Secretary-General’s report on the implementation of the UN Disability Inclusion Strategy, 2021
The world has much changed since the launch of the United Nations Disability Inclusion Strategy in 2019. Our resilience has been tested by the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic in all dimensions, including health, work and education, in addition to climate change and increasing humanitarian and security crises. An estimated 1 billion persons with disabilities globally1 – the world’s largest minority group – continue to be among the hardest hit. The commitment of the United Nations to bringing about transformative and systematic change on disability inclusion across the system could not be more timely.
The Strategy is driving the United Nations to evaluate its fundamental ways of working. It has brought renewed clarity on the need for consistency in the way the Organization operates and how we assess the effectiveness, efficiency and impact of its programmes and operations for persons with disabilities. In addition, the Strategy is allowing the Organization to be nimbler in the face of global crises. It has proven to be pivotal in mobilizing and scaling up coordinated efforts for disability-inclusive COVID-19 response and recovery. Yet much work lies ahead.
The present report demonstrates that the United Nations is starting to reap the benefits from the foundational actions taken since 2019. Areas where the Organization had clearly been remiss are evolving. From headquarters to the field, the Organization is increasingly integrating disability inclusion into strategic planning and consultations, and assessing and addressing accessibility, including in procurement. Achieving disability inclusion, however, requires a core shift in mindset. This will only be achieved by building the capacity and knowledge of staff and by creating an enabling environment for persons with disabilities in the workplace.