March 2019
On this page:
- Register! Join us for a webinar on key messages on education, employment, reducing inequalities, climate change and peaceful and inclusive societies to be delivered at HLPF 2019 on behalf of the Stakeholder Group of Persons with Disabilities.
- Input! Do you have good practices and/or data to share for the official submission on behalf of the Stakeholder Group of Persons with Disabilities to the HLPF 2019 on education, employment, reducing inequalities, climate change and peaceful and inclusivesocieties?
- Voluntary National Reviews 2019 - Is your country reporting at HLPF 2019? We want to work with you to participate in the process!
- Participate! Vote for the official side event topic of the Stakeholder Group of Person with Disabilities to be organised at HLPF 2019
- It’s time to engage! - HLPF 2019 Regional Sustainable Development Forums - Connect with the regional disability focal points
- Information! Financing for Development Forum
- Information! Multi-stakeholder Forum on Science, Technology and Innovation for the Sustainable Development Goals
- Information! Stakeholders E-consultation On the Sustainable Development Goals under review at the 2019 High Level Political Forum on Sustainable Development
- Information! Submission of Good Practices and Success Stories on SDG Implementation
- Information! Disability Data Advocacy Working Group
1. Register! Join us for a webinar on key messages on education, employment, reducing inequalities, climate change and peaceful and inclusive societies to be delivered at HLPF 2019 on behalf of the Stakeholder Group of Persons with Disabilities
A webinar will be held on 13 March from 9:00 AM - 10:30 AM where prominent experts will make presentations on key messages on education, employment, reducing inequalities, climate change and peaceful and inclusive societies to be delivered at HLPF 2019. The webinar will be an opportunity to learn, exchange, make final contributions and/or to ask questions regarding these important topics.
The webinar will be accessible with International Sign interpretation and real-time captioning. The webinar will be recorded and shared later for those who cannot join. Register here to attend the webinar.
2. Input! Do you have good practices and/or data to share for the official submission on behalf of the Stakeholder Group of Persons with Disabilities to the HLPF 2019 on education, employment, reducing inequalities, climate change and peaceful and inclusive societies?
We invite all of you to share good practices and/or data for the official submission on behalf of the Stakeholder Group of Persons with Disabilities to the HLPF 2019. A first draft of the official submission is currently under revision incorporating inputs that have been received over a three-week consultation period. If you still wish to contribute, we are still compiling good practices and/or data under each chapter. The next version of the official submission will be opened for final comments on the 14th of March for a period of one week. Please monitor your emails for more information about the submission.
(As a reminder: The Stakeholder Group of Persons with Disabilities has prepared a draft of the official submission to the High-level Political Forum 2019, entitled “Ensuring inclusion and equality for persons with disabilities.” The document contains five chapters in line with the Goals under review, which outline the current situation and challenges faced by persons with disabilities and provide relevant recommendations to Member States on how to achieve these Goals. The five chapters include: education (SDG 4), employment (SDG 8), reducing inequalities (SDG 10), climate change (SDG 13) and peaceful and inclusive societies (SDG 16) that includes access to justice, end violence and participation in decision-making processes.)
To contribute good practices and/or data, please email HLPF2019 [at] ida-secretariat.org by 14 March 2019.
3. Voluntary National Reviews 2019 - Is your country reporting at HLPF 2019? We want to work with you to participate in the process!
Volunteering Countries in 2019 HLPF
During the second week of the 2019 HLPF, there will be 51 countries that will report on their progress achieved on implementing the SDGs. These countries include: Algeria, Azerbaijan, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Brazil, Burkina Faso, Cambodia, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Chad, Chile, Congo (Republic of the), Côte d'Ivoire, Croatia, El Salvador, Eritrea, Eswatini, Fiji, France, Ghana, Guatemala, Guyana, Iceland, Indonesia, Iraq, Israel, Kazakhstan, Kuwait, Lesotho, Liechtenstein, Mauritania, Mauritius, Mongolia, Nauru, New Zealand, Oman, Pakistan, Palau, Philippines, Rwanda, Saint Lucia, Serbia, Sierra Leone, South Africa, Timor-Leste, Tonga, Tunisia, Turkey, Turkmenistan, United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, United Republic of Tanzania and Vanuatu.
We would like to support your participation in the voluntary national review process, starting at the national level. Here is a quick guide with steps to engage:
- Are you leading the DPO engagement in your country regarding SDGs implementation? Whether you are or not, it is important to connect with DPOs in your country.
