The Country Director, CBM Global Disability Inclusion, Ms Ekaete Umoh, has called for inclusion of Persons With Disabilities (PWDs) in the United Nations (UN) “loss and damage” fund.
She made the appeal Tuesday in Abuja during a press briefing on climate change and its impact on PWDs.
On Sunday, the UN COP27 summit of nearly 200 countries agreed to set up a “loss and damage” fund to support poorer countries being ravaged by climate impacts.
According to Umoh, PWDs had not been considered as a segment of the society that is vulnerable to the effects of environmental disasters and global warming.
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“We call for the inclusion of persons with disabilities and their representative organizations in the management of the UN Loss & Damage Fund which seeks to make up for the losses suffered by developing nations that are vulnerable to climate change and support poorer countries being ravaged by climate impacts,” she appealed.
She also urged the Federal Government to include PWDs as part of conversations around climate action and policy formulation.
“Persons with disabilities are not part of the conversations around climate action which begins with understanding how climate change affects them and their families. Furthermore, Policy formulation and programmes are developed without consultation with Persons with disabilities or their organisations.”
“We call for the meaningful participation, inclusion, and leadership of persons with disabilities and their representative organizations within disaster risk management and climate change-related decision-making at the local, national, regional, and global levels, which lies at the heart of an approach to climate action that is respectful of the rights of persons with disabilities.”
Country Programme Manager, CBM Global Disability Including, Dr Adedeji Ademefun, lamented that PWDs have been denied full rights to vote during elections due to non-provision of special voting materials by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
He, therefore, urged the electoral body to make available special materials which would facilitate the inclusiveness of people with disability in the voting exercise.
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