{"id":15145,"date":"2025-12-25T16:31:48","date_gmt":"2025-12-25T10:46:48","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.nfdn.org.np\/?p=15145"},"modified":"2025-12-28T16:03:56","modified_gmt":"2025-12-28T10:18:56","slug":"post-global-disability-symposium-gds-2025","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.nfdn.org.np\/ne\/news\/post-global-disability-symposium-gds-2025\/","title":{"rendered":"Post-Global Disability Symposium (GDS) 2025"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
\"A<\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Report of Post-Global Disability Symposium (GDS) 2025<\/h1>\n\n\n\n

Internalizing Government Commitments towards Fulfillment of International Human Rights Instruments in Nepal<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Date:<\/strong> December 09, 2025<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Venue:<\/strong> The Everest Hotel, New Baneshwor, Kathmandu<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Jointly organized by:<\/strong> National Federation of the Disabled Nepal (NFDN) and Ministry of Women Children and Senior Citizen in collaboration with key Organizations of Persons with Disabilities (OPDs) and development partners<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Executive Summary<\/h1>\n\n\n\n

The Post-Global Disability Symposium 2025 was successfully convened in Kathmandu on December 9, 2025, bringing together government representatives, Organizations of Persons with Disabilities (OPDs), development partners, UN agencies, and civil society to deliberate on the implementation of the Amman-Berlin Declaration adopted at the Global Disability Summit (GDS) 2025 in Berlin. The symposium served as a critical platform to bridge the gap created by the Government of Nepal’s absence from the GDS and to internalize global commitments into national policy frameworks.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"A<\/a>
Figure 1 Participants attentively engage in a formal session<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

The event achieved significant outcomes including enhanced awareness among key government ministries about the Amman-Berlin Declaration, substantive thematic dialogue on disability-inclusive development across multiple sectors, and the drafting of the “Kathmandu Call for Action” – a 43-point declaration representing Nepal’s collective commitment to disability inclusion. The symposium concluded with the formal presentation of an OPD memorandum to government representatives, establishing a foundation for future advocacy and accountability in implementing both the Amman-Berlin Declaration and Nepal’s obligations under the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (UNCRPD).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Introduction and Background<\/h1>\n\n\n\n

Context and Rationale<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

The Post-Global Disability Symposium (GDS) 2025 was originally planned to be held during the second week of September 2025 immediately after the Global Disability Summit in Berlin. However, the event was unavoidably postponed due to the nationwide protest movement that occurred at the time, which made it impossible to convene the participation of government stakeholders. Consequently, the symposium was rescheduled and organized during the week marking the 34th International Day of Persons with Disabilities (IDPD), transforming the occasion into both a policy dialogue and a commemorative national event.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This symposium was jointly organized by the National Federation of the Disabled Nepal (NFDN) and the Ministry of Women, Children and Senior Citizens, and was co-organized by key national OPDs including Action on Disability Rights and Development (ADRAD), Blind Youth Association Nepal (BYAN), Nepal Disabled Women Association (NDWA), National Federation of the Deaf Nepal (NDFN) and Nepal Association of the Blind (NAB). Development partners participated as collaborators, including CBM Global, Humanity & Inclusion, Karuna Foundation, VSO Nepal, WaterAid Nepal, Abilis Foundation, the Association of International NGOs (AIN) Disability Working Group, and LNOB Nepal Partnership.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Through this collaborative effort, the symposium brought together government authorities, OPDs, development partners, UN agencies and civil society to reflect on the Amman-Berlin Declaration adopted at GDS 2025, review Nepal\u2019s existing disability inclusion landscape, and internalize global commitments into national plans, policies and implementation frameworks.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Evolution of the Global Disability Summit<\/h1>\n\n\n\n

The Global Disability Summit is the world’s leading global platform dedicated to advancing the rights, dignity, and inclusion of persons with disabilities. Established in 2018, the Summit was launched to accelerate implementation of the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD) and strengthen international cooperation for inclusive development.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The first Summit in London in 2018 and the second in 2022 marked historic turning points by generating major commitments from governments, development partners, and civil society. Building on these milestones, GDS 2025 in Berlin brought together over 4,700 participants from more than 160 countries, demonstrating the growing scale of participation and the increasing number of commitments to the global disability rights movement. The adoption of the landmark Amman-Berlin Declaration set a bold global target to ensure meaningful disability inclusion across development and humanitarian actions worldwide.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Nepal’s Disability Inclusion Landscape<\/h1>\n\n\n\n

Nepal has demonstrated strong constitutional and policy commitments to disability inclusion, particularly through the Constitution of Nepal 2072 and the 2017 Rights of Persons with Disabilities Act. However, a significant implementation gap remains between policy frameworks and ground-level realities. While improvements have been made in areas such as inclusive education policies, employment reservations, political participation, and accessibility in some urban infrastructures, substantial gaps persist in accessible transport, assistive technologies, inclusive health services, disaster risk reduction and disability-disaggregated data.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The current status reveals both progress and persistent challenges. Many local governments show willingness to work on inclusion but lack technical expertise, and progress remains uneven across provinces and sectors. With Nepal’s adoption of federalism, local governments now possess authority to formulate context-specific policies, presenting both opportunities and challenges for advancing disability-inclusive development nationwide.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Symposium Objectives<\/h1>\n\n\n\n

