Global disability movement demands seat at the “COP table”

On September 10, 2024, eight disability organisations representing both regional and global interests sent a formal letter to members of the Paris Agreement highlighting, in the build up to COP29, the urgent need for a disability constituency within the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) and raising awareness of the need for the inclusion of the disability movement within UN climate negotiations.

The IDDC is supporting this call as a co-signatory to the letter which highlights and emphasises that persons with disabilities are disproportionately affected by climate change, and “a disability constituency will give persons with disabilities equal opportunities to participate, including making plenary interventions, receiving informal advance information, ….” as well as inform climate debates and policies.

We would argue that the current UNFCCC position is not compliant with existing UN treaties, particularly the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities and the UN Disability Inclusion Strategy.

We, as IDDC Climate Action Task Group, would urge the Parties to the Paris Agreement to address this issue by requesting the UNFCCC to clarify the process of recognition of a disability constituency and to expedite decisions as this will ensure better outcomes for all. You can read the letter below.

Among the signatories are the International Disability Alliance and regional disability organisations from Africa, ASEAN, Europe, Latin America, the Arab region, and the Pacific Islands, along with The International Disability and Development Consortium (IDDC).

Additional Information

Signatories of the letter:

Contacts for IDDC

Jennifer Pitter-Lopez, Mark Barrell and Davide Ziveri
Co-coordinators of the IDDC Climate Action Task Group
IDDCClimateAction@iddcconsortium.net