Turn promises into action, campaigners urge world leaders ahead of third global disability summit in Berlin

Press note for immediate release

April 2025

Turn promises into action, campaigners urge world leaders ahead of third global disability summit in Berlin

The United Nations’ 2030 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) will not be met unless world leaders take concrete action on disability rights at a major summit this April, campaigners have warned.

The Global Disability Summit (GDS), which will take place in Berlin between 2-3 April, comes as a UN report reveals insufficient progress on disability inclusion. The report highlights stalled or reversed progress in nearly 14% of SDG targets, including access to financial resources, health care, water, information and communication technologies, as well as building resilience for people with disabilities during emergencies.

“This Summit represents a crucial moment for global leaders to move beyond rhetoric and fulfil their commitments to disability inclusion,” said Gertrude Oforiwa Fefoame, Sightsavers global advocacy manager and immediate past chair of the UN Committee on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities. “The time for promises has passed. We need properly funded action plans with clear accountability mechanisms that will accelerate much needed access to basic rights like an inclusive education especially for women and girls with disabilities.”

Sightsavers has already demonstrated what is possible. Through UK aid’s flagship consortium, Inclusive Futures – which works to ensure people with disabilities are included in development – it has transformed the lives of over three million people with disabilities across six countries while reaching 15.5 million people with initiatives and campaigns to end the stigma and stereotypes of persons with disabilities.

Johannes Trimmel, Inclusive Futures programme director at Sightsavers said, “Our work shows that when barriers in education, healthcare, and employment are removed, we unlock incredible potential. We have developed a framework of six core principles for inclusive development that, if widely adopted, could drive meaningful progress toward meeting the SDGs.”

At the Summit, Sightsavers will spotlight the critical role of youth leadership in disability inclusion. Tapiwa Mutsikira, Special Olympics ambassador and global youth champion of the Equal World campaign added: “Young people with disabilities bring unique experiences, perspectives, and determination to tackle inequality. By amplifying our voices and leadership, we can create inclusive innovative solutions that benefit everyone.”

Sightsavers’ Equal World campaign is calling for governments to engage in meaningful consultation with people with disabilities, especially with young people. It urges governments to develop Summit commitments as well as clear, measurable action plans with proper funding and accountability.