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UNITED NATIONS, Dec. 3 (Xinhua) -- UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon on Saturday called for "full inclusion and effective participation of persons with disabilities in society and development" as UN members states are carrying out the Sustainable Development Goals.
In his message to mark the International Day of Persons with Disabilities, the secretary-general said that "With its 17 interdependent Sustainable Development Goals, the 2030 Agenda is based on a pledge to leave no one behind. Achieving this requires the full inclusion and effective participation of persons with disabilities in society and development."
"Much remains to be accomplished before persons with disabilities can realize their full potential as equal and valued members of society," Ban said. "We must eliminate the stereotypes and discrimination that perpetuate their exclusion and build an accessible, enabling and inclusive environment for all."
"For the 2030 Agenda to succeed, we must include persons with disabilities in implementation and monitoring and use the Convention as a guide," he said.
The secretary-general described the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development as the "blueprint for peace, prosperity, dignity and opportunity for all on a healthy planet."
On this International Day of Persons with Disabilities, "I urge national and local governments, businesses and all actors in society to intensify efforts to end discrimination and remove the environmental and attitudinal obstacles that prevent persons with disabilities from enjoying their civil, political, economic, social and cultural rights," he said.
"Let us work together for the full and equal participation of persons with disabilities in an inclusive and sustainable world that embraces humanity in all its diversity," Ban added.
The International Day of Persons with Disabilities, which falls on Dec. 3, is an international observance promoted by the United Nations since 1992. It has been celebrated with varying degrees of success around the planet. The observance of the Day aims to promote an understanding of disability issues and mobilize support for the dignity, rights and well-being of persons with disabilities.
