Tashkent, Uzbekistan (UzDaily.com) -- On 16-17 February 2022, the Second Global Summit on Disability (GDS22) was held. This international conference was organized by the governments of Norway and Ghana and the International Disability Alliance (IDA).

The online global summit was attended by more than 4,000 representatives of the UN and its regional agencies, heads of influential international organizations, heads of state and government, officials from relevant ministries and organizations, representatives of the private sector and civil society activists.

UN Secretary-General António Guterres, in his speech, outlined a number of priorities for the protection of people with disabilities. In particular, the Secretary-General believes that investments are needed to ensure that persons with disabilities everywhere have equal access to all opportunities. This requires a significant amount of funding. 

Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Staiore said the international conference would pave the way for further efforts to improve the lives of people with disabilities around the world. Today, about 15 percent of the world’s population is disabled. The coronavirus pandemic exacerbates inequalities in the protection of these human rights.

The President of the Republic of Ghana, Nana Akufo-Addo, noted that such inequalities are particularly acute within countries due to the pandemic. This situation is especially evident in the case of insufficient medical, social and financial services for people with disabilities in cases related to the coronavirus.

Speaking at the Second Global Summit on Disability, First Deputy Speaker of the Legislative Chamber of the Oliy Majlis of the Republic of Uzbekistan, Director of the National Center for Human Rights Akmal Saidov stressed that the ratification by our country on 7 June 2021 of the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities will continue effective reforms in this area. In Uzbekistan, already in 2020, the Law on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities was adopted, which is aimed at implementing the main provisions of this Convention.

In Uzbekistan, work is also underway on the National Action Plan for the implementation of the Convention. Its project was developed by the Government of the country in close cooperation with civil society institutions, international organizations and foreign partners.

The Republic of Uzbekistan, as a member of the UN Human Rights Council, undertakes to approve the National Action Plan for the implementation of the Convention in national legislation and law enforcement practice. An initial report on the country’s implementation of the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities is scheduled to be submitted in 2023.

The summit featured 20 high-level speakers representing the European Union, the UN, organizations of people with disabilities and other important stakeholders. They presented their political commitments to the Global Disability Summit, explaining how they will make them a reality for all people with disabilities in the region. Discussions focused on inclusive development in health, education, employment, the humanitarian situation and the strengthening of civil society, including women’s rights.