This brief provides a comprehensive overview of UNDP Syria’s work on disability inclusion programme.

With the conflict in Syria well into its 11th year, there is an urgent need to adopt a comprehensive, integrated and multidisciplinary approach to disability-inclusive programming. In fact, 28 percent of the total population (aged 2+) in Syria have some form of disability. Evidence from the national assessment of disability in Syria shows that in addition to the provision of medical rehabilitation services, other environmental factors such as physical and social barriers and the mental health of persons with disabilities (PWDs) are priorities to be addressed and require urgent attention.

UNDP Syria recognizes disability inclusion as an essential requirement for advancing the implementation of the SDGs and promotes the rights of PWDs in Syria in line with the guiding principles of the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD), such as non-discrimination, participation and inclusion, equality of opportunity, respect and dignity, and respect for diversity, which are fundamental for building an inclusive and cohesive society in Syria.

Inclusive policies and programmes are sound investments in society, and both the SDGs and the CRPD are mutually inclusive and critical for developing an effective disability inclusion and overall recovery and resilience programme. The brief touches upon its strategy and approach, elaborates on key results and presents its vision for the future.