The adoption and entry into force of the CRPD is a historic opportunity to advance significantly the rights of persons with disabilities worldwide.
However, such an advancement implies a paradigm shift requiring major changes in legislation, policies and practices. Huge efforts are needed in awareness raising and capacity building amongst all stakeholders, including organizations of persons with disabilities, as they need to be the “ambassadors” of the new Convention and its paradigm shift.
IDA (CRPD Forum) has built an action plan to drive these necessary institutional shifts through the coordinated involvement of its member organizations. The action plan focuses on two main components: promoting the CRPD as a human rights treaty and a social development tool, and building the capacity of national- and regional-level organizations of disabled persons (DPOs), in particular in the Global South.
Global Advocacy
The CRPD firmly puts persons with disabilities on the international human rights agenda. To ensure that all international bodies comply with this mandate fully and effectively, IDA (CRPD Forum) has established detailed advocacy objectives for its work with each of the following UN organs and bodies:
IDA (CRPD Forum) is also in permanent contact with the Bureau of the Conference of States Parties to the CRPD, an annual organizational and substantive meeting designed to aid the Convention’s implementation. IDA (CRPD Forum) helps the Bureau to determine the issues to be discussed, the experts to be invited and the methodology to be used at each conference.
Capacity Building of DPOs
As newcomers to the human rights field, many international and national DPOs have little concrete experience in using the national, regional and international human rights monitoring mechanisms and structures. Building the capacity of DPOs worldwide is therefore one of the most vital elements to ensuring the successful implementation of the CRPD.
IDA (CRPD Forum) works within the regional and national framework provided by its member organizations to bolster the capacity of DPOs in various key areas. In 2008, it successfully organized two regional events based in the Global South: one in Manila, Philippines for the Asia-Pacific region and one in Cairo, Egypt for the Arab region.
Building on such work, the IDA (CRPD Forum) action plan includes specific capacity-building goals for the years 2009-2012, including a major regional seminar on shadow reporting planned for November 2009. Subsequent to this seminar, IDA (CRPD Forum) will produce a practical Guidance Document on shadow reporting, which will become a major component of IDA’s capacity building projects.
An overarching objective is to convince convince national DPOs of the need to establish coalitions on the CRPD. These national DPO coalitions should become key players in the national implementation efforts as well as in the national and international monitoring.
IDA (CRPD Forum) is especially committed to support the work of national DPOs in Global South regions, where the challenge is even larger and where approximately 75 percent of all persons with disabilities are located. National DPO coalitions in the Global South will become key players in ensuring that international development efforts adequately benefit persons with disabilities and that poverty reduction strategies and other initiatives related to the United Nations Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) benefit persons with disabilities.
IDA (CRPD Forum) Action Plan
The adoption and entry into force of the CRPD is a historic opportunity to advance significantly the rights of persons with disabilities worldwide.
However, such an advancement implies a paradigm shift requiring major changes in legislation, policies and practices. Huge efforts are needed in awareness raising and capacity building amongst all stakeholders, including organizations of persons with disabilities, as they need to be the “ambassadors” of the new Convention and its paradigm shift.
IDA (CRPD Forum) has built an action plan to drive these necessary institutional shifts through the coordinated involvement of its member organizations. The action plan focuses on two main components: promoting the CRPD as a human rights treaty and a social development tool, and building the capacity of national- and regional-level organizations of disabled persons (DPOs), in particular in the Global South.
Global Advocacy
The CRPD firmly puts persons with disabilities on the international human rights agenda. To ensure that all international bodies comply with this mandate fully and effectively, IDA (CRPD Forum) has established detailed advocacy objectives for its work with each of the following UN organs and bodies:
General Assembly
Human Rights Council
Office of the High Commissioner on Human Rights
Specialized Agencies, Funds and Programs of the United Nations
Committee on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities
Other UN Treaty Bodies
IDA (CRPD Forum) is also in permanent contact with the Bureau of the Conference of States Parties to the CRPD, an annual organizational and substantive meeting designed to aid the Convention’s implementation. IDA (CRPD Forum) helps the Bureau to determine the issues to be discussed, the experts to be invited and the methodology to be used at each conference.
Capacity Building of DPOs
As newcomers to the human rights field, many international and national DPOs have little concrete experience in using the national, regional and international human rights monitoring mechanisms and structures. Building the capacity of DPOs worldwide is therefore one of the most vital elements to ensuring the successful implementation of the CRPD.
IDA (CRPD Forum) works within the regional and national framework provided by its member organizations to bolster the capacity of DPOs in various key areas. In 2008, it successfully organized two regional events based in the Global South: one in Manila, Philippines for the Asia-Pacific region and one in Cairo, Egypt for the Arab region.
Building on such work, the IDA (CRPD Forum) action plan includes specific capacity-building goals for the years 2009-2012, including a major regional seminar on shadow reporting planned for November 2009. Subsequent to this seminar, IDA (CRPD Forum) will produce a practical Guidance Document on shadow reporting, which will become a major component of IDA’s capacity building projects.
An overarching objective is to convince convince national DPOs of the need to establish coalitions on the CRPD. These national DPO coalitions should become key players in the national implementation efforts as well as in the national and international monitoring.
IDA (CRPD Forum) is especially committed to support the work of national DPOs in Global South regions, where the challenge is even larger and where approximately 75 percent of all persons with disabilities are located. National DPO coalitions in the Global South will become key players in ensuring that international development efforts adequately benefit persons with disabilities and that poverty reduction strategies and other initiatives related to the United Nations Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) benefit persons with disabilities.