Disability rights organizations demand more inclusivity amid UN Summit

Idi Amara in Ethiopia

Saleck Ould Dah, the Global Advocacy Officer for Francophone West Africa at Sightsavers, has expressed that progress towards achieving the SDGs by 2030 has fallen behind and gone astray.

The commitment to ensure equal treatment for all individuals, including those with disabilities, is at risk of not being fulfilled. Now is the opportune moment to contemplate the execution of the SDGs and strategize the necessary measures internationally and domestically to attain them.

“Our Equal World campaign is urging ECOWAS to reaffirm its dedication to enhancing the participation of individuals with disabilities at the SDGs conference, and to actively advocate for inclusivity on a global scale, with a particular focus on West Africa. ”

During the UN SDG Summit in New York on 18-19th September, leaders from around the world, including ECOWAS Heads of State and Government, will gather to assess the advancements made towards the SDGs and pledge to undertake impactful and expeditious measures. In an intelligent manner, the result of the summit will be an agreed-upon political statement that member states have the option to contribute to.

Yatma Fall, the President of FOAPH, expressed that ECOWAS has shown outstanding leadership in their dedication to promoting diversity and inclusivity on a global scale. The Equal World campaign urges them to persist in their commitment to reaching out to those who are being left the farthest behind.

We have an additional request for the involvement of individuals with disabilities in the activities preceding the SDG Summit in September. We can only create a just, diverse, and egalitarian world for everyone if we are given an equal opportunity to participate in the decisions that impact our lives.

The statement is a component of Sightsavers’ campaign called “Equal World”. The text is urging world leaders to acknowledge that the commitment to not abandon anyone is at risk, and to prioritize reaching those who are most marginalized in global development in the political declaration and all national commitments made at the SDG Summit.

The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) is convening its Summit of Heads of State and Government in Guinea Bissau, as member countries unite. Before the meeting, a group of disability rights organizations has issued a collective statement urging member governments to actively promote inclusivity during the event and the forthcoming United Nations summit on the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in September.

The West African Federation of Associations for the Advancement of Persons with Disabilities (FOAPH), Sightsavers, and Light for the World are three civil society organizations involved in promoting the well-being and development of individuals with disabilities in West Africa. The SDGs are a collection of 17 global goals that were established in 2015 by the United Nations and governments from around the world. These goals have an ambitious objective of addressing poverty and decreasing inequality by the year 2030. The recent reports from the United Nations indicate that they are significantly lagging behind their set targets.