Welcome to the United Nations
On 3 December 2025, the United Nations will commemorate the International Day of Persons with Disabilities (IDPD) under the theme “Fostering disability-inclusive societies for advancing social progress.” This year’s observance builds directly on the momentum of the Second World Summit for Social Development, held in Doha in 4-6 November 2025, where world leaders reaffirmed their commitment to building a just, inclusive and equitable world.
A Call to Place Disability Inclusion at the Centre of Social Progress
The Doha Political Declaration reminds the global community that advancing social development is impossible without the full inclusion, participation and leadership of persons with disabilities. Yet, in every region, persons with disabilities continue to face persistent barriers:
Higher risks of poverty
Limited access to decent work and lower wages
Gaps in social protection, especially for those in the informal sector
Barriers to autonomy, dignity and agency within care and support systems
Unequal access to assistive technologies and accessible environments
As countries work to accelerate progress on poverty eradication, productive employment, and social inclusion, disability inclusion remains both a precondition and a driver of lasting change.
A Virtual Commemoration Focused on Solutions
The 2025 IDPD commemoration will take place virtually from 10:00 to 11:30 a.m. (EST) at the United Nations Headquarters in New York, and will bring together Member States, UN leaders, disability advocates and youth.
Concept Note
Join the event on 3 December via Zoom: https://zoom.us/j/91600322753
UN Global Campaigns
WEBINAR: Bridging gender and disability inclusion in UNDIS: A forward-looking accountability dialogue
The webinar is organized by UN Women and UNFPA, in partnership with UN Working Group on Gender and Disability Inclusion (UNWGGDI), UNSDG System-wide Evaluation Office, Government of Finland, International Disability Alliance and Women Enabled International. The main goal of the event is the launch of UNDIS Gender Assessment report and to provide a space to reflect on how to put the report’s recommendations into action moving from participation to power, and from box-ticking to transformation. A policy roundtable will follow.
Objectives of the webinar:
- To highlight the leadership and voices of women and girls with disabilities in shaping policy and accountability mechanisms, such as UNDIS.
- To officially launch and discuss the findings of the report Gender Responsiveness in the United Nations Disability Inclusion Strategy (UNDIS).
- To discuss the findings of the system-wide evaluation of the United Nations Disability Inclusion Strategy and the findings of the gender assessment of UNDIS and what opportunities are there to operationalize intersectionality through the recommendations.
- To identify opportunities for collaboration in the context of the different accountability frameworks: Gender SWAP and UNDIS, shared learning, and system-wide coherence on gender-responsive disability inclusion.
Date: Tuesday, 2 December 2025|
Time: 8-9:15 am EST / 2-3:15 pm CET / 4-5:15 EAT
Online via Zoom: The event will be in English, with Spanish translation and International Sign (IS) interpretation.
Register: https://bit.ly/genUNDIS
Concept Note: English | Spanish
Accessibility
The Accessibility Centre at United Nations Headquarters, through its services, supports the inclusion and greater participation of persons with disabilities in the meetings taking place on United Nations premises. The Accessibility Centre is located in close proximity to the meeting rooms and equipped with state-of-the-art assistive information and communication technology supporting audio, visual as well as physical impairments. For more information on the Accessibility Centre and its services, please visit the Centre's website at https://www.un.org/dgacm/en/content/accessibility.
Spread the Word!
Everyone can join on social media by promoting this year’s theme.
- Follow us on Twitter @UN_Enable, @UNDESASocial, @UNDESA and on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/undesasocial
- Use #DisabilityDay and #IDPD as the main hashtags
- Other hashtags: #EveryoneIncluded, #GlobalGoals and #CRPD