Dear colleagues, 

According to the World Health Organization, about 15% of the world's population (or approximately 1 billion people) live with some form of disability. 

At the same time, the World Bank estimates that 20% of the world's poorest people have some degree of disability. Therefore, the integration of people with disabilities into society remains in the core of our efforts. 

The United Nations Development Program in the Republic of Belarus, together with national and local partners, is actively working to create conditions for comprehensive social and economic support of people with disabilities, applying international and national approaches. 

Over the past few years, UNDP has implemented several initiatives on social and economic support, education, and enlightenment of people with disabilities.

Here are a few examples.

A local cab network in Zhlobin, Gomel region, offers a new service for the town and the district to transport people with disabilities in a specially equipped minibus.

The first inclusive coffee bean processing company in Belarus was established in Khoiniki district, Gomel region The founder and employees of the company are wheelchair-bound people with disabilities.

The future business plans feature packaging coffee in drip packs, creating a laboratory for blending coffee beans varieties, and expanding online sales.

A social cooperative in Lida offers professional cleaning and hygiene care services for persons with reduced mobility and people with disabilities. 

The AR Educational and Medical Center in Borisov, Mogilev region, trains doctors to perform complex surgeries using augmented reality technologies. The center opened a medical services laboratory for conducting such surgeries.

Inclusion of people with disabilities in green volunteering helps to develop their green knowledge and skills, builds respect for the environment. In addition, green volunteering promotes greater socialization.

UNDP's Sustainability Acceleration Lab provides expert support to social enterprises in the districts to expand their customer base and reach new markets through online marketplaces and social media. 

The initiative works with social entrepreneurs from Khoiniki and Bragin districts, Gomel region, who engage socially vulnerable categories of population in labor activities.

Our activities and international experience demonstrate that the most important aspect of realizing human potential is targeting and considering the needs of individual categories of people with disabilities, as well as the quality and standard of their lives.

We see the existing challenges as additional opportunities.

For this purpose, as part of the implementation of the Action Plan of the Council on Sustainable Development for 21-22 years, together with the Ministry of Labor and Social Protection and the Center for Demographic Research of the Research Institute of Labor, UNDP has prepared an Analytical Review on "Living Standards and Employment of People with Disabilities in Belarus". 

The review analyzes data from official statistics and thematic sociological studies on people with disabilities. 

According to the statistical data of 21 years, the employment rate of people with disabilities according to the methodology of the International Labor Organization is 11.7% among all people with disabilities and 22.9% among people with disabilities of working age. 

The results of the analysis showed that the following areas are prioritized for people with disabilities. 

• arrangement of workplaces in accordance with the disability profile;
• expansion of opportunities for paid employment; 
• obtaining education or improving qualifications.

Based on the results of the analysis, a number of recommendations have been developed, namely: 

• Improving approaches to data collection on people with disabilities, including data on types of disabilities.
• Piloting practical recommendations for the private sector on job creation for people with disabilities. 
• Development of training programs, improvement of qualifications in demand on the labor market.
• Conducting sociological research on the labor potential of people with disabilities. 
• Developing and supporting the functioning of an intersectoral platform of employers, people with disabilities, employment, and economic bodies.
• Supporting social initiatives and projects of public organizations and private business to realize the labor potential of people with disabilities.

UNDP expresses its readiness to partner with the Ministry of Labour and Social Protection of the Republic of Belarus and other interested government agencies, public organizations, and the private sector to contribute to the implementation of the above recommendations, thus ensuring favorable conditions for the inclusion of people with disabilities in the social and economic life of the society, ensuring the principle of "Leave No One Behind" is fully implemented.

Thank you for your attention!