Minimum Standards and Guidance on Disability Inclusion Mainstreaming in United Nations Joint Programmes
The Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD) informs the work of the UN across its pillars of sustainable development, human rights, and peace and security. The CRPD emphasizes the importance of mainstreaming disability issues as an integral part of relevant strategies of sustainable development.1 In this light, to ensure that persons with disabilities benefit equitably from sustainable development, these minimum standards and the accompanying guidance note were developed by the Joint SDG Fund in collaboration with the Executive Office of the Secretary-General. These standards align with the United Nations Disability Inclusion Strategy 2.0 (UNDIS 2.0) and guide UN country teams to operationalize disability inclusion mainstreaming in joint programmes.
UNDIS was launched by the UN Secretary-General in 2019 to provide a foundation for sustainable and transformative progress on disability inclusion in the United Nations, for better institutional capacity and support to Member States in implementing the CRPD and leaving no one behind in achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). UNDIS defines mainstreaming disability inclusion as a consistent and systematic approach to disability inclusion in all areas of operations and programmes.2 The revised UNDIS, UNDIS 2.0, approved in 2026, builds on progress made and addresses gaps in implementing disability inclusion, including requiring more rigorous disability inclusion mainstreaming in projects and programmes, especially at country level.
The Joint SDG Fund is the UN's flagship financing mechanism for accelerating the SDGs through integrated, country-led solutions. The Fund is grounded in the principles of leave no one behind and a human rights-based approach, embedding these throughout the joint programme cycle. The 2022 report on social protection and leave no one behind highlighted the Fund's impact, including the expansion of access to social protection for over 4 million persons with disabilities, while promoting gender equality and greater engagement with youth and marginalized groups
