Main Event: No equity without investment: The urgent need for disability-inclusive financing

Persons with disabilities make up over 16 % of the global population - about 1.3 billion people - yet remain underrepresented in the discourse around global development and financing frameworks. Despite some progress, historical underinvestment persists, and without disability-inclusive financing, sustainable disability-inclusive development is impossible.

 The global financing gap for sustainable development now stands at USD 4 trillion (Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development/OECD 2025), an increase of over 50 % since pre-pandemic estimates, and is projected to increase to USD 6,4 trillion in 2030. Many developing countries face rising debt burdens, economic instability, and worsening inequalities, yet disability remains largely sidelined in financing discussions. Article 32 of the Convention on the Rights of Persons with disabilities/CRPD) underscores the need for inclusive international cooperation, while governments must commit the “maximum available resources” to fulfil disability rights at the national level. This requires integrating disability into budgets, policies, and programs to ensure no one is left behind.  

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