The call follows a new UN report which shows that the SDGs cannot be achieved unless urgent action is taken to include marginalised groups, including people with disabilities, but that they are being left furthest behind in global progress.
The 2023 SDGs summit will be convened on September 18-19, 2023, during the United Nations General Assembly high-level week.
A statement signed by the Communications Associate, Sightsavers, Joy Tarbo, on Thursday, noted that the petition was handed to the Minister of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Alleviation, Dr Betta Edu, in Abuja.
Signatories to the petition include the Executive Secretary of, the National Commission for Persons with Disabilities, James Lalu; the Deputy Director, Office of the Senior Special Advisor to the President on SDGs, Dr Zakariya Mohammed
The PUNCH reports that the National Commission for Persons With Disabilities, the Joint National Association of Persons With Disabilities, and the Sightsavers’ Equal World campaign jointly organised the ‘Promise in Peril’ petition.
The campaign is calling on world leaders to keep the SDG promise of leaving no one behind and ensure disability is specifically addressed in discussions on the SDGs.
Nigeria will join other member states at the summit in New York to make new commitments and assess progress on the global goals.
The outcome of the summit will be a political declaration and global and national commitments made by UN member states.
Sightsavers Country Director, Dr Sunday Isiyaku said, “The world arrives at the halfway point of the 2030 deadline, progress on the SDGs has derailed – they are completely off-track. People with disabilities are being hit hardest by the lack of progress on poverty and inequality. The promise to leave no one behind is in peril.”
The President of JONAPWD, Abdullahi Usman, also said, “We’re calling on all world leaders to speed up action on the SDGs and make sure they are inclusive of people with disabilities. They must ensure that the Political Declaration, and all national commitments made at the Summit, focus on reaching those who are being left furthest behind. This is our last chance to get the SDGs back on track.”
