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Media release

On 7th December 2011 the World Report on Disability was presented and discussed at a launch event in the European Parliament. All speakers welcomed this document - which states that one billion people experience disability globally - with CBM's Lars Bosselmann highlighting the crucial role the EU can play in promoting the rights of persons with disabilities in international cooperation.

 

 

 

On 7th December 2011 the first ever World Report on Disability, produced jointly by WHO and the World Bank, was presented and discussed at a launch event in the European Parliament. This high-level debate was hosted by MEP Ádám Kósa (Chair of the Intergroup on Disability) and concluded by Commissioner László Andor, Commissioner for Employment, Social Affairs and Inclusion. Speakers included:

 

 

 

 

All speakers welcomed the release of the World Report on Disability, as it assembles the most up-to-date data on disability globally. It also contains a set of recommendations that will help to guide policy decisions. The Report brought us new estimates of the prevalence of disability - there are an estimated one billion people with disability globally, the vast majority of these living in developing countries.

"This underlines once again that disability is a development issue that needs to be much higher on the agenda of international cooperation" declared Lars Bosselmann. "And the EU can play a crucial role in promoting the rights of persons with disabilities in international cooperation. The upcoming negotiations on a new global agenda for development (post MDGs) constitute an excellent opportunity to do this" said both Javier Guemes and Lars Bosselmann.

 

 

The World Report on Disability is an important tool to implement the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, ratified by the EU.

In moving forward, it is critical that persons with disabilities themselves can make their voice heard in all decisions that concern them. Furthermore, the expertise of a wide range of stakeholders - ranging from political institutions to civil society - have to be combined, in order to meet the huge challenges of persons with disabilities across the globe.

 

 

>Download the World Report on Disability here