- Do you have a document that highlights the most important issues from persons with disabilities in your country that require addressing? It is key to know what you want to achieve in your country through the VNR process. We recommend that you define this paper by identifying 3-5 key asks and connecting those key asks to the SDGs. Be concise, succinct and have clear recommendations for your government that offer solutions and collaboration. We would be happy to review your document.
Once you have completed Step 1 and 2, start advocating with your paper by doing the following:
- Identify if there is a Civil Society SDGs coalition (or something similar) in your country.
- Identify national consultation processes in your country. Before coming to New York City, every government is encouraged to hold a consultation process at the national level with civil society actors about what they will be presenting at the HLPF. To find out more about the consultation process in your country, you can contact your government and ask about national consultations for VNRs. If you cannot identify who is in charge of the national consultation process, try to reach out to other civil society actors and/ or UNDP as they may know.
- Participate in your regional sustainable development forum. More information about can be found on the UN’s website under the ‘Preparation’ tab.
Resources:
For more information about participating in your country’s VNR process, please find a recording of our previous webinar with this information here.
In addition, you can visit the IDA website for a toolkit about the engagement of organizations of persons with disabilities (DPOs) in the VNR process. The toolkit aims to provide step-by-step guidance, ideas, suggestions and templates for building successful advocacy campaigns and strategies to participate in the monitoring mechanisms of the SDGs.
Do you need additional information or have other questions about how to engage in the voluntary national reviews in your country? Please contact us at HLPF2019 [at] ida-secretariat.org.
4. Participate! Vote for the official side event topic of the Stakeholder Group of Person with Disabilities to be organised at HLPF 2019
The Stakeholder Group of Persons with Disabilities has the right to organize a side event at the High-level Political Forum in July 2019. In line with the main theme of 2019 HLPF - “Empowering people and ensuring inclusiveness and equality” - the Stakeholder Group of Persons with Disabilities has developed four themes for a side event. We kindly invite you to input which specific side event theme you would be most interested in the Stakeholder Group of Persons with Disabilities hosting at the High-level Political Forum in July 2019 by filling out this Google form or this Word document.
Please send all Word documents with your votes back to us at HLPF2019 [at] ida-secretariat.org by 15 March 2019.
5. It’s time to engage! - HLPF 2019 Regional Sustainable Development Forums - Connect with the regional disability focal points
The UN Regional Commissions will hold preparatory meetings prior to the High-level Political Forum in July 2019. The theme of HLPF 2019 will be “Empowering people and ensuring inclusiveness and equality”.
During the first week of the forum, six Goals will be reviewed through panel discussions. These Goals include: Goal 4 (education), Goal 8 (employment), Goal 10 (reduction of inequalities), Goal 13 (climate change), Goal 16 (peaceful and inclusive societies, access to justice and inclusive institutions) and Goal 17 (partnerships for the Goals).
The regional sustainable development forums provide an excellent opportunity for DPOs to engage in regional dialogues around SDG implementation and to engage with Member States, the UN system and mainstream civil society organizations.
Information about the regional sustainable development forums, including open registration links and disability focal points for the regions, can be found below.
When? 21-22 March 2019
Where? Geneva, Switzerland
Registration link
The registration deadline was 22 February 2019.
The disability focal points for Europe are Marion Steff, marion.steff [at] edf-feph.orgg and Annikade Maeyer, a.demaeyer [at] sgb-fss.ch.
When? 27-29 March 2019
Where? Bangkok, Thailand
Registration link
The registration deadline is 20 March 2019.
The disability focal points for the Asia-Pacific are Savina Nongebatu, savinafnongebatu [at] gmail.com and Samantha French, SamanthaF [at] pwd.org.au.
When? 9-11 April 2019
Where? Beirut, Lebanon
Registration link
The disability focal point for the Arab region is Jahda Abou Khalil, jahdaak [at] yahoo.com.
When? 16-18 April 2019
Where? Marrakech, Morocco
Registration link
The disability focal point for the African region is Berhanu Tefera, berhanubis [at] gmail.com.
When? 22-26 April 2019
Where? Santiago, Chile
Registration link
The registration deadline is 15 April 2019.
The disability focal point for the Latin America and Caribbean region is Rosario Galarza, Rosario.galarza [at] riadis.org.
6. Information! Financing for Development Forum
The fourth Financing for Development Forum will take place 15-18 April at the UN in New York. The event will bring together ministers, high-level officials from ministries of finance, foreign affairs and development cooperation, Executive Directors of the World Bank and IMF, as well as senior officials from the UN system, including the major institutional stakeholders, and other international organizations. Civil society organizations, the business sector and local authorities will also be represented. Information on the program can be found here.
