Statement attributable to Ms. Helena Fraser, UN Resident Coordinator in Uzbekistan, On the occasion of ratification of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities by Uzbekistan

By ratifying the Convention, the government reiterates its commitment to human rights and the importance of promoting the rights of persons with disabilities in line with the principles of the Convention, as well as the principle of Leaving No One Behind.

Promoting the rights and inclusion of People with Disabilities in line with the Sustainable Development Goals has been a key long-standing priority for the UN Country Team in delivering together in Uzbekistan.

In recent years, the UN family in Uzbekistan has continuously provided technical and financial support both to promote the ratification of the Convention and to enhance inclusion of people with disabilities. The UN Country Team has collaborated substantially with the Government of Uzbekistan and Organizations of People with Disabilities in strengthening national legislation on People with Disabilities and bringing it in alignment with the Convention and related international norms and standards. We have also worked to build national capacity for practical implementation of the Convention at the country level and to raise public awareness to promote disability inclusion.

In line with a core principle of the 2030 Agenda to Leave No One Behind, the UN Country Team has also supported improved data availability through comprehensive situational assessments and surveys. Our focus on strengthening national statistics on disability has helped to establish a strong evidence base for informed policy-making and enhanced targeting of social assistance. 

Through our flagship UN Joint Programme on Social Protection funded by the Joint SDG Fund, the UN Country Team has been supporting local initiatives led by people with disabilities and innovative human-rights based approaches to delivering integrated social protection and inclusive public services for persons with disabilities.

At the global level, the United Nations system has affirmed that the full and complete realization of human rights of all persons with disabilities is an inalienable, integral, and indivisible part of all human rights and fundamental freedoms. The United Nations Country Team is committed to continue providing full support to further implementation of the UNCRPD in Uzbekistan. Moreover, in line with the UN system-wide Disability Inclusion Strategy, we aspire to continuously promote the full and equal participation of persons with disabilities in all our activities, and we commit to take action for the better inclusion of persons with disabilities to make decisions for their own lives as active members of society towards a disability-inclusive, accessible and sustainable Uzbekistan.