Overall Objective<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

To secure a preliminary commitment from the Government of Nepal to effectively contextualize and localize the GDS Amman-Berlin Declaration, with support from multilateral and bilateral agencies and in alignment with the UNCRPD framework.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Specific Objectives<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

The symposium was designed to achieve the following specific objectives:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    \n
  1. Introduce and contextualize the Amman-Berlin Declaration<\/strong>: Formally present the declaration to government representatives and other stakeholders, highlighting its relevance to Nepal’s national priorities and existing frameworks.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  2. Share Learnings and Commitments<\/strong>: Provide a platform for OPD representatives who attended GDS 2025 to share their experiences, key learnings, and the commitments they made on behalf of Nepal’s disability movement.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  3. Promote Thematic Discussion and Dialogue<\/strong>: Facilitate high-level discussions with government ministries on how to translate the declaration’s commitments into concrete actions and policies in key areas such as inclusive education, health, disability data (focusing on Citizen Generated Data), disaster risk reduction, and employment.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  4. Encourage Future Government Engagement<\/strong>: Build awareness among government stakeholders about the importance of the GDS declaration and encourage the Government of Nepal to prepare and place its own official declaration at the next GDS in 2028.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n

    Program Structure and Methodology<\/h1>\n\n\n\n

    The symposium was structured into two synergistic phases:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Pre-Execution Phase (Preparatory Activities)<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

    Prior to the main event, extensive preparatory work was undertaken to ensure the symposium would be well-informed, inclusive and yield tangible outcomes:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Desk Review and Contextualization<\/strong>: A thorough review of commitments made by Nepali OPDs at GDS 2025, analyzing their alignment with the Amman-Berlin Declaration, the UNCRPD and Nepal’s national development agenda.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Consultative Planning<\/strong>: Planning discussions with key OPDs to refine the concept and agenda, ensuring the event was guided by the experiences and priorities of persons with disabilities.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    \"A<\/a>
    Figure 2 Coordination meeting with OPDs<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

    Stakeholder Consultations<\/strong>: Extensive discussions with the Association of International NGOs (AIN) disability working group, key UN agencies, and multilateral\/bilateral agencies to secure their input, commitment, financial and technical support.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    \"A<\/a>
    Figure 3 Meeting with AIN and other INGOs<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

    Government Engagement<\/strong>: Dedicated meetings with high-level representatives from key government agencies including the Ministry of Women, Children, and Senior Citizens; the National Planning Commission; the Ministry of Finance; the Ministry of Education, Science and Technology; the Ministry of Labor, Employment and Social Security; the National Statistics Office; the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Authority; the Ministry of Health and Population; and the Ministry of Federal Affairs and General Administration to secure their early engagement and ownership of the symposium objectives.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    \"A<\/a>
    Figure 4 Advocacy Meeting at MoHP<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

    Accessibility and Reasonable Accommodation Measures<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

    Ensuring accessibility and inclusive participation was a key priority in the planning and execution of the Post-Global Disability Symposium 2025. The program venue, The Everest Hotel, New Baneshwor, Kathmandu, was largely accessible and enabled the participation of persons with diverse disabilities. The venue provided step-free access, accessible seating arrangements, and adequate movement space to facilitate the participation of wheelchair users and persons with mobility impairments.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    To ensure complete and effective communication for all participants, Nepali Sign Language Interpretation (SLI) was provided throughout the program for Deaf participants. Live captioning services were also arranged to support participants with hearing impairments and others who benefit from real-time text-based communication. In addition, large digital display screens were used to enhance the visibility of presentations and live captions, supporting participants with low vision and ensuring clearer access to information.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    These accessibility and reasonable accommodation measures significantly contributed to creating an inclusive, participatory, and rights-based environment, consistent with the principles of universal design, effective communication, and Nepal\u2019s commitments under the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (UNCRPD).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Execution Phase (One-Day Symposium)<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

    The main symposium on December 9, 2025, was organized into four major sessions:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Session 1: Opening Session – Bridging the Global to the National<\/strong>
    High-level opening with government officials and OPD representatives to formally launch the symposium and underscore the importance of the Amman-Berlin Declaration.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Session 2: Technical Session – OPD Presentations on GDS Commitments<\/strong>
    Focused presentations by OPDs who participated in GDS 2025, sharing their commitments and experiences.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Session 3: Technical Session – Thematic Presentations<\/strong>
    Presentations by development partners and government ministries on key commitment areas including inclusive education, health and rehabilitation, employment, WASH accessibility, and disaster risk reduction.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Session 4: Thematic Group Work and Call to Action<\/strong>
    Parallel working group discussions on 11 thematic areas, culminating in the development of the Kathmandu Call for Action.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Session 5: Closing Session<\/strong>
    Presentation of the 43-point Kathmandu Call for Action and formal handover of the OPD memorandum to government representatives.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Key Stakeholders and Participation<\/h1>\n\n\n\n

    The symposium successfully brought together a powerful coalition of stakeholders essential for translating global commitments into national action:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Organizations of Persons with Disabilities (OPDs)<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

    The symposium was led by the National Federation of the Disabled Nepal (NFDN)<\/strong>, with strong representation from:<\/p>\n\n\n\n