The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and the League of Arab States have launched a renewed effort to integrate disability rights into development and crisis recovery across the Arab region. Meeting in Cairo for the Second Technical Peer Learning Workshop on Disability Inclusion, regional leaders, civil society organizations, and UN agencies gathered to accelerate the implementation of the Second Arab Decade for Persons with Disabilities (2023–2032).
The Second Arab Decade provides a framework covering 17 thematic areas, including legislation, accessibility, education, employment, health, social services, participation in public life, and inclusion during crises and climate change. The workshop brought together Egyptian ministries, national institutions such as the National Council for Persons with Disabilities, regional organizations of persons with disabilities, civil society groups, and international partners.
Globally, over 1.3 billion people live with disabilities and face barriers to education, employment, healthcare, and participation in public life. In the Arab region, these challenges are compounded by conflict, displacement, and limited access to services. Building on the first workshop held in Amman in 2022, this year’s discussions focused on practical solutions and drew on commitments from the Amman‑Berlin Declaration adopted at the 2025 Global Disability Summit, which called for disability inclusion in at least 15 percent of international development programmes.
League of Arab States representative Tarek Al‑Nabulsi praised UN agencies for supporting disability rights through cooperation and emphasized the importance of maintaining communication to ensure implementation of the Second Arab Decade and the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities. UNDP’s Giordano Segneri highlighted the need for coordinated, on‑the‑ground action to translate commitments into accessible services and equal rights.
Participants agreed to expand the mapping of disability inclusion initiatives into a shared regional resource and continue regular follow‑ups through the Regional Technical Group on Disability Inclusion. They reaffirmed the importance of integrating disability inclusion across sectors such as crisis response, employment, artificial intelligence, and digital transformation, while stressing the need to co‑create initiatives with organizations of persons with disabilities to ensure meaningful participation in decision‑making.
