The International Disability Alliance (IDA), the Government of Germany and the Government of Jordan co-hosted the third Global Disability Summit (GDS25) in Berlin on 2 and 3 April 2025. Among the 3,000 attendees was the Commonwealth Parliamentarians with Disabilities (CPwD) Chairperson, Hon. Laura Kanushu, MP (Uganda) who highlighted the work of the network and the importance of promoting inclusive Parliaments. Other delegates from across the Commonwealth also attended the summit, including the CPwD Africa Regional Champion, Hon. Timothy Wanyonyi, MP (Kenya) and the Uganda Minister of Disabilities, Hon. Asamo Hellen Grace, MP.

The Global Disability Summit is a forum bringing together a wide variety of high-level stakeholders engaging and discussing the global progress in disability inclusion. The event brings together governments, multilateral agencies, the private sector, academia and civil society organisations, organisations of persons with disabilities and foundations.

This year’s Summit focussed on accelerating disability inclusion and strengthening international cooperation on disability rights. GDS25 aimed to drive forward actions that promote inclusive development under the guiding principles of ‘leaving no one behind’ and ‘nothing about us without us’ to achieve the Agenda 2030 goals adopted by the United Nations in 2015. A special focus was placed on data and evidence to improve disability-inclusive policymaking. The CPwD network has been supporting this goal by conducting data research into the numbers of Parliamentarians and parliamentary staff with disabilities.

Hon. Laura Kanushu represented the CPwD network at a panel discussion on ‘Advancing Disability-inclusive Development Through Intensified Parliamentary Engagement & Networks’. The event looked at issues including strengthening laws, budgets and political will. During the panel discussion, the CPwD Chair said: 

“Parliamentary networks are an avenue that Parliamentarians can make a changeable difference and impact through shared best practice. The CPA and CPwD are part of this change and contribute to transformative actions for Parliamentarians with disabilities, as are events like the Global Disability Summit.” 

Other panellists included Amanda Gordon, Office Manager at the Scottish Parliament; Dr Rainer Brockhaus, CEO of the Christian Blind Movement (CBM); Nawaf Kabbara, Chair and President of the International Disability Alliance; H.E. Faisla Al-Fayez, Speaker of the Senate of Jordan; Eric Tzun, MP (Guatemala) and Dr Marion Steff from the European Disability Forum. 

The CPwD Chairperson was supported at the Global Disability Summit and a number of bilateral meetings by Avni Kondhia, CPA Programmes Manager and CPwD and Youth Engagement Coordinator. 

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The Commonwealth Parliamentary Association (CPA) is an international community of 180 Parliaments at national, state, provincial and territorial level working together to deepen the Commonwealth’s commitment to the highest standards of democratic governance.

The Commonwealth Parliamentarians with Disabilities (CPwD) network was founded in 2017 to support elected representatives with disabilities in Parliaments and Legislatures across the Commonwealth and to ensure that issues of persons with disabilities are brought to the fore in parliamentary debate and legislation. The CPwD network encourages all Parliamentarians to include a perspective mindful of disabilities in all aspects of their role - legislation, oversight and representation - and helps Parliaments to become institutions that are sensitive to issues surrounding disabilities.