Türk calls for firm commitments on disability inclusion

Mr. President,
Excellencies,
Distinguished delegates,

The richness of our societies is built on the magnificence of human diversity.

On the promise that no matter who we are or what we do, we are all equal.

One of my first meetings when I began as UN High Commissioner for Human Rights was with the Disability Advisor on Human Rights. I was impressed by the great work the Office has done to advance disability rights under the UN Disability Inclusion Strategy. But I was also concerned about the gaps that remained both within the UN system, and outside.

This Council has discussed at length the situation of people with disabilities, yet 1.3 billion people in this world - that’s one in six people - continue to be among the most excluded in our societies.

They continue to fight a centuries-long battle against deeply entrenched bias, damaging stereotypes and unfounded, irrational fears.

The support and care systems they need are severely lacking. And where they do exist, many, particularly women and girls, face shocking abuse, including practices such as forced sterilization, treatment against their will, or even institutionalization.

The archaic catalogue of human rights denials they endure is long.

However, dear colleagues, this is 2024.

We are just two years away from the 20^th anniversary of the adoption of the UN Convention of the Rights of Persons with Disabilities. So we need to be asking difficult questions: has the United Nations itself made the progress it promised? What groundwork are we laying to accelerate the Sustainable Development Goals? And what are the concrete plans to keep advancing disability rights beyond 2030?

The answers are clear. We need to be doing better. We need urgent action. In countries. Across regions. Around the globe.

Nearly five years ago, the United Nations adopted a vision for transformational progress on disability inclusion and to mainstream disability rights within the UN system and far beyond.

The UN Disability Inclusion Strategy provided a solid policy and accountability framework, with benchmarks to assess progress and expedite change.

Today’s discussion is an excellent chance to assess the progress the Strategy has achieved so far, and to reaffirm our commitment to its objectives and vision.

Because disability rights do not exist in a vacuum. They are the responsibility of us all.

For its part, the human rights system has been a driving force behind all major achievements in disability rights at the global level.

My Office is building countries’ capacity to prioritize disability rights, advocating for positive change in legislation, policies and programmes.

We are supporting the human rights ecosystem to mainstream the rights of people with disabilities in everything it does.

We remain, however, acutely aware of the need for much greater investment at the field level, including policy design and implementation guided by the principles of the Convention. 

I would like to call on States to boost significantly their investment - both financially and politically – in the UN Disability Inclusion Strategy.  A substantial increase in resources will mean more effective implementation of the Strategy, better coordination and stronger support of the UN Country Teams who are doing their best on the ground to turn the Strategy’s vision into a reality. 

We, as the United Nations, must do more and commit to our staff with disabilities to be an employer of choice. We have not yet reached that goal. And we need increased efforts to treat all people with disabilities properly – with dignity, and respect – be they staff or not.

We know that progress is simply not possible without the full, equal and meaningful participation of people with disabilities in all decisions that affect their lives.

We need the expertise and lived experiences of people with disabilities continually to inform policies and practices. We need genuine partnership, now and tomorrow. We need ongoing dialogue.

“Nothing about us without us,” has long been the central call of the many powerful disability movements around the globe.

We must do more to ensure this is not an empty motto, but a guiding principle that we can all adopt for concrete action.

We all agree that we need transformative, tangible and immediate change for people with disabilities.

We are just months away from the Summit of the Future. A once-in-a-generation opportunity to advance on specific solutions to the myriad of challenges people with disabilities face. Member States will play a critical role when they agree on a Pact for the Future and a UN Declaration on Future Generations, both of which I hope will include firm commitments on disability inclusion and on establishing human rights-based care and support systems for people with disabilities.

We need decisive – and cooperative – leadership to ensure a global commitment to shatter the societal and systemic barriers that hold back people with disabilities achieving and enjoying their full potential.

I look forward to our discussion.

Thank you.