On 2 and 3 October 2017, the co-leads of the Inter-Agency Standing Committee (IASC) Task Team on inclusion of persons with disabilities in humanitarian action (Handicap International, International Disability Alliance and UNICEF), are holding a multi-stakeholder Workshop in Geneva, with generous support from Finland. Participants include UN agencies and international organizations, Member States, organisations of persons with disabilities (DPOs) and Civil Society Organisations working on persons with disabilities and/or humanitarian action.
In 2016, the United Nations Inter-Agency Standing Committee (IASC) Working Group agreed to the establishment of a Task Team on the Inclusion of Persons with Disabilities in Humanitarian Action. The Task Team is mandated to create IASC Guidelines on the Inclusion of Persons with Disabilities in Humanitarian Action between January 2017 and December 2018. The Guidelines will assist humanitarian actors, governments and affected communities to coordinate, plan, implement, monitor and evaluate essential actions that foster the effectiveness, appropriateness and efficiency of humanitarian action, resulting in the full and effective participation and inclusion of persons with disabilities and changing practice across all sectors and in all phases of humanitarian action, based in international legal frameworks – International Human Rights Law, International Humanitarian Law and Refugee Law. The Task Team membership spans UN agencies, humanitarian actors, NGOs and organisations of persons with disabilities (DPOs) and includes Member States as observers. The Task Team is led by three co-chairs: Handicap International, the International Disability Alliance and UNICEF.
Further details on the Task Team, including Terms of Reference and Work Plan, can be found on the IASC website.
A desk review on humanitarian action inclusive of persons with disabilities was conducted as a first step for the guidelines development. The desk review aimed at proposing recommendations on the content and structure of the guidelines with particular attention to standards and principles set up by the UN Convention on the rights of persons with disabilities. As a next step to advance the development of the guidelines in a consultative manner, the Task Team will hold a 2 day multi-stakeholder workshop with the aim of defining the structure and outline of the guidance and obtaining feedback from stakeholders on the level of details required in the guidelines for them to be effective and relevant in the field. The workshop will also be an important space to identify organisations willing to contribute to different components of the guidelines and set up expert groups to review draft versions.
RSVP: Please send an Email to Mr. Ricardo Pla Cordero (rplacordero [at] handicap-international.org) to confirm your participation.
Learn more about the workshop and RSVP.
Please note: immediately following the workshop, IDA and UNHCR are holding a consultation on the New York Declaration for Refugees and Migrants and the Rights of Persons with Disabilities. Learn more.
