We condemns all militant actions and wars !

Statement on Peace and of People with Disabilities in Emergency Situations

We, members of Disabled Peoples’ International representing people with disabilities worldwide, condemn all activities of war and militant actions that endanger the lives of citizens. We note that people with disabilities are particularly vulnerable to death and destruction during bombardment and to on-going isolation during a war. Whether as a result of a targeted attack, genocide or as « collateral damage », the first victims are always the most destitute. 

Reports on the civilian casualties of war largely focus on the number of dead. Yet many more people are disabled as a result of bombardment, violence, exploitation and neglect. The UN Security Council’s Resolution 2475 (2019) aims to protect persons with disabilities in conflict situations “to ensure they have access to justice, basic services and unimpeded humanitarian assistance.” However, the indiscriminate nature of bombing, the increasing use of drones, and the generalised chaos during attacks on civilians render this resolution meaningless in assuring the safety of persons with disabilities. 

Armed conflict is currently causing misery in Europe, the Middle East, and in at least thirty more countries around the world. However, the economy of war casts its dark shadow on a much broader swath of the world’s most marginalised populations, who bear the brunt of state corruption, parallel economies, and the breakdown of social cohesion among citizens.

As people with disabilities, we raise our voices to affirm our collective humanity and to support all efforts to attain peace. We know that humans are all interdependent - whether in our narrow social circles, our national economies or our global community. To value life is to recognize the relationships upon which we depend, for our daily needs and for the future of our planet. We are all in this together. 

Wherever you are and whoever you are, join us in reminding others how precious life is, on all sides of our man-made divides. Demand that your representatives sit down and talk to find peaceful solutions.

Article 11 of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities obliges all signatories to protect people with disabilities in emergency situations and to prioritise them in humanitarian actions. The United Nations, the European Union and the Council of Europe all emphasise that strategies to enact Article 11 must be developed in consultation with organisations of people with disabilities, who must also be involved in fulfilling these strategies. To the contrary, most countries do not include people with disabilities in their emergency plans and do not have national legislation with specific provisions targeting citizens with disabilities.

We, persons with disabilities, demand:

• An end to all wars, replacing violence with diplomacy and sustained efforts to maintain peace through  justice and human rights
• Inclusion of People with Disabilities in national legislation with specific provisions for their safety during emergency situations and their access to humanitarian aid
• Involvement of Organisations of People with Disabilities and experts with disabilities in the activities related to emergency situations and humanitarian aid

First signatories

• Jean-Luc Simon, DPI France
• Dinah Radke, DPI Germany
• Mr Nawaf Kabbara, DPI Lebanon
• Mf Giampiero Griffo,  DPI Italia
• Mr Shoji Nakanishi, DPI Japan
• Ms Zara Todd, DPI UK
• Mr Lee Young Suk, DPI Korea
• Mr Mohd Abdus Sattar Dulal, DPI Bangladesh
• Mr Taisuke Miyamoto, Thailand
• Ms Yutta Fricke, Canada
• Mr Tambo Camara, DPI Mauritatia
• Ms Khalil Jahda Abou, Lebanon
• Mr Moaffak Alkhafaji, DPI Arab