For information only – not an official document
UNIS/SGSM/1487
28 March 2025
Around the globe, people with autism are making enormous contributions to societies, human endeavours, and individual lives. Today we reflect on those achievements, but we also recognise the significant challenges that remain.
People with autism often experience isolation, stigma and inequality. They have been denied healthcare and education – especially during crises – and their legal capacity has been unrecognized and over-ridden. Such discrimination contravenes the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, and the Sustainable Development Goals’ commitment to leave no one behind. It must change.
Governments must adopt legislation and policies that guarantee equality and promote the full participation of people with autism in society. We need inclusive health and education systems, work environments, and urban design – to ensure people with autism have equal opportunities to thrive.
On World Autism Awareness Day, let us recommit to create a world where no person with autism is left behind.
* *** *
We must transform how we produce and consume, and how we value nature, says the UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, "Biodiversity is the bedrock of life and a cornerstone of sustainable development.... Biodiversity loss is a global challenge. No one country, however rich or powerful, can address it alone. Nor can they live without the rich biodiversity that defines our planet."
LGBTIQ+ people around the world face an onslaught of hate speech, attacks, and restrictions on their rights. The power of communities is the theme this year which reminds us that we are strongest together. "LGBTIQ+ people, and those working with them to secure their rights, have proved time and again the value of communities in providing support and driving change," says UN Secretary-General António Guterres
"From the telegraph to radio, from the Internet to Artificial Intelligence, technology has transformed how we live, work, and connect." — António Guterres
Barbados signed and deposited its instrument of ratification for the United Nations Convention on the International Effects of Judicial Sales of Ships (the “Beijing Convention on the Judicial Sale of Ships”) at the United Nations Headquarters in New York on 8 May 2025.
