Giles Julie, identified in the briefing as the United Nations’ global advocate for persons with disabilities in conflict and peacebuilding, said on his final day in the role that he and “the system” had failed people with disabilities in war-affected settings.

"I feel like I failed, and I feel like the system failed," Giles said, opening his remarks and announcing he would share three stories from the field to show the consequences of institutional gaps.

He described Amro, a boy in Gaza who lost a leg after being shot during what he called "the great march," was treated in Turkey and returned traumatized and isolated. Giles said the boy hid in his parents’ apartment for two years and that small acts of kindness — shared meals, a walk on the beach — helped him re-engage with his community.

Giles told a second story of Nawali, a Sudanese refugee in Chad who had polio and whose wheelchair was smashed in an attack. He said UNHCR had not registered her need for mobility support because, he was told, there were no experts available to assess disability at arrival, leaving her to crawl to basic facilities and heightening her vulnerability.

A third case involved a young woman in Ukraine with cerebral palsy whom Giles said could not communicate; he recounted that during early occupation her parents were detained and tortured and that, upon return, family members found signs that suggested the daughter had been abused but could not report it herself.

Giles used the examples to press a broader point about language and policy. Asked by a reporter why disability coverage often emphasizes "resilience" or "inspiration," he said those frames can romanticize hardship and obscure structural failures. "Empowerment has to come from within," he said, arguing that societies must remove barriers and make adaptive technologies and services accessible to those who need them.

He also pressed for lived experience to be included in policy forums. "Until we have people with lived experience in those roles, we will always be fighting a losing battle," he said, criticizing what he described as repeated closed doors at senior meetings — including attempts to meet senior representatives — that limited his ability to advocate effectively.

Giles acknowledged some personal successes: he said his own organization had helped provide specialist wheelchairs and equipment to at least two families he discussed. But he reiterated that, in his official capacity, he felt formal institutional change remained out of reach.

Reporters asked what he meant by "the system"; Giles said he meant governments, United Nations bodies and agencies and nongovernmental organizations collectively. He also fielded questions about the role of technology from a reporter who noted advances in assistive robotics; Giles welcomed technological promise but said income and access barriers mean many people cannot benefit without targeted investment.

He closed by urging whoever holds the post next to be a true advocate rather than a symbolic example, saying the successor "has to fight harder than I did" to amplify the voices of people with disabilities.

The briefing concluded with thanks from the moderator and participating journalists.