At the United Nations (UN), world leaders pledged to work together on national and international policies that enhance and promote disability-inclusive development. This, as UN officials on Monday urged a high-level meeting of the General Assembly that the rights of persons with disabilities be directly addressed by the post-2015 development agenda.

The Assembly's High-level Meeting on Disability and Development, on Monday, adopted an agreed "outcome document," stressing the need to ensure accessibility and inclusion of persons with disabilities in all aspects of development, a news release issued by the UN said.

The meeting, which was attended by more than 800 representatives of organisations of persons with disabilities, was organised with the participation of the UN Children's Fund (UNICEF), UN World Health Organisation (WHO) and other UN agencies, funds and programmes, as well as member-states and civil society.

"The way forward, a disability-inclusive development agenda towards 2015 and beyond," underlined the need for "urgent action" by all relevant stakeholders towards adoption and implementation of more ambitious disability-inclusive national development strategies with disability-targeted actions, backed by increased international cooperation and support," says the outcome document.

"Disability is part of the human condition; almost everyone will be temporarily or permanently impaired at some point in life," Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said in his opening statement.

"Yet far too many people with disabilities live in poverty. Too many suffer from social exclusion. Too many are denied access to education, employment, health care, and social and legal support systems," he said.

Persons with disabilities make up the largest minority in the world, with more than 1 billion people living with some form of disability. Eighty per cent are of working age and the vast majority live in developing countries, the release said.

"All of us suffer when communities are divided, just as all of us benefit when communities are united," Mr Ban said.

Stressing that persons with disabilities was an integral part in achieving the 2015 eight anti-poverty targets known as Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), the secretary-general said they would underline the post-2015 development agenda as well.

Agreed by world leaders at a UN summit in 2000, the MDGs set specific targets on poverty alleviation, education, gender equality, child and maternal health, environmental stability, HIV/AIDS reduction, and a global partnership for development. However, no goal directly addresses the rights of persons with disabilities.

Also speaking at the meeting, the president of the 68th General Assembly, John Ashe, called on all nations to ratify the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD). To date, 134 countries have ratified or acceded to the convention.

"The Convention is a strong symbol of the international community's commitment to include the disability perspective in all aspects of society and development. And while symbols are no doubt important, this commitment now needs to be fully integrated into all current and future development frameworks and interventions," Mr Ashe said.

Both the secretary-general and the president of the General Assembly urged countries to spare no effort in implementing the outcome document and work to achieve truly inclusive societies and ensure a life of dignity for all.