“15 per cent for the 15 per cent”. Global Disability Summit Concludes With Strong Commitments For Global Inclusion

The global population includes around 1.3 billion persons with disabilities. That is 15 per cent of all the people in the world.

The “Amman-Berlin Declaration on Global Disability Inclusion” is one of the most significant outcomes of the GDS 2025. The Declaration marks an important milestone for advancing the rights of persons with disabilities worldwide. 

It contains strong commitments for disability-inclusive international development cooperation and humanitarian action. The Declaration also emphasises the importance of meaningful engagement of Organisations of Persons with Disabilities and aims to foster impactful partnerships.

Among the Declaration’s commitments to disability inclusion are two specific targets for international development cooperation.
According to these, actors endorsing the declaration will:

• strive for all their international development programs to be inclusive of and accessible to persons with disabilities, by actively making a positive contribution to inclusive and full equality and to non-discrimination and by doing no harm.    
• strive to ensure that at least 15 percent of international development programmes being implemented at the country level pursue disability inclusion as an objective (“15 percent for the 15 percent”).

With the “15 percent for the 15 percent” target”, the Amman-Berlin-Declaration seeks to establish, for the first time, a quantifiable target for disability inclusion at a global scale. The goal is to achieve this target until the 4th GDS in 2028.

Besides adopting this new goal, the Summit also looked at good ideas for achieving it. 

Over 800 commitments to promote more access and inclusion were announced by participating governments and organisations. 

The Summit was jointly organised by the German Development Ministry on behalf of the German government, the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan and the International Disability Alliance (IDA).

ENAT's President, Anna Grazia Laura was present to celebrate the Global Summit, network with delegates and give support to the Declaration.
She writes:

"With more than 4500 participants, from over 100 countries the large majority represented  by persons with disability, the Global Disability Forum held in Berlin, April 2025, was an outstanding event where issues related to the inclusion, wellbeing, safety and independence of persons with disability were discussed from various points of view, ranging from school possibilities for children and youngsters, to “decent” job opportunities, safety and self-determination, particularly for women with disabilities. Particular focus was placed on technologies and innovations to strengthen the basis for inclusion and increased possibilities to participate in social and working life.

"The Summit concluded with the official release of the Amman-Berlin Declaration for Global Disability Inclusion. The 15% for the 15% objective is a clear commitment to achieve concrete results and the endorsements of 60 Governments and 60 International Organisations to go for this objective in the three years span from 2025 to 2028 is the basis on which the expectations of millions of persons with disabilities worldwide will be met.

"While the well-known notes of the song “We shall overcome” were heard in the largest room of the Station Berlin location, the Declaration was released. Many representative of countries came on-stage to confirm the agreement of their Governments to endorse the Declaration. Carolyn Casey, hosting the signing ceremony, was continuously receiving signatures and eventually she felt overcome by emotion when the numbers reached a significant level. It was indeed a moving moment that made you feel convinced that it will become true.

"Thank you to the Summit and delegates from around the world!"

Further information

Visit the Global Disability Summit Website

• Read and download these documents from the Downloads panel on this Webpage: 

1. Amman-Berlin Declaration in English
2. Amman-Berlin Declaration and Information in Easy-Reading format
3. Amman-Berlin Declaration - list of endorsements on 9 April 2025.