Mr. President,

Ukraine thanks Distinguished Panelists of this important discussion on disability-inclusive infrastructure.

For Ukraine, this issue is not only about future planning; it is also about survival during war. Since the beginning of Russia’s full-scale invasion, more than 330,000 civilian infrastructure sites, including homes, schools, hospitals and transport facilities, have been damaged or destroyed.

Russia’s systematic attacks on energy infrastructure over the past four winters have left major cities, including Kyiv, without electricity, water and heating for days. One can only imagine the situation of persons with disabilities and their families when elevators stopped working, when assistive devices and life-sustaining medical equipment lost power, and when people were effectively trapped in their homes without essential support.

Russia continues to destroy our cities, and Ukraine is forced to rebuild civilian infrastructure every day. Despite these circumstances, we are determined to ensure that the reconstruction of transport systems, housing and public spaces integrates accessibility from the very beginning, in line with the principles of a truly barrier-free environment.

Ukraine is committed to working closely with organizations of persons with disabilities to co-design inclusive infrastructure and recovery policies. We thank our partners and UN mechanisms for their support in building a society where accessibility and dignity are guaranteed for all.

Thank you