ASHGABAT, Turkmenistan

On 18 June 2025, the UNRCCA held an online session of its Preventive Diplomacy Academy (PDA), bringing together young leaders from Central Asia and Afghanistan to discuss the implementation of the United Nations Disability Inclusion Strategy (UNDIS). Launched in 2019, UNDIS provides a comprehensive framework to integrate disability inclusion across the UN’s work in human rights, development, peace, and security.

During the follow-up discussion participants examined the complex ways in which multiple identities such as disability, gender, age, ethnicity, and religion, shape individuals’ experiences in conflict and peace processes. They reaffirmed the urgent need for inclusive policies and protective measures to safeguard their rights and dignity.

Ms. Megan Smith, Social Affairs Officer at the Executive Office of the Secretary-General (EOSG), a member of the Disability Inclusion Team in the Sustainable Development Unit of the EOSG on implementing UNDIS, shared her extensive experience advancing the rights of persons with disabilities in conflict-affected and post-conflict settings. She emphasized that achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and effectively implementing the 2030 Agenda require the active participation of persons with disabilities, consistent with the UN’s global pledge to “leave no one behind.” She also reaffirmed the strong linkage between disability inclusion and the Youth, Peace and Security agenda, underscoring the critical importance of systematically including young persons with disabilities in peace and security processes.

The session concluded by emphasizing that the full and effective participation of persons with disabilities, alongside their representative organizations, is essential for building lasting peace, safeguarding security, and advancing sustainable development both regionally and globally.

For more information on the UN Disability Inclusion Strategy, please visit: www.un.org/disabilitystrategy