The Secretary of State

On this International Day of Persons with Disabilities, the United States reaffirms its commitment to working in partnership with the international community and doing our part to help reach the Sustainable Development Goals adopted by the United Nations in 2015. We underscore the value of inclusion of persons with disabilities as essential to the effective implementation of Agenda 2030.

Around the world, the disability community accounts for 1.3 billion of the world’s population, of which 80 percent live in developing countries. Building on many decades of progress made to promote the rights and well-being of persons with disabilities, the United States seeks to support disability advocates striving for enjoyment of human rights by persons with disabilities. The Department of State will continue working to uphold the rights of persons with disabilities and pursue disability-inclusive diplomacy around the world.