UN Human Rights Council 49: UK statement for the annual interactive debate on the rights of persons with disabilities

Thank you, Mr President,

The United Kingdom welcomes the report and panel discussion.

In February 2022, we published our FCDO disability inclusion and rights strategy 2022 to 2030, ‘Building an inclusive future for all: a sustainable rights-based approach’.

In the strategy we made a number of commitments, which are in line with the report’s recommendations. For example, we will work with other states and partners to strengthen capacity to collect, analyse, and use quality disaggregated data. We will also encourage integration of the Washington Group questions on disability into household surveys, information and monitoring and evaluation systems.

This is critical to understand and address of the needs of disabled people and their households and the barriers to access, in order to better design and adapt policies and programmes so they are more accessible and effective.

Regarding the report’s recommendations in humanitarian contexts, the UK is committed to ensuring humanitarian response efforts become more inclusive and we will continue to promote the routine, systematic collection and use of disaggregated data. Our top achievement here has been the design, delivery and dissemination of e-learning on how to use the Washington Group questions in humanitarian settings.

Distinguished panellists,

What more can states do to ensure that data on the needs and priorities of disabled people is translated into response plans in humanitarian contexts?