Persons with disabilities among those most affected by pandemic
December 4, 2021, 1:33 am

Persons with disabilities among those most affected by pandemic

Disable woman on wheelchair/Pixabay

The Xinhua reported that on the International Day of Persons with Disabilities, which falls on Dec. 3 annually, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said on Friday that people with disabilities were among those most affected by the pandemic.

He said: "COVID-19 has laid bare the persistent barriers and inequalities faced by the world's 1 billion persons with disabilities."

In his view, a disability-inclusive pandemic response and recovery should be led by people with disabilities themselves.

Disable woman-Therapy during COVID/Pixabay

It should also "forge partnerships, tackle injustice and discrimination, expand access to technology and strengthen institutions to create a more inclusive, accessible, and sustainable post-COVID-19 world."

About 80 percent of people with disabilities live in developing countries, according to the UN. Nearly 46 percent of people aged 60 and older have a disability.

One in every five women is likely to experience disability in her life, while for children, that figure is one in 10.

The top UN official urged all countries to fully implement the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities to meet the needs of these people.

He said governments should also improve accessibility and dismantle legal, social, economic and other barriers with the active participation of persons with disabilities and their representative organizations.

"Realizing the rights, agency and leadership of persons with disabilities will advance our common future," he argued. "We need everyone, including persons with disabilities on board, to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals."

The International Day of Persons with Disabilities is an international observance promoted by the United Nations since 1992. It has been observed 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. Each year the day focuses on a different issue. The theme of this year is "Leadership and participation of persons with disabilities toward an inclusive, accessible and sustainable post-COVID-19 world."

Source: xinhua

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Upon arriving to participate in the summit of the European Political Community, which includes around forty heads of state in Budapest, he said, "I look forward to sitting with the elected U.S. president and seeing how we will collectively ensure we meet challenges, including the threats from Russia and North Korea." He also noted that the strengthening of ties between Russia and North Korea poses a threat to the United States as well, according to reports from Agence France-Presse.

Before Trump's victory, Rutte expressed confidence that a united Washington would remain part of the defensive alliance, even if Trump became the 47th president of the United States. In an interview with German public broadcaster ZDF last Monday night, he stated that both Republicans and Democrats understand that NATO serves not only the security of Europe but also that of America. He added that both candidates are aware that the security of the United States is closely tied to NATO.

On Wednesday, NATO congratulated Trump on his victory but did not address the Ukrainian issue.

It is noteworthy that the relationship between the elected U.S. president and the defense alliance was not the best during his first term in the White House. Trump criticized NATO member states multiple times and even hinted at withdrawing from the alliance unless they increased their financial contributions.

Additionally, the issue of the Russian-Ukrainian war is one of the matters that complicate relations between the two sides, especially since Trump has repeatedly stated that he can end this ongoing conflict, which began in 2022, quickly. He implied that he had a peace plan between Kyiv and Moscow, while his vice president, JD Vance, revealed aspects of that plan, which stipulated Ukraine's commitment not to join NATO, thereby sending reassuring signals to the Russians.

Furthermore, many NATO member states in Europe fear that Trump might halt military aid to Ukraine after he previously criticized the U.S. for pouring funds into supporting Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.