Organisations welcome the result of sustained advocacy
The Disability Rights Fund welcomed ratification in July. Pacific programme officer Faaolo Utumapu-Utailesolo credited years of work by organisations of persons with disabilities. She connected rights with the Pacific’s climate challenges, stressing that disabled people were also developing solutions for inclusion and justice.
Climate decisions need disabled people’s participation
In a separate July interview, Melvina Voua of People with Disabilities Solomon Islands described research involving Solomon Islands, Kiribati and Tuvalu. She called for disabled people to be included in national adaptation planning and decisions about evacuation centres. “All the adaptation and mitigation plans must be inclusive,” she said. [4]
Treaty commitments meet local demands
The government linked ratification to its national disability policy and rehabilitation work. Voua’s account showed what participation meant in practice: involving grassroots organisations when plans are developed and listening to their knowledge of barriers. Her call extended the debate from treaty commitments to the accessibility of evacuation centres and local climate decisions. [1][4]