EDF’s International Cooperation and Humanitarian Action team is thrilled to announce the release of our inaugural ‘EU in the World Report‘, spotlighting our work and commitment to advancing the rights of persons with disabilities on a global scale within the framework of the European Union’s external action initiatives.
Our emphasis is on advocating for the inclusion of persons with disabilities and organisations of persons with disabilities (OPDs) in key European Union (EU) policies. That commitment extends across various domains, including international cooperation, humanitarian action, disaster risk reduction, climate action and the conflict in Ukraine.
In 2023, EDF played a pivotal role in shaping six EU policies, ensuring that they are inclusive of persons with disabilities, including advocating to ensure that the rights of persons with disabilities are included in the Proposal for a Regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council on establishing the Ukraine Facility. Our engagement in European consultations was substantial, with input into 16 consultations. We also contributed to 15 EU human rights dialogues by submitting position papers and forging links between OPDs around the world and the EU.
On the advocacy front, EDF actively participated in 27 conferences and events, including the 28th Conference of the Parties (COP28) to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change. Our engagement in 19 high-level meetings provided us with the opportunity to outline our objectives and foster connections with partners, allies and the targets of our advocacy work. Furthermore, we participated in 18 technical workshops, conducted 26 training events, such as an online meeting to explore Disability-Inclusive Budgets, Programmes and Policies Worldwide, and undertook other relevant activities to further our objectives.