GENEVA, Aug. 14 (Xinhua) -- The United Nations refugee agency UNHCR said on Monday that among the over 65 million persons being forcibly displaced in 2016, almost 10 million were persons with disabilities.
In a statement issued Monday, the UNHCR said that in situations of forced displacement, persons with disabilities "continued to be left behind", and continued to face compounded risks on the basis of disability and displacement.
The agency added that it is now seeking to meaningfully include the voices of persons with disabilities in the development of the Global Compact on Refugees, to be presented to the UN General Assembly in 2018.
"The New York Declaration for Refugees and Migrants, adopted by the UN General Assembly in 2016, provided a solid foundation for UNHCR to expand partnerships with stakeholders to strengthen service systems in refugee hosting countries for the benefit of persons with disabilities in situations of displacement," it noted.
According to UNHCR, such efforts include strengthening of community-based support networks and addressing exclusion and discrimination experienced by persons with disabilities.
The UN Committee on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities on Monday opened its eighteenth session, during which it will review measures taken by a number of countries to implement the provisions of the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities.
