Kathmandu, December 18

Stakeholders have said that support of government and the private sector was necessary to achieve Sustainable Development Goals related to the rights of persons with disabilities.

The two-day national conference on ‘Disabilities and Sustainable Development Goals’ was organised by Ministry of Women, Children and Social Welfare, National Federation of Disabled-Nepal and UNDP in Kathmandu today on the occasion of the 26th International Day on Persons with Disabilities.

The speakers said the goals adopted by SDGs should be fulfilled to bring persons with disabilities in the mainstream. The United Nations in 2015 had issued the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and its 17 Sustainable Development Goals.

On the occasion, Minister for Women, Children and Social Welfare, Bikram Bahadur Thapa, said that the ministry has been carrying out activities to ensure rights of persons with disabilities.

Similarly, Secretary at the ministry Ngaindra Prasad Upadhyay, said that budget and programme should be linked with sustainable development to achieve the SDGs.

Saying the constitution has guaranteed the rights of disabled persons, Joint-Secretary at the National Planning Commission Dr Kiran Rupakheti said that collaboration of all sectors was necessary to bring them in the mainstream of the country.

President of National Federation of Disabled-Nepal, Sudarshan Subedi, Director of NGO Federation Nepal, Dayasagar Shrestha, Deputy-Director of the Save the Children Bandana Risal, among others stressed that the government should play a crucial role to incorporate disabled persons in every goal of development. There are 500,000 disabled persons in Nepal.