Remarks by His Majesty King Abdullah II at the Global Disability Summit

In the name of God, the Compassionate, the Merciful,

Chancellor Scholz,

Your Excellencies,

Dear friends,

I am delighted to join all of you today. And on behalf of Jordan, let me thank all of you for being here—for investing your time, and expertise, and tangible support, in the vital cause of disability rights. 

And let me also express my deep appreciation to Germany and the International Disability Alliance—Jordan’s partners in this third Global Disability Summit. Chancellor, my special thanks to you, the people of Germany and the government of Germany, for being such gracious hosts.

 

My friends,

Today, every country, from the richest to the poorest, is being challenged to fulfil the rights of brothers and sisters with disabilities. And no one has a more important role in success than the disability community itself. Your work, grounded in knowledge and experience, can make a world of difference to others.

Yet the responsibility is not yours alone. Here at this Summit—and in all the days ahead—we must work together; we must commit; and we must act—to ensure that everyone can live their lives in dignity, happiness, and hope.

Inclusion is not merely about accessibility. It is about recognising the inherent potential in every human being. It is about creating environments where everyone can contribute.

 

My friends,

I am proud of the generations of dedicated Jordanians who continue to work for the rights of people with disabilities.

Jordan was an early signatory to the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities. We amended our Constitution to reflect Jordan’s strong commitment to dignity and respect. Core legislation is in place to uphold disability rights. And far-reaching national strategies are focused on advancing accessibility, independent living, and inclusive education.

Jordan is also home to one of the leading centres in the region to focus on early intervention, special education, and vocational rehabilitation for people with mild and moderate intellectual disabilities, and it is also a pioneer for young people with learning disabilities.

Most recently, to drive real change in education, we established the Royal Academy for Inclusive Education.

And achieving these goals requires work across government and society, as well as international collaboration, as in our meetings here today.

And I congratulate the more than 80 Jordanian entities from both the public and private sectors that have made concrete commitments to this Summit.

Have we done enough? We still have much more work to do, to make sure that all Jordanians with disabilities can easily travel to schools and shops and voting centres; to get good jobs; to live independently; to find acceptance, respect and love.

 

My friends,

Let me say, that worldwide, our responsibility and response is especially important to those living in conflict zones. And people with disabilities are exceptionally vulnerable. This is one more reason why the work for peace, peace with justice, remains vital. And it is also why humanitarian action cannot be delayed.

The situation in Gaza is a painful example. Today, Gaza has the highest number of child amputees per capita in the world, along with massive numbers of injured adults.  Medical facilities have been destroyed. And rethinking old ways is greatly needed.

Last autumn, Jordan’s Royal Medical Services deployed two customised mobile clinics, staffed by Jordanian medical teams. Working with the children, and using e-consultation to bring doctors and technicians, we have seen the creation of the world’s first children’s socket. From the back of a van!

To date, over 400 amputees, including children, have benefitted and acquired new hope. And behind every statistic is a face, a story, a life of immeasurable value. They are back with family once more. We are immensely proud of the Jordanian doctors and technicians who have responded to the need.

We call this initiative, “Restoring Hope.” And here at this Global Disability Summit, we ask you, the champions of disability rights, to join us in helping “restore hope” to Gazans, and others in jeopardy, worldwide.

Through Restoring Hope, we demonstrated that leadership, compassion, and innovation flourish in the darkest and most difficult of places.

 

My friends,

Where one challenge holds us back, other strengths and abilities can become our gateway forward: That’s something that people with disabilities have proven to the world, again and again.

This is our challenge at this Summit: to look beyond what is, to envision what could be, and to summon the courage to bridge that gap. To restore hope, not just through words, but through actions.

And together, we can open a new gate to the future, a future in which people with disabilities are afforded the rights, encouragement, and respect they are due.

Let us honour them by what we achieve.

 

Thank you.