Thank you, Mr. Chair, for the opportunity to participate in this important discussion.
My name is Ola Abualghaib. I am the technical lead for the fund on the rights of persons with disabilities.
Our fund is unique, because it provides funding to governments to move ahead in terms of their commitments on the implementation of the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, including article 24 on education, and SDG4 on ensuring inclusive education and equality of education for all learners across their life cycle.
Our fund has already been implementing programs in 87 countries. Our approach to providing funding is making sure that national level program systems and policies are inclusive of rights of persons with disabilities, including children with disabilities.
The CRPD is very clear about what must be done to achieve quality, inclusive education for all. Children with disabilities must be included in the general education system and have access to reasonable accommodation and the support services and measures they require.
Member states must take action to ensure that all children with disabilities can access the skills they need to be included, including through the provision of Braille, sign language interpretation and availability of appropriately trained teachers and staff.
We understand from our work across the globe that there is a lot of commitment to inclusive education. However, there are still very significant challenges on the ground for children with disabilities to access education. We have heard colleagues regarding the existing statistics that are, unfortunately, showcasing that the reality on the ground is not meeting the ambition that the global world has committed to around access to education for children with disabilities.
We know that fundamental changes are required to achieve inclusive education. This is why UNPRPD programs focus on delivering system change at national level. For example, the UNPRPD fund is currently working to revise legislation to ensure non-discrimination, accessibility, the provision of support services and building the capacity of the education system across the education systems in Colombia, the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Vietnam. We are also delivering a multi-country program in Mozambique, Namibia, Tanzania and Zimbabwe to develop understanding of stigma and discrimination in technical and vocational education and training institutions, and among employers as well.
As the subcommittee will be aware, it's also vital to consider how broader issues impact education. It should be tackling disability equally. As world leaders have been convening at COP28, we must also consider how climate change threatens education systems and specifically its implication on children with disabilities.
We know that climate disasters disrupt access to education and damage education infrastructure. Unfortunately, we have already witnessed on the ground that many children with disabilities are impacted by this situation.
Building connections between climate action and education is vital for achieving transformative change. However, it is vital to remember that children and adults with disabilities are usually impacted by climate change and the mitigation measures designed to minimize the impacts, so their rights must be prioritized within that space as well.
Finally, as colleagues heard from fellow witnesses last week, there is a major issue around underinvestment in education and inclusive education specifically. This is not related only to education. This reflects chronic underinvestment in disability and development more broadly. According to OECD's DAC markers, 90% of development aid does not consider persons with disabilities, and zero to 27% have disabilities as their main focus.
Awareness of disability rights has grown since 2006, but this has not been backed up by finance or action. Sustained investment is required to achieve lasting change—