On the 21st of March we participated in the first ever “CONCORD Equality Day: Are the EU’s international partnerships a gateway to equality?”. The event organised by CONCORD (the European Confederation of NGOs working on sustainable development and international cooperation) highlighted the urgency of building more equal societies and economies. We have discussed, together with CONCORD members, the role of European policymakers and the necessity to turn their commitments into concrete action when it comes to global action from the European Union (EU). In particular, the urgency to create a stronger conversation focused on the EU’s action for equality through its international partnerships.
This first edition also focused on how the EU’s action can be made truly equality-proof. We have analysed the Global Gateway, the EU’s performance towards achieving the Agenda 2030 for Sustainable Development and the EU’s policy coherence. The EU will present its Voluntary Review at the High-Level Political Forum this summer at the United Nations in New York.
The day-long event was an occasion to learn from each other, discuss and identify challenges and way forward.
In the opening of the Equality Day, EDF facilitated the participation of Idriss Alzouma Maiga, President of the African Disability Forum. Mr Maiga, in a video showcased to participants underlined the main priorities and challenges in relations to inequalities for the African Disability movement. He explained the perspective of African organisations of Persons with Disabilities (DPOs/OPDs) towards the role of European policymakers and gave recommendations:
- Directly support African DPOs/OPDs;
- Strengthen the capacities of African civil societies, in particular DPOs/OPDs;
- Support anti-poverty measures;
- Include persons with disabilities in disaster relief and focus on their inclusion if EU funds are used for climate and disaster relief;
- Facilitate the process of applying for European or bilateral funding for African OPDs.
The presentation of Mr Maiga is available to watch in this video.
For more information, don’t hesitate to contact Giulia Traversi: giulia.traversi@edf-feph.org