Marginalised groups jeopardise sustainable development goals

Islamabad:In order to demand equal rights and opportunities for people with disabilities, Sightsavers is launching the ‘Equal World campaign’ which calls for action to protect global disability rights ahead of a high-level UN summit on the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in September 2023.

In the lead up to this event, Sightsavers’ ‘Equal World’ campaign is highlighting that progress on these global goals could be in peril unless attention is given to marginalised groups, including people with disabilities. The call follows a new UN report which shows that the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) will not be achieved without urgent action on global equality.

The SDGs are a set of 17 ambitious goals which aim to reduce poverty and inequality by 2030. The member states will gather at the SDG Summit in New York to make new commitments and assess progress. The outcome of the summit will be a negotiated political declaration.

Sightsavers’ country director Munazza Gillani said, “As the world is coming to the halfway point of the 2030 deadline, progress on the SDGs has derailed – they are completely off-track. The promise to leave no one behind is in peril. The Government of Pakistan has taken some major initiatives to ensure the implementation of SDGs, which we welcome, however disability inclusion in SDGs is yet to be achieved”.

Gillani further added, “As the UN Secretary-General’s report shows, people with disabilities are being hit hardest by the lack of progress on poverty and inequality. Globally, up to twice as many people with disabilities live under the poverty line than people without disabilities.

“We’re calling on the Government of Pakistan, and all world leaders, to speed up action on the SDGs and make sure they are inclusive of people with disabilities. Governments must ensure that the Political Declaration, and all national commitments made at the SDG Summit, focus on reaching those who are being left furthest behind. This is our last chance to get the Goals back on track”

“A key SDG indicator is the right to accessible forms of information. Therefore, we are also calling on the government to ratify the international Marrakesh Treaty. The treaty makes it possible for blind and visually impaired people to access books under copyright and access any published work”.