Tackling poverty and inequality is non-negotiable

The UK government must reaffirm that tackling global poverty and inequality is non-negotiable, starting with disability inclusion.

The Global Partnerships Conference, taking place in London on 19 and 20 May, is an opportunity to ensure that the UK government will continue to put people with disabilities at the heart of global development. This is the call of Sightsavers’ Equal World campaign, which has been advocating for the meaningful inclusion of people with disabilities in the proceedings and outcomes in the run up to the conference.

The conference, co-hosted by the UK, South Africa, British Investment International as the UK government’s development finance institution and the Children’s Investment Fund Foundation, takes place against the backdrop of shrinking government development finance. Official development assistance from donor countries fell by more than 23 per cent in 2025, with further cuts projected into 2026 and beyond. This is the single largest annual decline on record.

An estimated one billion people with disabilities live in low and middle income countries and are among those historically left furthest behind in global development agendas. People with disabilities are more likely to be unemployed, out of school and unable to access healthcare. Women and girls with disabilities are especially affected.

Dom Haslam, deputy CEO of Sightsavers said: “Through hosting this conference, the UK government has positioned itself to lead conversations about the future of global development cooperation. The UK must clearly reaffirm that tackling poverty and inequality, and the commitment to leave no one behind, remains non-negotiable. This includes ongoing meaningful engagement with people with disabilities, particularly women from low income countries, and explicit commitment for the Global Partnerships Compact to deliver for marginalised groups.

“As the UK also prepares for its presidency of the G20 at the end of this year, it has a unique opportunity to embed the principle and practice of leaving no one behind across all tracks, including through strong engagement with organisations of persons with disabilities and support for an officially recognised Disability 20.

“In this environment of shrinking aid, it is even more important to ensure that what remains is allocated transparently, equitably and in ways that reach the people most left behind. Disability‑inclusive development must remain a core principle of UK global development policy more broadly, not least as part of its focus on women and girls.”

One in five women worldwide has a disability. This population are among the most consistently excluded groups on the planet. They face significant barriers across health, education, economic participation, and safety. They are up to 10 times more likely to experience gender-based violence than women without disabilities, yet they remain largely absent in the data and decision-making systems that shape global development.

Abia Akram, Sightsavers trustee and global campaign ambassador of the Equal World campaign added: “The conference has been positioned by the UK government as a defining moment as the UK’s shift away from a donor‑based approach towards more investment‑focused, locally led development. Many aspects of global development were already not working for people with disabilities, but this event is an opportunity to do things better.

“We cannot build the future using the non-inclusive models used in the past. Any new development cooperation approach must include and empower people with disabilities from design to delivery in order to address longstanding social and economic inequality. We must also learn and apply lessons from best practice of disability-inclusive development and ensure partnerships are based on meaningful participation.”