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    Global Disability Summit 2025

    Arbeiter-Samariter-Bund had the honor of attending the Global Disability Summit 2025 held in Berlin. The summit brought together policymakers, organizations of persons with disabilities (OPDs), international donors, and experts from over 100 countries.

    At the heart of the summit were Articles 11 and 32 of the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD), which address inclusion in emergencies and international cooperation. The message was clear:

    𝒑𝒆𝒓𝒔𝒐𝒏𝒔 π’˜π’Šπ’•π’‰ π’…π’Šπ’”π’‚π’ƒπ’Šπ’π’Šπ’•π’Šπ’†π’” π’Žπ’–π’”π’• 𝒃𝒆 π’Šπ’π’„π’π’–π’…π’†π’… 𝒂𝒔 𝒆𝒒𝒖𝒂𝒍 π’‘π’‚π’“π’•π’Šπ’„π’Šπ’‘π’‚π’π’•π’” π’Šπ’ 𝒂𝒍𝒍 π’…π’†π’—π’†π’π’π’‘π’Žπ’†π’π’• 𝒂𝒏𝒅 π’‰π’–π’Žπ’‚π’π’Šπ’•π’‚π’“π’Šπ’‚π’ π’‘π’“π’π’ˆπ’“π’‚π’Žπ’”β€”π’π’π’• π’π’π’π’š 𝒂𝒔 π’ƒπ’†π’π’†π’‡π’Šπ’„π’Šπ’‚π’“π’Šπ’†π’”, 𝒃𝒖𝒕 𝒂𝒍𝒔𝒐 𝒂𝒔 π’…π’†π’„π’Šπ’”π’Šπ’π’-π’Žπ’‚π’Œπ’†π’“π’”.

    Prior to the global summit, the European Regional Disability Summit took place in December 2024, setting the stage for global discussions. This pre-summit resulted in key recommendations centered on deinstitutionalization, accessibility, sustainable funding for OPDs, equal participation, gender equality, and intersectional approaches.

    πŸ”‘ Key takeaways from #GDS2025 include:

    πŸ”ΉοΈAt least 15% of all development programs should explicitly target disability inclusion – a call framed as β€œ15% for the 15% of the world’s population living with disabilities.”

    πŸ”ΈοΈEmpowering OPDs through long-term and flexible funding, and ensuring their active participation across all phases of project cycles.

    πŸ”ΉοΈAdvancing gender equality and combating multiple and intersecting forms of discrimination, particularly against women, children, and youth with disabilities.

    πŸ”ΈοΈThe need for systematic data collection on disability and broader use of tools such as the OECD DAC Disability Policy Marker to monitor progress.

    πŸ”ΉοΈStrengthening partnerships between OPDs, academia, the private sector, and donors to create inclusive and resilient communities.

    🌍 The Empowered project proudly contributes to this international dialogue, continuing to promote regional cooperation and inclusive policy-making that places persons with disabilities at the center of change. This summit further affirms how essential it is for voices from the Western Balkans to be heardβ€”and to meaningfully contribute to global efforts for equality.