Statement of the UN Resident Coordinator, Ms Nathalie Ndongo-Seh, at the UN75 Dialogue with Persons Living with Disabilities

FODSWA President

President & chairpersons of the associations representing PWD

Principal Social Welfare Officer

Distinguished brothers and sisters

I am pleased to be with you for this dialogue on UN75; the world's biggest conversation on building a better future for all, launched by the UN Secretary-General, Mr António Guterres.

Today, we are engaging with our brothers and sisters living with disabilities who, through their lived experiences, offer key perspectives and approaches to sustainable development and now, to the response to COVID-19 and building back better in a people-centred manner that leaves no one behind and is inclusive of all of society.

In May 2020, the UN released a policy brief on a disability-inclusive response to COVID-19. People with disabilities—one billion people globally— are one of the most excluded groups  in our society and are among the hardest hit in this crisis in terms of fatalities. An integrated approach is required to ensure that persons with disabilities are not left behind in COVID-19 response and recovery. Disability inclusion will result in a COVID19 response and recovery that better serves everyone, more fully suppressing the virus, as well as building back better.

In his remarks during the launch of the UN Policy Brief on Persons with Disability and COVID-19, the Secretary General said that and I quote, “Looking to the future, we have a unique opportunity to design and implement more inclusive and accessible societies to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals. When we secure the rights of people with disabilities, we are investing in our common future.”

Inclusion of persons with disabilities in development agenda of Eswatini and in the COVID-19 response and recovery is a vital part of achieving the pledge to leave no one behind, and a critical test of the global commitments of the United Nations Convention of the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD), the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, the Agenda for Humanity and the United Nations Disability Inclusion Strategy.

I am pleased that the Kingdom of Eswatini ratified the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons With Disabilities in 2012. In solidarity with people living with disabilities, the UN has long supported the development, passing  and implementation of key policies and legislations that ensure non-discrimination and equal access to opportunities, dignity, jobs, education and others. These include the National Policy on Disability 2013 and the  Persons With Disabilities Bill of 2018. The UN / UNDP further assisted the DPM’s Office – Disability Unit in developing a 2015 – 2020 National Development Plan of Action, and is currently supporting  the development of a report to the Committee on the Rights of Persons with Disability.

 As the UN, we support the operationalizing of the National Disability Advisory Council for Persons with Disability, with membership comprised of PLWD. The UN family funded census which led to the preparation of Disability, Albinism and Epilepsy Report, a tool that can be used for accountability, advocacy, data – which is especially  important in ensuring an inclusive humanitarian response to COVID-19.

As part of the COVID-19 response, in solidarity with people living with disabilities, the UN has supported the development and procurement of inclusive information, by translating COVID-19 information to braille and sign language, and facilitating its distribution. The UN has further provided masks and support for a visitation campaign in the four regions to ascertain the effects of the pandemic on people living with disabilities. The humanitarian partners meeting, a coordination platform by the National Disaster Management Agency which is supported by the UN, we have ensured the representation of PLWD on the table as members of the Humanitarian Task Team, to advise partners as they plan and report on response measures, to ensure their inclusivity.

We must mainstream PLWD as contributors to development rather than beneficiaries, by including in all sectors of society: in policy making and policy implementation, in schools and centres of knowledge, in the workplace and other economic development programs including business start-up competitions, funding, and others. Persons with disabilities have important contributions to make in tackling the crisis and building the future in an inclusive, green, human-rights centred approach, through their lived experiences and perspectives which offer new, creative, and innovative approaches to challenges.

Today, I am happy to be here with you, to listen and learn on how we can build the future we want, with people living with disabilities at the centre.

Thank you.