Integrating disabled people into the labour market, an urgent challenge

Employment for people with disabilities has always been a challenging matter. The barriers that prevent them from finding jobs violate their rights and are harmful to our societies and economies.

The UN annual Forum on Business and Human Rights is a global platform for exchanging experiences and achieving State and business policy cohesion to promote inclusion and raise awareness of this situation.

The objective is to ensure compliance vis-à-vis the business–related human rights impacts of disability. In this regard, it provides a unique space for dialogue between governments, business, civil society, affected groups and international organisations on trends, challenges and good practices.

The SOCIEUX+ project, funded by the European Union and managed jointly by FIIAAP, participated in the meeting as an organisation whose mission is to improve the situation in low- and middle-income countries in the field of social protection. The expert who took part in the meeting shared the European Union’s expertise in this area by giving examples of assistance to governments in Latin America, Africa and the Caucasus region to drive inclusive employment policies and practices.

The forum was organised by the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR), the International Labour Organization (ILO), the International Disability Alliance (IDA), the Office of the Special Rapporteur on the rights of persons with disabilities, and Bridging the Gap, another FIIAPP project funded by the European Union.