As discussions on the Humanitarian Reset continue to take shape across the European Union, one uncomfortable reality remains: we are still having to make the case for disability inclusion at the very moment when it should already be embedded. Despite long-standing commitments, the recognition of the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities and the meaningful inclusion of persons with disabilities remain uneven—and in some cases notably absent—from key EU frameworks. Current negotiations on the next Multiannual Financial Framework and the proposed Global Europe Instrument risk reinforcing this gap rather than closing it.
This is why these messages are being repeated. Not out of habit, but out of necessity.
This moment of reflection is therefore not only about improving efficiency or coordination—it is about ensuring that humanitarian action remains grounded in principles of inclusion, dignity, and equal access for all.
The European Union and its Member States have a significant role in shaping how this reform unfolds. The choices being made now will influence not only the structure of humanitarian financing and delivery, but also who is effectively reached—and who is not. There is a clear opportunity to ensure that reform strengthens, rather than inadvertently weakens, inclusive humanitarian action.
For organisations working on disability rights and inclusion, many of the messages emerging in this debate will feel familiar. That is precisely the point.
Too often, commitments to inclusion are reaffirmed in policy but weakened in implementation. Repeating these messages is not redundancy but a sign of persistence and continued need. Moments of systemic reform are precisely when these commitments must be defended most clearly.
The EU’s leadership on disability inclusion
The EU has positioned itself as a global leader on disability rights and inclusive humanitarian action. Its commitments under the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD), the EU Disability Rights Strategy 2021-2030, and the European Commission’s Directorate General for European Civil Protection and Humanitarian Aid Operations’ (DG ECHO) approach to disability-inclusive humanitarian action provide a strong policy framework.
The EU and several EU Member States are also engaged in global coordination efforts on disability inclusion through platforms such as the Global Action on Disability (GLAD) Network, which promotes disability inclusion across international cooperation, including humanitarian action and the implementation of CRPD Article 11 on situations of risk and humanitarian emergencies.
Within the humanitarian system, the Disability Reference Group (DRG) brings together UN agencies, NGOs, Organisations of Persons with Disabilities and donors to advance disability-inclusive humanitarian action and support implementation of the Inter-Agency Standing Committee (IASC) Guidelines on Inclusion of Persons with Disabilities in Humanitarian Action.
While COHAFA discussions focus on humanitarian policy coordination among EU Member States, colleagues from the same institutions are often engaged in these wider platforms. Ensuring coherence between these commitments and emerging discussions on the Humanitarian Reset will be important to maintain EU leadership on disability-inclusive humanitarian action.
Safeguarding inclusion in the Reset
Several elements of the Humanitarian Reset discussions require particular attention from EU actors.
First, proposals to simplify humanitarian coordination structures must not weaken specialised mechanisms that support protection and disability inclusion. These structures exist because they are essential to ensuring that the needs of marginalised groups are systematically considered.
Second, the strong focus on localisation and equitable partnerships, strongly supported by the EU and reflected in broader Team Europe approaches to international partnerships, must translate into meaningful inclusion of Organisations of Persons with Disabilities. Without deliberate action, localisation risks reinforcing existing power imbalances and excluding disability-led organisations from partnerships and funding.
Third, emerging discussions on prioritisation of crises and funding must not lead to a two-tier humanitarian system where some crises — and the most marginalised populations within them — receive less attention.
Finally, efforts to improve efficiency must address the administrative and compliance barriers that continue to limit participation by smaller organisations, including OPDs.
Evidence consistently shows that households including persons with disabilities experience significantly more severe and complex humanitarian needs across crises, making disability inclusion central to principled and needs-based humanitarian action.
An opportunity the EU should not miss
The Humanitarian Reset will shape how the humanitarian system operates for years to come. For the EU and its Member States, the discussions in COHAFA represent an important moment to ensure that inclusion remains integral to humanitarian action — not an afterthought.
Because if inclusion is not actively safeguarded during moments of reform, it is often the first principle to be quietly set aside.
The EU has already demonstrated leadership on disability inclusion. The Humanitarian Reset offers an opportunity to ensure that this leadership translates into a more inclusive humanitarian system — one that works for everyone, including persons with disabilities.
Key messages for EU Member States
- Ensure humanitarian action is disability-inclusive in line with obligations under the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD), particularly Article 11 on situations of risk and humanitarian emergencies.
- Protect specialised expertise in coordination reform, ensuring disability inclusion remains embedded within humanitarian coordination structures.
- Ensure localisation efforts include Organisations of Persons with Disabilities (OPDs), enabling equitable partnerships and access to funding.
- Avoid prioritisation approaches that create a two-tier humanitarian system, leaving some crises and marginalised groups behind.
- Reduce administrative and compliance barriers that prevent smaller organisations and OPDs from participating fully in humanitarian action.
- Build on existing EU leadership, including engagement in the GLAD Network and the Disability Reference Group, to ensure disability inclusion remains central to humanitarian reform discussions and remains coherent across relevant international coordination platforms.
