Global Disability Summit - Civil Society Statement
24 July 2018, London, United Kingdom
On 23 July 2018 (London) over 600 representatives from Organisations of Persons with Disabilities also referred to as DPOs, Civil Society, Governments, Multilateral Organisations, and the Private Sector met to support the implementation and monitoring of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD) and Agenda 2030.
Collaboratively, we wish to convey the following Statement:
We commit to working with all stakeholders here at the Summit to ensure that all persons with disabilities can have full and equal enjoyment of their rights and fundamental freedoms, as set out in the CRPD.
Agenda 2030 is an important opportunity to promote the rights of persons with disabilities globally, and the CRPD should be its guiding framework.
We acknowledge the steps taken to realise the rights of persons with disabilities and their families, by Governments and organisations here today. However, there remains much more to be done.
Today, we call on those present to make measurable, ambitious and lasting commitments. Commitments which will be made a reality and not just stay on paper.
It is time to implement the CRPD in every corner of the world: in every city, in every train station, in every village, in every mountain and valley, in every refugee camp and in every school.
We all, you all, the World Leaders in this room, have a unique opportunity. But also a responsibility.
We call on you all here today to:
- Increase the meaningful consultation and involvement of persons with disabilities, and their organisations, in all decision-making processes and follow up of the Summit.
- Increase investment in, and partnership with, with a diversity of DPOs and support the Disability Rights Movement to grow from the grassroots.
- Commit to building the capacity of all stakeholders – government, multilaterals, and broader civil society - to implement the CRPD.
- Create stronger partnerships at all levels with an emphasis on the four thematic and two cross-cutting areas of the Summit.
- Put in place CRPD compliant policies and legislation, from the national level to overseas development, that are appropriately budgeted for and resourced, and ensures the systematic inclusion of reasonable accommodation as a budgeting principle.
- In partnership with persons with disabilities, support the collection and use of appropriate, reliable and comparable data inclusive of persons with disabilities.
Finally, we wish to convey that we fully support the Charter for Change and its effective follow-up.
We thank you for the opportunity to be active participants here today and wish everyone a meaningful and productive Summit.
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