The third Global Disability Summit (GDS), set to take place in Berlin, Germany from April 2-3, 2025, marks a significant moment for advancing the rights and inclusion of persons with disabilities worldwide. Created in 2017, the GDS is a unique global mechanism to convene global, regional and national stakeholders that share the same goal and vision for disability-inclusive development and humanitarian action. Building on commitments of previous summits, GDS 2025 is being hosted by International Disability Alliance (IDA), the Government of Germany and the Government of Jordan. This Summit aims to promote global cooperation, drive policy reforms and ensure meaningful participation of persons with disabilities in all aspects of society.
The African Disability Conference, held in Nairobi on September 2, 2024, marked a historic milestone as Africa’s first OPD-led event. This was followed by the African Regional Pre-Summit on September 5, 2024, organized by the African Disability Forum (ADF) and IDA, and co-hosted by the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ), that rejoined Africa’s commitment to disability rights through the African Disability Protocol (ADP), addressing Africa-specific challenges such as harmful practices, accessibility and socio-economic inclusion. The ADP, adopted by the African Union, serves as a regional framework complementing the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (UNCRPD). The discussions in Nairobi last year emphasized the need for governments, civil society and private sectors to implement tangible actions that align with the ADP’s principles.
Ensuring that rights of persons with disabilities are at the forefront of international development, the outcomes of the Nairobi Declaration will play an important role in shaping global commitments at the GDS 2025 stage. The Summit is expected to focus on key thematic areas such as climate resilience, inclusive education, employment, digital inclusion/accessibility for persons with disabilities.
As the world anticipates the next GDS in Berlin, the Nairobi Conference has paved a way to strengthen global efforts for inclusive communities. Emphasizing on cross-regional collaboration and setting actionable goals, these summits aim to address unique challenges and opportunities within each region while reinforcing the importance of geographical diversity and meaningful participation of Organizations of Persons with Disabilities (OPDs).
“In September 2024, the African OPDs convened and set the disability agenda for the region through the Nairobi Declaration. This agenda can only be realized if concrete commitments by government and other stakeholders to guarantee disability inclusive development are made. The GDS is the perfect platform and opportunity to commit for change in Africa,” said Shuaib Chalklen, Executive Director of African Disability Forum.
The We are Able! Programme, launched in 2021, advocate for and support inclusive food security in six African countries – Burundi, DRC, Ethiopia, Sudan, South Sudan and Uganda. This grassroots-oriented programme has identified pressing issues in Middle East and Central Africa, focusing on the urgent need for disability-inclusive policies and meaningful implementation of existing policy frameworks.
In the run-up to the GDS 2025, our colleague Jasper Oei, Teamleader Programmes at the SeeYou Foundation, said: “We will link up with OPDs from the We are Able! (WaA!) countries, participating in the GDS to strengthen the lobby and advocacy. The WaA! Programme can use the commitments from governments and stakeholders to hold them accountable for inclusive food security.”
As the five-year WaA! programme nears completion this year, there have been many reflections in the last four years on key challenges such as limited access to land and basic resources due to stigmatization, cultural and religious biases leading to exclusion of persons with disabilities and not prioritizing their needs as well as exacerbating their food insecurity.
It is time that the government and civil society frameworks recognize the challenges often faced by persons with disabilities and provide legal support to secure land ownership, having stronger inclusive land tenure policies as well as providing them a seat at decision-making tables.
Read: GDS 2025 Policy Statement: Ensuring Food Security for Persons with Disabilities
Read: Achieving Inclusive Food Security Through Improved Local Governance
Photo Credit: Robert Igalo