Babatunde Ahonsi, UN Resident Coordinator Remarks | Launch of the Livelihood Project & the Accessibility Audit Report .

I wish to, on behalf of the UN Country Team, commend the Government of Sierra Leone, especially the Ministry of Social Welfare, and the National Commission for Persons with Disabilities for their commitment to addressing disability inclusion issues, and for organizing today’s event.

One key development challenge for Sierra Leone is the inability to generate employment and livelihood opportunities for women and young people, including persons with disabilities, as well as build institutions that ensure accountability and service delivery for all. Another is the highly disability unfriendly nature of the built environment including public and private buildings and establishments.

Most persons with disabilities in Sierra Leone tend to be unseen, unheard, uncounted and unrepresented. They face discrimination and barriers in many spheres and stages of life. In day-to-day life, persons with disabilities are often excluded from access to the physical environment, information and social networks. They also face barriers to equal and appropriate education and opportunities to fair employment. The majority of persons with disabilities in Sierra Leone are trapped in a vicious cycle of poverty.

Fortunately, the Medium-term National Development Plan (2019-2023) focuses on addressing such critical issues as youth employment, gender equality, and empowering persons with disabilities in the bid to achieve cluster 1 of the National Development Plan: Human Capital Development.

In addition, the UN Secretary-General in 2019 launched the United Nations Disability Inclusion Strategy which charts a path to achieving transformative progress on disability inclusion across all pillars of the work of the UN.  Disability inclusion is thus an essential and integral part of UN support for the advancement of human rights, sustainable development and peace and social harmony in Sierra Leone.

His Excellency, Ladies and Gentlemen,

The UN in Sierra Leone targets economically excluded and vulnerable groups, including persons with disabilities, through an integrated approach that focuses on fostering an enabling legal, policy and social environment for effective service delivery. Examples include the review of the PWD Act 2011; the launch and implementation of the South-South Cooperation action plan; raising awareness and engaging communities on disability inclusion and changing attitudes; strengthening the capacity of the Ministry of Social Welfare and other service providers for effective implementation of the CRPD and supporting the establishment of disability issues units in MDAs.

Today’s launch of the livelihood project is part of UNDP’s support to the Ministry of Social Welfare with life skills & start-up kits for economic empowerment and combatting street begging among persons with disabilities. UNDP has also provided start-up kits (rickshaws/kekes, black smithery, tailoring, bead making items), for the economic empowerment of PwDs.

The UNCT recently worked with the Ministry of Social Welfare, the National Commission for Persons with Disability, and Organizations of Persons with Disability to develop and submit a joint proposal to the UNPRPD. Once this is approved, PWDs will be fully involved in its implementation with adequate attention to the issue of accessibility.

It is my hope that the project and report being launched today will help to centrally position disability inclusion within the quest for building back better from Covid-19 and accelerated progress towards the attainment of the SDGs in Sierra Leone.

I thank you all for your kind attention.