Event Details
Organisers: European Disability Forum (EDF) and Global Disability Summit (GDS) Secretariat
Audience (by invite-only): Organisations of Persons with Disabilities (OPDs) from Eastern/Central Europe, Caucasus and Central Asia.
Consultation Objective: The aim of this OPD consultation is to involve OPDs in Eastern/Central Europe and Central Asia in the GDS process and the European Regional Disability Summit by providing information on the different aspects of the GDS. Additionally, it seeks to create a platform for OPDs to articulate and discuss their key priorities concerning the wider GDS process and more specifically international cooperation and humanitarian action in the regions.
Accessibility: The meeting includes Russian sign language, real-time captioning in Russian and English, and language interpreters in Russian and English. The main presentation will be conducted in Russian.
Registration: To register please contact Erika Hudson, EDF International Cooperation Policy Officer, at erika.hudson@edf-feph.org.
Agenda: English Version (Word)
Materials: English Version (PPT) and Russian Version (PPT)
Background Information
The Global Disability Summit (GDS) is a unique global mechanism “that invests in bringing long-lasting change to all persons with disabilities”. Established in 2017, GDS seeks to bring together global, regional, and national stakeholders united by a common goal and vision for fostering disability-inclusive development and humanitarian action. In other words, GDS aims to bridge the gap between two arenas that are still separate: disability inclusion and development cooperation.
The third Global Disability Summit (GDS2025) builds upon the achievements of the two previous summits and is co-hosted by the Governments of Germany and Jordan, alongside the permanent co-host the International Disability Alliance (IDA). The summit is planned as an in- person event (with the possibility for virtual attendance) on 2nd-3rd April 2025 in Berlin, Germany.
Following the model of the Global Disability Summit 2022 (GDS2022), the co-hosts of GDS2025 have recommended the organisation of regional pre-summits. These gatherings aim to stimulate international collaboration and place emphasis on region-specific dialogues that will ultimately lead to the establishment of commitments.
The German Federal Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs (BMAS), the European Disability Forum (EDF), and the German Disability Alliance (DBR) are proposing the organisation of a High-level European Regional Disability Summit on December 6th, 2024. This Summit will serve as a platform for fostering international cooperation and advice in situations of risk and humanitarian emergencies within Europe and outside Europe, for instance in some neighbouring States of the EU and Central Asia.
The aim of the European Regional Summit will be to raise awareness and discuss with partners from greater Europe the importance of inclusive international cooperation and humanitarian action, with the collaboration of Organisations of Persons with Disabilities (OPDs). We will address the implementation and monitoring of the CRPD to ensure comprehensive advancements in disability rights.
In anticipation of the Global Disability Summit and the European Regional Disability Summit on International Cooperation, EDF and the GDS Secretariat are orchestrating a series of dynamic online consultation meetings with the overarching goal of supporting OPDs to share their priorities. The specific objective of these workshops is to provide OPDs based in Europe and Central Asia with in-depth insights into the forthcoming GDS2025 and the European Regional Disability Summit on International Cooperation. Participants will hear more about the two events, learn about what they can do to influence their own governments and share their priorities in international cooperation and humanitarian action.