From Political Will to Tangible Change: Launching…

In a world where disability inclusion too often is still not a priority, the Global Disability Summit (GDS) 2025 aims to increase commitment and action for disability inclusive sustainable development and humanitarian action. The Global Disability Summit (GDS) is a unique global mechanism that improves the lives of persons with disabilities, especially from the Global South. It was created in 2017 to convene global, regional, and national leaders that share the same goal and vision.It offers a mechanism for commitments that advance investments in financial and human resources to support disability inclusive sustainable development and humanitarian action.The GDS2025 will be held in Berlin on April 2 and 3, 2025. The Summit is co-hosted by the Governments of Germany and Jordan, and the International Disability Alliance (IDA).Germany, Jordan, and IDA want to accelerate the momentum created by the previous two GDS and expand the global efforts for disability equality and meaningful engagement of persons with disabilities. At the same time, we feel the need to create even more opportunities for multiple stakeholders to come together to align for real change, given we are increasingly confronted with the fact that well-intended commitments and policies are either not implemented, or not resulting in systemic impact. Therefore, we need a bold mechanism to translate international obligations into practical policies. A first step towards the achievement of this goal, is to launch the GDS Commitment Mechanism at COSP 17.During the side event, the three GDS2025 co-hosts will address key aspects of the next GDS and will present the new platform for commitments submission.