2 December 2024 - Marking the International Day of Persons with Disabilities on Tuesday, UN Secretary General Ant¨®nio Guterres emphasised the crucial need to increase the leadership of persons with disabilities in addressing global challenges, as essential to shaping technological advances and policy decisions.
¡°This year¡¯s International Day...reminds us that we need the leadership of persons with disabilities more than ever,¡± Mr. Guterres said in his message, emphasising their crucial role as changemakers and leaders in communities worldwide.
¡®Nothing about Us Without Us¡¯
The day comes as countries recently adopted the Pact for the Future, committing to addressing long-standing inequalities faced by more than one billion persons with disabilities globally. The theme for 2024 ¨C ¡°Amplifying the leadership of persons with disabilities for an inclusive and sustainable future¡± ¨C reinforces the disability rights movement¡¯s core principle of ¡°Nothing About Us Without Us¡±
Organisations of Persons with Disabilities (OPDs) have been instrumental in driving community-led initiatives, advocating for universal access to basic services and inclusive development through data collection, consultation and accountability efforts.
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