In November 2023, the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) released a new human rights concept for German development cooperation. The new human rights concept envisions a world where everyone is free of hardships and there is equal social, economic, political participation of people regardless of age, gender, race, sexual orientation and much more. The realisation of human rights, gender equality and disability inclusion are the guiding principles for this new concept.
It focuses on the individual as a rights owner, making specific reference to women, children, persons with disabilities, and LGBTIQ+. Vis-à-vis the individual, states act as duty bearers to respect, protect and fulfill the human rights of each person. Human rights-based development policy is at the core of German development cooperation, supporting individuals in knowing, claiming, and realizing their rights, as well as addressing states to deliver on their obligations.
In the same commitment by German development cooperation to foster rights of persons with disabilities, the German government also introduced the OECD-DAC policy marker on the inclusion and empowerment of persons with disabilities on January 1st, 2024. This DAC marker will ensure that persons with diabilities are included in the design and implementations of policies and projects.
You can find more information on the new human rights concept in German development cooperation and what this new concept means for the advancement of the rights of persons with disabilities on the website of the BMZ [in German].