Building Future Societies for All

During the 2017 International Day of Persons with Disabilities (IDPD) on 1 December, the United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs, Division for Social Policy and Development (UNDESA DSPD) is organizing a high-level expert discussion on "Building Future Societies for All" in the lead up to the 56th Commission for Social Development (CSocD56), whose priority theme is “Strategies for the eradication of poverty to achieve sustainable development for all.” Bearing in mind that 2017 is the International Year of Sustainable Tourism for Development, in addition to a focus on urban social development, the discussion will also explore the benefits and contributions of pro-poor tourism, to encourage stakeholders to better identify strategies for building prosperous, inclusive and resilient societies for all, leaving no one behind.

Urban poverty, inequalities and exclusion often exist at the expense of sustainable development. The speed and scale of urbanization brings challenges for all family members such as youth, particularly young girls and women, persons with disabilities, indigenous peoples and older persons. Furthermore, most cities are vulnerable to at least one type of natural disaster, and people living in cities face high risk of disaster-related mortality or economic losses.

When civil society and governments work together on poverty eradication strategies, innovative public policy frameworks can be created to build resilient societies. Due to the increasing economic importance of travel and leisure worldwide, the tourism industry offers a unique opportunity to shape future cities by ensuring social inclusiveness, employment and poverty eradication.

In line with the 2030 Agenda, the event will focus on two main topics: Inclusive urbanization and sustainable tourism. The aim is to encourage multi-stakeholder partnerships to positively impact the prosperity and well-being of vulnerable communities living in urban areas. Learn more about the event on "Building Future Societies for All".

The 2017 IDPD aims to promote the rights and well-being of persons with disabilities in all spheres of society and development, and to increase awareness of on the situation of persons with disabilities in every aspect of political, social, economic and cultural life. The theme of this year is "Transformation towards sustainable and resilient society for all". 

The 2030 Agenda pledges to “leave no one behind”. Persons with disabilities, as both beneficiaries and  agents of change, can fast track the process towards inclusive and sustainable development and promote resilient society for all, including in the context of disaster risk reduction and humanitarian action, and urban development. Governments, persons with disabilities and their representative organisations, academic institutions and the private sector need to work as a “team” to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Learn more about the 2017 International Day of Persons with Disabilities.

Source: UNDESA DSPD