Despite being an estimated 15 percent of the world’s population, people with disabilities are not routinely included in peacebuilding, which would benefit from their expertise and perspectives. Although efforts to include marginalized populations can help, the current deficits are too great to be remedied through general approaches. This report covers the state of the field, identifies gaps and opportunities, and makes recommendations for the inclusion and meaningful participation of people with disabilities in peacebuilding. 

Summary

  • Legal and policy frameworks developed over the past fifteen years have advanced disability rights worldwide, but the peacebuilding field has not prioritized the inclusion of people with disabilities. As a result, most are routinely excluded from peacebuilding. 
  • When people with disabilities are included in peacebuilding, the approach is uneven, with some groups prioritized over others. 
  • Other major gaps in disability-inclusive peacebuilding are the lack of disability-disaggregated data on peacebuilding programs and the failure of peacebuilding organizations and governments to prioritize hiring people with disabilities among their own staff. 
  • Disability rights has proved to be an issue that can unify groups across conflict lines. The peacebuilding field would benefit from greater attention to the potential of this issue to catalyze peacebuilding and to the unifying role that is often played by organizations of persons with disabilities (OPDs) in conflict situations. 
  • Peacebuilding organizations and governments should eliminate barriers to participation and improve accessibility, plan and budget for inclusion, partner with OPDs, and make all programs inclusive while also developing dedicated programs to further the inclusion of people with disabilities in peacebuilding.

About the Report

This report reviews the current state of disability inclusion in peacebuilding, covering the international legal frameworks, gaps requiring immediate attention, and opportunities. It concludes with recommendations for how organizations can further the inclusion of people with disabilities in peacebuilding. 

About the Author

Elizabeth Murray is a senior program officer in the United States Institute of Peace (USIP) Africa Center, where she manages programs in the Central Africa region. She is the author of several USIP publications and co-editor of National Dialogues in Peacebuilding and Transitions: Creativity and Adaptive Thinking. Earlier in her career, she managed inclusive arts education programs.


Related Research & Analysis

Conflict Management Training for Peacekeepers (CMTP)

Conflict Management Training for Peacekeepers (CMTP)

Monday, March 10, 2025

USIP’s Conflict Management Training for Peacekeepers (CMTP) program trains uniform members of national militaries who serve in international and regional peacekeeping missions. The training aims to improve mission effectiveness and bolster trust in the mission by focusing on skills and knowledge that enhance professional conduct among troops. The program, which began in 2008, is implemented in partnership with the Department of State’s Global Peace Operations Initiative in the Bureau of Political-Military Affairs.

Type: Fact Sheet

Border Security Training Program (BSTP)

Border Security Training Program (BSTP)

Tuesday, February 25, 2025

USIP’s Border Security Training Program (BSTP) trains police officers from Kenya’s Border Police Unit (BPU) and General Service Unit (GSU) who are serving on al-Shabaab’s major transit corridor along the Kenya-Somalia border. The program, which began in 2017, is implemented in partnership with the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Counterterrorism and equips Kenyan police with the skills to better understand the civilian environment and cultivate relationships in order to more effectively achieve their mission and counter terrorist activity.

Type: Fact Sheet

The U.N. and Indigenous Peacebuilding: An Untapped Partnership

The U.N. and Indigenous Peacebuilding: An Untapped Partnership

Wednesday, January 29, 2025

In a historic development, the U.N. General Assembly passed a resolution in December that included a call for Indigenous people’s inclusion in “peace agreement negotiations, transitional justice processes, conflict resolution, mediation and constructive arrangements.”

Type: Analysis

U.S. Declares Genocide in Sudan: What Does It Mean for Peace?

U.S. Declares Genocide in Sudan: What Does It Mean for Peace?

Thursday, January 23, 2025

The U.S. government has concluded that the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces committed acts of genocide in Sudan after reviewing overwhelming evidence of the group’s mounting atrocities, which include the systemic targeting of women and children, ethnic cleansing and crimes against humanity. Former U.S. Special Envoy for Sudan Tom Perriello discusses how this designation permanently delegitimizes the RSF and its leadership, its impact on the ongoing civil war, and how the international community can elevate the voices of Sudanese people seeking a return to peace and democratic governance.

Type: Blog

View All Research & Analysis