IDDC and its members believe that working for EU development policies that are inclusive of persons with disabilities is a vital part of our advocacy work.

The EU is a significant worldwide donor that has important agreements with various regions of the world, such as the EU-Africa Strategic Partnership, which have the potential to improve the lives of persons with disabilities. It is a state party to the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD), and has endorsed the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.

The IDDC EU Task Group is advocating for the systematic inclusion of disability in the European Union’s development cooperation policies through:

  • Working with officials and public representatives of the European Commission, the European Parliament, and with ministries at national level to ensure that the EU’s obligations under the CRPD are also respected in its external policies.
  • Raising awareness with other European civil society actors, such as development NGOs and European representative organisations of persons with disabilities (DPOs) and advocate for these other actors to consider where persons with disabilities in developing countries fit into their work.

Key data

  • EU Development Cooperation is financing projects in more than 150 partner countries.
  • The EU budgeted ± €17 billion of total official development assistance in 2018.
  • The EU is the 4th biggest development cooperation donor in the world. Adding EU and Member States, it is 1st.

Key Achievements

  • Inclusion of disability in the renewed European Consensus on Development
  • Creation of the European Disability and Development Week (EDDW). The 3rd edition in 2018 gathered 5 conferences/workshops, 2 photo exhibitions, and 1 report launch 
  • New partnership with the European Economic and Social Committee, who organised a photo exhibition with the #EDDW17 winning photos
  • High-level panel on ‘Making visible the invisible’ at the European Development Days 2019
  • Dialogue with the Romanian Presidency of the EU and IDDC representation at the Presidency event on “Advancing the implementation of Agenda 2030 for Sustainable Development through multi-stakeholder engagement: Key moments under the Romanian Presidency of the Council of the European Union”
  • Inputs to Bridging the Gap II Study on the ‘Inclusion of persons with disabilities in European Union development cooperation mechanisms’
  • IDDC-EDF position paper on the EU’s Multiannual Financial Framework for better disability inclusion

Upcoming priorities

  • Organisation of the 4th edition of the EDDW in 2019
  • Follow up on EU elections, ensuring disability rights and  inclusion in EU international cooperation are on the agenda of the new European Parliament  
  • New inclusive EU financial instrument for international cooperation