Lusaka, Zambia – The European Union marked the International Day of Persons with Disabilities 2025 by reaffirming its commitment to disability inclusion in southern Africa. EU Ambassador Karolina Stasiak spoke on Radio Phoenix on 3 December alongside representatives from civil society organisations benefiting from EU support, including Sight Savers, the Eswatini Federation of Disability Organisations, and the Albinism Foundation.
The discussion focused on the need for countries in the region, including Eswatini, to implement policies aligned with the African Disability Protocol, the continent’s version of the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities. Ambassador Stasiak outlined the EU’s regional programmes for inclusive education and human development, such as the Equal Chances for Human Development initiative, valued at 1.3 billion ZMW, which aims to ensure that resources reach grassroots communities in Eswatini, Zambia, Zimbabwe, and Malawi.
She stated that the EU supports the Amman-Berlin Declaration on Global Disability, which allocates 15 percent of international development funding to persons with disabilities. Ambassador Stasiak also urged communities to challenge taboos around disabilities and called for greater attention to under-recognised conditions.
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