Backgrounder: Charter on Inclusion of Persons with Disabilities in Humanitarian Action

Charter on Inclusion of Persons with Disabilities in Humanitarian Action

On May 24, 2016, the Charter on Inclusion of Persons with Disabilities in Humanitarian Action was endorsed by 101 stakeholders at the United Nations World Humanitarian Summit in Istanbul. The Charter aims to significantly improve living conditions of people with disabilities during emergencies.

The Charter was developed by over 70 stakeholders from states, UN agencies, the international civil society community and global, regional and national organizations of people with disabilities. It is the first time that Member States, UN Agencies, the Red Cross Red Crescent movement, NGO networks and civil society have joined forces around a common document on the inclusion of people with disabilities in humanitarian action.

The Charter on Inclusion of Persons with Disabilities in Humanitarian Action urges government representatives as well as leaders of non-governmental organizations and funding bodies to ensure that their future humanitarian actions will be inclusive of people with disabilities, based on five principles:

1. non-discrimination and recognition of the diversity of persons with disabilities;
2. involvement of persons with disabilities in developing humanitarian programs;
3. ensuring services and humanitarian assistance are equally available for and accessible to all persons with disabilities;
4. implementation of inclusive global policies; and
5. cooperation and coordination among humanitarian actors to improve inclusion of persons with disabilities.

Canada, through its International Humanitarian Assistance Program, aims to save lives, alleviate suffering, and maintain the dignity of those affected by conflicts and natural disasters by providing appropriate, timely and effective responses. Canada’s provision of international humanitarian assistance is based on inclusiveness of all vulnerable crisis-affected people, such as people with disabilities.

By endorsing this Charter, Canada is committing to continue to render humanitarian action inclusive of people with disabilities and communicating our desire to do so to other states and civil society organizations. It is also an opportunity to build on a growing awareness and consensus within the humanitarian community of the importance of inclusion and participation of people with disabilities in humanitarian action.