Brussels, 24 July 2025
Dear Prime Minister,
Dear Members of the Cabinet,
On behalf of the European Disability Forum (EDF), the Italian Disability Forum (FID), the National Assembly of People with Disabilities of Ukraine (NAPD), and the League of the Strong, we would like to extend our formal congratulations on your recent appointment.
At this critical time, we express our unwavering solidarity with the people of Ukraine as they continue to defend their sovereignty, dignity, and democratic values in the face of ongoing aggression. We stand firmly behind Ukraine’s European future and hope for a just and lasting peace. The work of the Government in protecting human rights – including the rights of persons with disabilities – remains vital, both during the war and throughout the country’s recovery and reform process.
As long-standing partners of Ukraine in advancing the rights of persons with disabilities, we write to reaffirm our commitment to constructive cooperation. Most importantly, we wish to communicate and reiterate the key expectations regarding disability inclusion in Ukraine’s ongoing recovery and EU accession processes.
The European Disability Forum is an umbrella organisation representing over 100 million persons with disabilities in Europe. Our mission is to promote the rights of persons with disabilities and ensure their full inclusion in all aspects of life across the EU and beyond.
EDF, together with Ukrainian partners, has been working in Ukraine since 2022. The current Empower Ukraine project focuses on strengthening the voice of organisations of persons with disabilities (OPDs), supporting inclusive recovery, and promoting the full implementation of the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities. More information is available on our website.
The rates of disability have increased significantly since March 2022, whether through injury as veterans, violence against civilian captives, or post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) amongst children and leave Ukraine with a higher prevalence than the global average. The Ukraine Recovery Conference provided a valuable opportunity to raise the issue of increased prevalence of disability in Ukraine. We hope future editions will further elevate disability rights in line with Ukraine’s commitment to EU values and ensure the meaningful engagement of organisations of persons with disabilities at all levels.
In this context, we would like to stress that the implementation of the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD), ratified by Ukraine in the 2010, is not only a matter of international obligation but also a key benchmark in Ukraine’s EU accession process. The principles and obligations enshrined in the CRPD are fully aligned with the EU’s legal order and the European Disability Rights Strategy 2021–2030. Full compliance with these standards is essential to ensure Ukraine’s legislation and policies are harmonised with those of the European Union.
In particular, we reiterate the Concluding Observations of the UN Committee on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, adopted in September 2024, which set clear and binding guidance for Ukraine.
- The full and meaningful involvement of organisations of persons with disabilities, both Ukrainian and international, in all phases of planning, policy development, and monitoring processes, this should ensure inclusion from the beginning, the ability to influence decision making and include the full range of stakeholders, and neither tokenism nor rubber-stamping.
- The implementation of strategies for deinstitutionalisation and a commitment and implementation of access to person-centered, rights-based, and dignity-first independent living, including guaranteeing the right of every child to grow up in a family environment and of adults with disabilities and older people to access independent living in the community;
- The enforcement of the highest attainable accessibility standards across all sectors, including infrastructure, education, employment, healthcare, rehabilitation and digital tools, as National Strategy for a Barrier-Free Environment in Ukraine until 2030 has decided;
- The reform of disability assessment systems, ensuring that disability identification reflects a human rights-based approach and promotes inclusion rather than exclusion;
We close with a reiteration that EDF and partners stand behind Ukraine’s European future and inclusive democracy through lasting peace. We trust that the new Government will reaffirm its commitment to these international obligations and ensure their implementation across all relevant sectors, just as we continue to remain open to collaboration with you and remain ready to offer expertise and support in line with our shared commitment to human rights and social justice.
Yours sincerely,
Yannis Vardakastanis, President, European Disability Forum
Antonio Cotura, Vice President, Italian Disability Forum
Valeriy Sushkevych, Head, National Assembly of People with Disabilities of Ukraine
Daria Kukurika, Executive Director, League of the Strong