2024 Theme: Amplifying the leadership of persons with disabilities for an inclusive and sustainable future
The leadership of persons with disabilities is epitomised by the global disability rights movement¡¯s slogan ¡°Nothing 51³Ô¹Ï Without Us¡±. It connotes the basic requirements of participation, representation and inclusion and calls for persons with disabilities to actively shape the conditions of their lives.
One of the priorities of the global disability agenda is to advance the agency and leadership of persons with disabilities. In the past decades, persons with disabilities and organisations of persons with disabilities (OPDs) have already championed for the changes in their communities, and have been leading many of the community-led initiatives not only to advance their own rights, and wellbeing but also promoting inclusive development for instance enabling universal access to basic services by all; they have done so by taking both targeted and mainstreaming approaches to disability inclusion through, among others, consultation, data collection and analysis, and support with advocacy and accountability efforts.
The observance of the International Day of Persons with Disabilities 2024 (IDPD 2024) takes place against the backdrop of pivotal global developments, from the Summit of the Future to the upcoming . These key global Summits will complement one another in providing a continuous roadmap toward disability-inclusive and sustainable peace and development. By emphasising this complementarity, the theme chosen for the observance in 2024 aims to underscore the importance of leveraging the leadership of persons with disabilities to ensure disability-inclusive and sustainable peace and development for all.
The 51³Ô¹Ï Disability Inclusion Strategy
When launching the 51³Ô¹Ï Disability Inclusion Strategy in June 2019, the Secretary-General stated that the 51³Ô¹Ï should lead by example and raise the Organization¡¯s standards and performance on disability inclusion¡ªacross all pillars of work, from headquarters to the field.
The 51³Ô¹Ï Disability Inclusion Strategy provides the foundation for sustainable and transformative progress on disability inclusion through all pillars of the work of the 51³Ô¹Ï. Through the Strategy, the 51³Ô¹Ï 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 2024, the Secretary-General submitted his fifth report on disability inclusion in the UN system. It reflects on the progress made to advance disability inclusion, highlights new or continuing challenges and opportunities presented through the Strategy¡¯s implementation, and emphasizes key areas of focus needed to continue mobilizing the system towards an inclusive, accessible and sustainable world for all.
Commemorative Event: 3 December 2024
The commemorative event to be held at the UN Headquarters in New York to mark this year¡¯s IDPD will consist of an in-person opening segment and a virtual panel.
10am-11am (in-person): Opening Segment
The opening segment will provide a policy overview of the global disability agenda over the past year, as well as look forward to key global policy milestones ahead. The overview will encompass developments and achievements following the Conference of States Parties to the CRPD (17th session), the 79th session of the General Assembly and the Summit of the Future, as well as discuss the upcoming Second World Summit for Social Development (2025) and ongoing efforts to realize the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development for, with and by persons with disabilities.
11:30am-1:15pm (online): Panel Discussion
The panel discussion, following the opening segment, will be organised in a virtual format, engaging experts, advocates and leaders in the global disability rights movement and highlighting emerging trends and opportunities for amplifying the voices, agency and action of persons with disabilities in key areas related to disability-inclusive and sustainable peace and development.
The following discussion points will structure the panel discussion:
- The upcoming Second World Summit for Social Development;
- Five-year anniversary of ;
- The current climate crisis affecting people and planet as a whole.
Did you know?
- An estimated 1.3 billion people experience significant disability. This represents 16% of the world¡¯s population, or 1 in 6 of us.
- Some persons with disabilities die up to 20 years earlier than those without disabilities.
- Persons with disabilities have twice the risk of developing conditions such as depression, asthma, diabetes, stroke, obesity or poor oral health.
- Health inequities arise from unfair conditions faced by persons with disabilities, including stigma, discrimination, poverty, exclusion from education and employment, and barriers faced in the health system itself.
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Nyle Di Marco, New York Times bestselling author, producer, advocate, and actor talks about disabilities and Human Rights.
