Accra, Feb. 21, GNA – Ghana is totally committed to achieving all commitments made at the 2022 Global Disability Summit, Dr Eugene Owusu, the Presidential Advisor for Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), has said.
He reiterated Ghana’s long standing support for disability-inclusive development and the need for concrete actions to achieve real change in the lives of persons with disabilities.
Dr Owusu stated this in Accra, after a Summit cocktail reception organized by Madam Ingrid Mollestad, the Norwegian Ambassador to Ghana.
It brought together Heads of United Nations (UN) Agencies in Ghana, members of the diplomatic community, civil society organizations, government agencies and the private sector.
The 2022 Global Disability Summit, which was held virtually was on the theme, « Promoting Equality: Lasting Change for Persons With Disabilities Through Joint Action ».
It was hosted by President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre of Norway and Mr Yannis Vardakastanis, President of the International Disability Alliance (IDA).
The first Global Disability Summit, held in London in 2018, was truly a pacesetter, and succeeded in mobilising action and commitments to promote disability inclusive development and the rights of persons with disabilities.
Dr Owusu said it had been a privilege for the SDG Unit of the Office of the President to really directly support the organization of the historic and phenomenally successful 2022 Global Disability Summit.
He expressed gratitude to Norway for reaching out to Ghana in the spirit of partnership.
Dr Owusu reiterated the cliché, which says that « disability is not inability ».
He pointed out that there was a wealth of talents that sat with persons with disability, which if the global community were to have a heightened chance of achieving the SDGs, they must fully leverage. « And we must do so not just for the goals, but we must do so because we must not leave anybody behind. »
Declaring that it was not just a cliché, but a commitment that global leaders had made that they must achieve the SDGs and in doing so they must not leave anybody behind.
« For me personally, yes, it is about the SDGs but importantly it is about inclusion; it is about the rights of persons with disabilities, it is about the dignity of persons with disabilities but importantly it is about social justice, » he said.
Dr Owusu said participants at the 2022 Global Disability Summit had heard a lot of positive actions and commitments which the global community had made to support persons with disabilities, particularly with respect to inclusions.
He also made mention of the tremendous benefits that come with including persons with disabilities in development and the tremendous economic and social benefits.
He said, he was delighted that Ghana had frontally put forward her commitments in the context of the Global Disability Summit, which the President alluded to in his statement at the Summit.
He said Ghana was totally committed to achieving every commitment that she made in the course of the Summit. « But we cannot do that alone, we really look forward to working with all of you, the private sector, which is here; civil society, other government agencies, the UN, all of you, we look forward to joining hands with you to actualise that commitments Ghana has made. »
Borrowing from President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo’s speech delivered at the 2022 Global Disability Summit, Dr Owusu said: « We, all of us must let our humanities manifest in our support, and in our compassion for persons with disabilities ».
Dr Owusu said, he believed it was right to do so, and that it was a moral obligation that all of humanity have to do to truly make that happen.
Madam Mollestad noted that improving the rights for disabled persons would have impacted not only at the individual level but also for society at large, adding that socioeconomic development had to be inclusive for everybody.
Madam Mawunyo Yakar-Dagbah, National President, Ghana Federation of Disability Organisations, expressed gratitude to the Government of Ghana for its intention to implement every commitment made at the 2022 Global Disability Summit.
She described the Summit as a great success and urged global leaders to abide by their commitments.
Mrs Gertrude Oforiwa Fefoame, a Member of the Board of Ghana Federation of Disability Organizations/a Member of UN Committee on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, said the Summit was a great moment for disability movements worldwide.
By Iddi Yire
