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European Regional Disability Summit

On 6 December, the European Regional Disability Summit took place in Berlin and online, as part of the series of events leading up to the Global Disability Summit 2025 (GDS2025).

Here you can access the full programme of the event to see the expert speakers who participated. The aim of this summit was to raise awareness and discuss the importance of inclusive international cooperation and humanitarian action with partners from greater Europe and Central Asia in collaboration with Organisations of Persons with Disabilities (OPDs). The summit addressed the implementation and monitoring of the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (UNCRPD) to ensure comprehensive advancements in disability rights. During a day of in depth discussions and thought-provoking panels, several key priorities were highlighted:

  • Consistency in UNCRPD Implementation across Europe;
  • Cultural change to end ableism – the discrimination against persons with disabilities;
  • European international cooperation and humanitarian action must ensure; disability-inclusive development principles and a human rights based approach to disability;
  • Disability Mainstreaming via a Twin-Track Approach;
  • Fostering sustainable development and environmental resilience, ensuring that emergency preparedness and response plans are inclusive of persons with disabilities;
  • Meaningful participation of persons with disabilities and their representing organisations from both urban and rural areas in decision making;
  • Investing in community-based support services to promote independent living, Inclusive Education and Employment;
  • Adopting gender and intersectionality approaches to safeguard the rights of those who can face overlapping discrimination, violence and barriers to societal inclusion.

On top of this, the speakers emphasised the need for poverty reduction and for improved accessibility, as well as improved data collection to inform evidence-based policymaking.

EPR eagerly awaits the GDS2025!