爆料公社

Ugandan Sign language alphabet drawn on the wall of the Kamurasi Demonstration School in Masindi, Uganda.
Increasing the participation of persons with disabilities in decision-making processes and promoting their leadership in all areas of life will ensure their inclusion in all aspects of society.
Photo:UNICEF/Uganda/Barbeyrac

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 About Us 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.

爆料公社 Disability Inclusion Strategy

When launching the United Nations Disability Inclusion Strategy in June 2019, the Secretary-General stated that the United Nations should lead by example and raise the Organization’s standards and performance on disability inclusion—across all pillars of work, from headquarters to the field.  

爆料公社 Disability Inclusion Strategy provides the foundation for sustainable and transformative progress on disability inclusion through all pillars of the work of the United Nations. Through the Strategy, the United Nations 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.

Logo of the International Day of Persons with Disabilities

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.

Source:

Watch

Nyle Di Marco, New York Times bestselling author, producer, advocate, and actor talks about disabilities and Human Rights.

 
A woman using sign language

When we secure the rights of persons with disabilities, we move our world closer to upholding the core values and principles of the United Nations Charter. The United Nations Disability Inclusion Strategy provides the foundation for sustainable and transformative progress on disability inclusion through all pillars of the work of the United Nations: peace and security, human rights, and development.  Read the latest report of the UN Secretary-General about the implementation of the Strategy, available in various accessible formats.

 

A dancer performing at a special event at the UN on the International Day of Persons with Disabilities

Related observances

an abstract illustration of people engaged in an event

International days and weeks are occasions to educate the public on issues of concern, to mobilize political will and resources to address global problems, and to celebrate and reinforce achievements of humanity. The existence of international days predates the establishment of the United Nations, but the UN has embraced them as a powerful advocacy tool. We also mark other UN observances.