INTERNATIONAL DAY FOR PERSONS WITH DISABILITIES

• The Guest of Honor, Honourable Doreen Mwamba MP, Minister of Community Development and Social Services,  
•  Heads of UN agencies
•  Permanent Secretaries of various Government line ministries
• Senior Government officials
• Members of Diplomatic Corps
• Heads of Organizations of Persons with Disabilities
• Media representatives
• Ladies and Gentlemen

Good morning. I am honoured to represent the United Nations family in Zambia as we join the global community in commemorating this year’s International Day for Persons with Disabilities being observed  under the theme: “Transformative solutions for inclusive development: the role of innovation in fuelling an accessible and equitable world’. 

The theme recognizes the critical role that innovation plays in bridging inequalities, eradicating stigma and discrimination towards Persons with Disabilities to bring about a barrier-free world which is accessible and equitable to all.

Building on the theme, I am pleased to inform you that the United Nations Country Team, working in close collaboration with the Government of Zambia, has through the new United Nations Sustainable Development Cooperation Framework 2023-2027 undertaken to promote technology and innovation as key enabler for an inclusive and equitable society. The cooperation framework emphasizes the active participation of persons with disabilities in their full diversity, and their full inclusion in the national development agenda, guided by the principle of leaving no one behind.

Guest of Honour, let me congratulate your Ministry and the Government of the Republic of Zambia on the commitment and hard work towards promoting the rights and access to equal opportunities for all. The UN in Zambia, together with the Government, have scored many achievements to progress the national disability mainstreaming agenda. These achievements include:

1. Supporting the government to enhance inclusive work policy through the Zambia Federation of Employers;
2. Supporting the government to strengthen disability certification for persons with disabilities across the country including children, women, and all vulnerable persons;
3. Supporting the government to Strengthen data and evidence on disability through mainstreaming disability in key national surveys and studies such as the national census, Living Conditions Monitoring Survey (LCM) and other surveys such as the productivity of persons with disabilities and the Assistive Technology Assessment Study;
4. Supporting system strengthening on key areas around inclusive social protection mechanisms, and   disability equality training; in selected districts of the country and across ministries;  
5. Supplementing and supporting government efforts in enhancing inclusivity in education, health, Nutrition and water sanitation and hygiene (WASH) through the development of inclusive WASH guidelines in the construction of inclusive and accessible WASH infrastructure;

Guest of Honour, in line with the theme this year’s observance, the UN is committed to supporting the Government of Zambia in promoting a society that values the participation of all persons regardless of their abilities. This is clearly seen in the 8th National Development Plan which promotes inclusive development leaving no one behind.

The UN Country Team in Zambia is currently implementing the United Nations Joint programme on Social Protection which supports the government of Zambia in strengthening systems and frameworks which p promote disability inclusion.

This programme is supported financially by Sweden, Ireland, the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation and the UK Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office. To this end, the UN will support the Government of Zambia in supporting the following areas.

1. Strengthening the capacities of the Zambia Agency for Persons with Disabilities (ZAPD) as disability leader and convener within Government through strengthened governance and increased accountability regarding disability mainstreaming;
2. Promote the roll-out of a rights-based disability assessment and Disability Management Information System. Next year, the programme will support Disability certification in at least three provinces;
3.  Strengthening the voice of Organizations of Persons with Disabilities (OPDs) in their advocacy; and
4. Supporting relevant institutions to promote the employability of Persons with Disabilities.

I am pleased to inform you that the UN in Zambia is at the inception phase towards implementing the United Nations Partnership on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities Multi-Partner Trust   project. This is a unique partnership project that will bring together UN entities, the government, Organizations of Persons with Disabilities, and civil society to advance the implementation of the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities and disability inclusive attainment Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) at country level.

Guest of Honour, let me briefly touch on the need to remove physical barriers that hinder Persons with Disabilities from enjoying their rights. We need to ensure, among other things, that buildings have appropriate signage, that elevators have sensors and that all buildings are generally accessible to Persons with Disabilities. This should cut across both state and non-state infrastructure.  

May I take this opportunity to encourage all of us here today to continue doing the best we can to contribute to efforts of creating a better environment for Persons with Disabilities, including those in the rural areas of our country.

I wish to end my speech with a call to action, that no child with a disability must be denied an opportunity to be enrolled in school based on their disability status. Schools, both in the public and private sector, should endeavour to adjust their methodologies to suit the educational needs of learners with disabilities. No one should feel that supporting leaners with disabilities is a favour to them, neither should it be seen as an added cost.

It is about rights. It is about equity and inclusivity.  Let us find innovative ways of meeting the needs of Persons with Disabilities.

In closing, I wish to underscore that the UN in Zambia remains committed to providing technical and financial support to the government of Zambia in championing Disability Inclusion across all sectors.

I THANK YOU.