DESA UAE Event 2025

UAE Pathways to Inclusive Social Progress from Global Rights to Early Childhood & Community Impact

“Strengthening Partnerships, Shaping Inclusion”

This side event will serve as a dynamic platform to redefine strategies for social progress, strengthen global partnerships, and promote inclusive policies that ensure equitable opportunities for all.

Host: Ministry of Family & Zayed Authority for People Of Determination

Participants:

• National Academy Of Childhood Development
• International Disability Alliance (IDA)
• World Federation of the Deaf (WFD) 

As the world prepares for the Second World Summit for Social Development (DESA), the imperative is clear: building resilient, equitable, and sustainable societies requires a transformation in how inclusion is understood and practiced. Despite global commitments, over 1.3 billion people still experience exclusion rooted in structural and systemic barriers. Real progress demands moving beyond rhetoric to generate actionable, measurable commitments that align with sustainable development agendas and the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD).

The session will emphasize that resilience, inclusion, and sustainability can only be achieved through collective action across governments, international organizations, academia, civil society, and the private sector. The UAE model demonstrates how disability inclusion can be embedded across policy, services, and innovation ecosystems. This side event builds on that model, convening diverse partners to co-design commitments and create practical pathways that transform inclusion into resilience and sustainability. The purpose is not only to exchange experiences and innovative practices, but also to generate practical commitments and partnerships that advance the Summit’s vision of building just, inclusive, and future-ready societies.

Objectives:

• Define strategies for inclusive social progress in line with global sustainable development agendas.
• Strengthen cross-sectoral and international partnerships to drive equitable opportunities for all.
• Promote inclusive policies embedding accessibility and equity into governance, service delivery, and community systems.
• Showcase the UAE models.
• Amplify voices of global disability networks, academia, and early childhood experts.