An international charity organisation working to prevent avoidable blindness, support equality for people with disabilities and advocate for change, Sightsavers, has launched a 100-day campaign to protect global disability rights ahead of a high-level United Nations (UN) summit on Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in September.
A statement by Country Director of the organisation, Dr. Sunday Isiyaku, said: “As the world approaches the half-way point of the 2030 deadline, progress on the SDGs has derailed – they are completely off-track. The promise to leave no one behind is in peril.
“We are calling on all to accelerate action on the SDGs and ensure their inclusion for people with disabilities.”
“The political declaration and all national commitments made at the summit must prioritise reaching those who are behind. This is our final opportunity to realign our efforts and get back on track to achieving the Goals.”
On his part, Executive Secretary of the National Commission for Persons with Disability, James David Lalu, said: “To usher in sustainable change, achieve the SDGs, and foster a more equitable world, global decision-makers can no longer turn a blind eye to the 16 per cent of the global population who live with disabilities. With less than 100 days remaining until the SDG summit in September, the time for action is now. Let us rally together to salvage the SDGs and ensure that no one is left behind.”
He urged leaders to recognise the plight of marginalised groups and embark on a transformative journey towards an equal world.
The fate of the Sustainable Development Goals hung in the balance, awaiting the response of those with the power to reshape the future.
The world prepared to gather at the highly anticipated SDG Summit in New York. Here, world leaders would renew their commitments and evaluate progress made towards the ambitious 17 goals designed to reduce poverty and inequality by 2030. The summit’s outcome would be encapsulated in a critical negotiated political declaration.
In the lead-up to this pivotal event, Sightsavers launched their “Equal World” campaign, shedding light on the grim reality that progress on the global goals might falter without adequate attention to marginalized groups, particularly people with disabilities. Their plea was grounded in a new UN report, which unequivocally stated that the SDGs could not be realized unless immediate and decisive action was taken to include those who were frequently “left behind.”
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