Mitgliederbereich
For the first time, a self-advocacy organization from South Sudan is participating in the Global Disability Summit. In an interview, Mauot Anyang, Chairperson of the South Sudan Association of the Visually Impaired, talks about his expectations for the meeting in Berlin. He emphasizes that persons with disabilities, especially in war and crisis zones, are at risk of being left behind. He sees the summit as an opportunity to raise more awareness for their concerns.
What are your key expectations for the Global Disability Summit 2025 in Berlin?
The GDS 2025 represents the first summit where persons with disabilities in South Sudan are expected to participate, which constitutes a positive shift in the perspective of a person with a disability from South Sudan, a country that continues to grapple with a multi-layered, protracted crisis due to the internal conflict that erupted in 2013.
Our expectations for the summit:
- To advocate for the establishment of a robust mechanism for the United Nations and governments towards the development of more assertive monitoring for the rights of persons with disabilities and the implementation of the UN Disability Inclusion Strategy 2018, where persons with disabilities from conflict-affected countries risk being left behind.
- Further, crisis-affected countries should influence governments to form a disability crisis response and monitoring platform capable of effectively championing issues of persons with disabilities on the global arena and at the country level through making reporting on disability inclusion compulsory for crisis-affected countries and especially in developing countries, including South Sudan.
- Climate change has increased competition for resources in rural communities, which often results in intercommunal violence and increased tropical diseases, the most recent being the declaration of a cholera outbreak in South Sudan. These factors combine to increase morbidity and mortality among persons with disabilities, according to global evidence. Therefore, disregarding a disability-inclusive approach to climate action may hamper eradication and control efforts.
- To facilitate a periodic review of the rights of persons with disabilities in countries like South Sudan and its neighbouring countries that are experiencing conflict, with the view of enhancing the participation of persons with disabilities in rebuilding peace and development.
- The government must assume its obligations under human rights and international humanitarian law and ensure they are put at the center of the triple nexus of development, humanitarian response, and peace-building efforts by removing bureaucratic obstacles that impede the realization of equality for persons with disabilities, while ensuring that persons with disabilities who face risks in their own countries are not left to undergo this battle of policy reform and social transformation alone by guaranteeing that global solidarity and international cooperation remain responsive to the concerns and priorities of persons with disabilities.
What are the most pressing challenges for persons with disabilities in your country that you hope will be addressed at the summit?
South Sudanese persons with disabilities continue to experience persistent violence, abuse, and trauma with the complete absence of GIZ and BMZ, including indirect assistance for the disability movement. Indeed, their assistance has removed key barriers faced by persons with disabilities. We know that many countries, not only Germany, have a role to play.
However, since Germany is a key actor and a friend of the South Sudanese people, we appeal for increasing the focus on disability in German assistance, increased mainstreaming and for enabling strong and cross-sectoral monitoring of disability inclusion in German international cooperation. Additionally, German NGOs should initiate direct engagement with organizations of persons with disabilities and facilitate capacity building and access to resources for the realization of a people-centered humanitarian response that fosters equitable and lifesaving humanitarian assistance. Many more states in South Sudan continue to lack direct assistance to organizations of persons with disabilities. Thus, children with disabilities‘ access to nutrient-rich vaccination and clothing remains largely neglected, despite many families considering it a burden.
What would a successful Global Disability Summit look like for you?
The legal framework, the UNCRPD, which has been signed by many countries, including South Sudan, receives more global attention.
Mauot Anyang is Chairperson of the South Sudan Association of the Visually Impaired
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