabilities are not left behind.
"We call on countries to integrate disability into all goals and targets as they plan for the post-2030 development agenda and accelerate the implementation of current goals," they said. ”
Human rights expert
The joint statement was issued by the Special Rapporteur on the rights of persons with disabilities, Heba Hagrass, the Independent Expert on the human rights of persons with albinism, Muluka-Anne Miti-Drummond, and the Special Rapporteur on the elimination of discrimination against persons affected by leprosy and their family members, Beatriz Miranda Galarza) and Gertrude Oforiwa Fefoame, Chairperson of the Committee on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities.
The human rights experts are part of the Special Procedures of the Human Rights Council. Special Procedures, the largest body of independent experts in the UN human rights system, is the general name of the Human Rights Council's independent fact-finding and monitoring mechanism, which addresses specific country situations or thematic issues around the world. The experts of the special procedures work on a voluntary basis, they are not United Nations staff members and are independent of any government or organization. They perform their duties in their personal capacity and do not receive remuneration for their work.
