Welcome to the Disability and Development Network!
In January 2011 the European Union ratified the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities. The Convention is the first internationally legally binding instrument defining minimum standards for the protection of a full range of civil, political, social, economic and cultural rights of persons with disabilities.
By ratifying the Convention, the EU recognizes the importance of international cooperation in support of national efforts for the realization of the purpose and objectives of the Convention and to ensure that international cooperation, including international development programmes, is inclusive of and accessible to persons with disabilities" (Article 32).
In 2009 EuropeAid set up a Network of Disability Contact Persons in Headquarters and Delegation in order to exchange information on Disability issues, to enrich the debate with experiences from the field and to ensure that Delegations are informed of and participate in the initiatives taken at headquarters level.
The Network is now online in Capacity4dev and is open to development partners and any interested parties. This Group intends to become a point of reference for accessing and exchanging knowledge and information about the inclusion of persons with disabilities in development cooperation.
