In the official announcement of the new position, Minister for International Development Melissa Parke said the ambassador will advocate for people with disability in developing countries to have access to the same opportunities as others and an equal say in the decisions that affect their communities. The appointment process will take place in the coming weeks.

The new position has tri-partisan support, with Labor, the Coalition and the Greens in favour, John Jeffries, the CEO of CBM, told Waleed Aly on the ABC.

CBM is the new name for the Christian Blind Mission, with a broader focus on helping people with a disability in the majority world.

“Australia will be the first country to have an ambassador focused solely on disability-inclusive development. We are demonstrating to the world how central the matter of disability-inclusion is to our international aid efforts,” Minister Parke said.

The ambassador will enhance Australia’s leadership in this area by championing the inclusion of disability within international commitment frameworks, including discussions on the post-2015 development agenda; asking partner governments to do their part in supporting people living with a disability; and ensuring that Australia continues to set a leading example through its aid program.

“CBM has been working hard, asking our politicians to appoint an ambassador like this,” the mission said in a statement. “This advocacy is a key part of CBM’s work to improve the lives of people with disabilities in developing countries.

“CBM extends our heartfelt thanks and support to Australian government and AusAID for the appointment of the ambassador, and look forward to continuing to ensure people with disability are included in and benefit from our Australian aid program.”