Attachments
I. Overview
Representing 15% of any affected population, persons with disabilities are often excluded from humanitarian aid and unable to participate in decision making process – literally ‘left behind’. Some 75% of persons with disabilities affected by crises do not have adequate access to humanitarian assistance.
The session launched a Charter on the inclusion of persons with disabilities in humanitarian action. Characterized as “ground breaking” by the Secretary General, and endorsed by 70 organizations, this document represented the result of several months of intensive discussions under the auspices of the WHS consultation process. The five core principles of the Charter are:
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Non-discrimination
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Inclusive response and services
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Full participation of persons with disabilities in crisis decision making
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Reinforcement and development of inclusive policies
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Sharing of expertise, cooperation and coordination between all actors This is the first time that Member States, UN Agencies, the Red Cross Red Crescent movement, NGO networks and civil society joined forces around a common document on the inclusion of persons with disabilities in humanitarian action.
As of the end of the Special Session, 101 stakeholders, including 12 Member States, 9 UN agencies, 13 international and national NGO networks, 40 NGOs, the Red Cross Red Crescent Movement, as well as 37 organizations representative of persons with disabilities, had endorsed the charter. The full list is available at: www.humanitariandisabilitycharter.org