Welcome to the United Nations
Contribution to the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development in response to a call for inputs by the High-Level Political Forum on Sustainable Development (HLPF)
1.An assessment of the situation regarding the principle of “ensuring that no one is left behind” at the global, regional and national levels
The Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities has been ratified by 177 States and 162 signatories as at March 2019. Since the Convention’s entry into force 10 years ago, the Committee on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities has been mandated to monitor the implementation of the Convention to provide a comprehensive and legally binding framework on the protection and fulfillment of the rights of persons with disabilities. The World Health Organization has indicated that persons with disabilities comprise 15 per cent of the world population. The majority of persons with disabilities live in low-middle income countries and face multiple barriers leading to inequalities such as over-representation among people living in poverty; and lower participation in social, economic and public life; and with lower economic, health and education outcomes. Exclusion of persons with disabilities from these major life domains has a significant cost on individuals and households as well as societies. Economic losses related to the exclusion of persons with disabilities from the labor force can range from three to seven per cent of gross domestic product (GDP) . The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development strengthens the principle of “leaving no one behind” that has become an international commitment and consensus that no goal is considered met unless it is met for everyone. The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development has been adopted by State parties in 2015 as the global development framework. Therefore achievement of all the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) and their related targets should be in line with and compliant with international human rights law including the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities to ensure more inclusion, resilience, equity and sustainability for all persons with disabilities.
The adoption of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development has several explicit references to persons with disabilities. It therefore represents an exceptional opportunity for States to design and implement disability-inclusive policies for the next 15 years, as they review their national development plans to align them to the Goals. However, inclusive development cannot be effectively achieved in the absence of a human rights framework. A human rights-based approach, as a conceptual framework, offers practical guidance for the design, implementation, evaluation and monitoring of development policies and programmes based on international human rights standards. Development efforts must uphold and promote human rights principles including respect for human dignity, non-discrimination, participation and accountability. Therefore, a human rights-based approach to development requires that disability-inclusive policies consider the needs of persons with disabilities worldwide.