The annual FfD Forum results in intergovernmentally agreed conclusions and recommendations that are fed into the overall follow-up and review of the implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development in the High Level Political Forum (HLPF) on Sustainable Development.
Click here for information on registration.
7. Information! Multi-stakeholder Forum on Science, Technology and Innovation for the Sustainable Development Goals
The fourth annual Multi-stakeholder Forum on Science, Technology and Innovation for the Sustainable Development Goals (STI Forum) will take place from 14-15 May 2019 at UN Headquarters in New York City. The theme of the Forum will be: "STI for ensuring inclusiveness and equality, with a special focus on SDGs 4, 8, 10, 13, and 16".
The General Assembly decided that the meetings of the forum will be co-chaired by two Member States and will result in a summary of discussions elaborated by the two co-Chairs. As such, the two co-chairs of the Forum in 2019 are H.E. Ms. H. Elizabeth Thompson, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary, Permanent Representative of Barbados to the United Nations, and H.E. Mrs. Marie Chatardová, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary, Permanent Representative of the Czech Republic to the United Nations.
Follow this link for more information about the STI Forum 2019. If you are interested in engaging in the STI Forum, kindly send an email to HLPF2019 [at] ida-secretariat.org.
8. Information! Stakeholders E-consultation On the Sustainable Development Goals under review at the 2019 High Level Political Forum on Sustainable Development
Two weeks ago, the Stakeholder Group of Persons with Disabilities shared their inputs on the SDGs under review at the 2019 HLPF with the UN. The purpose of the e-consultation was to improve stakeholders’ access to information and promote broad and participatory engagement on the follow up and review of the 2030 Agenda implementation. The e-consultation will complement and feed into other ongoing processes for the SDG-specific reviews, including Expert Group Meetings (EGMs) being organized by DESA/DSDG.
To review the responses received from the e-consultation, please follow the links below:
- SDG 4: https://un.E-consultation/SDG4-Responses
- SDG 8: https://un.E-consultation/SDG8-Responses
- SDG 10: https://un.E-consultation/SDG10-Responses
- SDG 13: https://un.E-consultation/SDG13-Responses
- SDG 16: https://un.E-consultation/SDG16-Responses
- SDG 17: https://un.E-consultation/SDG17-Responses
9. Information! Submission of Good Practices and Success Stories on SDG Implementation
Last week, the Stakeholder Group of Persons with Disabilities submitted the Disability Catalyst Programme as a good practice and success story on SDG implementation to the United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs (UN DESA).
UN DESA hoped that the submission, collection, analysis and dissemination of good practices, success stories and lessons learned will help galvanize the momentum for implementation of the 2030 Agenda and the SDGs.
The submissions received will be analyzed by a dedicated inter-agency team coordinated by UN DESA, and the results will be made available online for easy access and broad dissemination. Where applicable, the submissions can serve as inputs to thematic preparations for the 2019 sessions of the High-level Political Forum on Sustainable Development (HLPF).
For more information, please visit the UN’s website.
10. Information! Disability Data Advocacy Working Group
In January 2019, the Stakeholder Group of Persons with Disabilities launched its Disability Data Advocacy Working Group, with the objective to provide a platform for information sharing, learning, dialogue, good practices and collaboration on disability data collection and disaggregation.
Disability Data Forum listserv
To keep up-to-date on the work of the Disability Data Advocacy Working Group, the International Disability Alliance, its Members and the wider disability community, join our new online community for disability data efforts, the IDA Disability Data Forum listserv!
The IDA Disability Data Forum listserv is intended to provide a platform for an interactive community dedicated to the improvement of disability data. This is an open and moderated Forum, with a diverse range of informed and influential perspectives, including up-to-date information, opportunities, and discussion.
As a participant on the list you are invited to:
- Exchange information and experiences around disability data
- Support each other in disability data efforts nationally, regionally, and globally
- Receive the latest news from the disability community and invitations to join webinars related to disability data
Interested in joining? Follow this link to join the listserv.
Webinar Series
The Stakeholder Group of Persons with Disabilities will hold its third webinar of its series on disability data on 27 March from 10:00 AM - 11:00 AM EST (New York time) to discuss country experiences in disability data collection.
Register here for this webinar.
****
If you have comments, questions, or information to share, please email hlpf2019 [at] ida-secretariat.org
