Newsletter from IDA Secretariat | 7 November 2017

By IDA

 - November 7, 2017

Logos of all IDA Members

IN THIS EDITION:

1. Activities in the past week 
2. Upcoming activities
3. Intellectual productions
4. IDA members

ACTIVITIES IN THE PAST WEEK

  • SDG: On 24 October 2017, the OHCHR organized an event on Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 3 and the right to health, in the UN Headquarters in Ney York, in partnership with WHO. It particularly focused on the human rights contribution to ensuring no one is left behind, including in relation to the Global Strategy on women’s, children’s and adolescents’ health, and to ensuring universal health coverage and access to medicines. The event is part of a planned series of events entitled “Dialogues on SDGs and Human Rights: Building Synergies and Sharing Good Practices,” to explore the interlinkages between human rights and the SDGs. This meeting was co-sponsored by the Permanent Missions of Chile, Ecuador, and South Africa. Webcast of the event is available here.

  • EUROPEAN DISABILITY FORUM, CRPD WORKSHOP: A technical workshop on strengthening engagement with the CRPD Committee was held in Brussels, Belgium, from 17-18 October 2018. The event was organized by the European Disability Forum (EDF) and the United Nations Human Rights Regional Office for Europe (OHCHR), and was co-organized and co-financed by IDA. The 22 participants included rights-holders and DPOs from 13 countries. The objectives of the workshop were to increase understanding of the treaty body system and other international human rights mechanisms and to increase awareness of how rights holders, DPOs and CSOs can engage with the CRPD Committee, including drafting alternative reports and replies to list of issues, monitoring the implementation of Concluding Observations and filing individual complaints. IDA’s Treaty Body Unit co-facilitated the workshop and provided the closing remarks. More information available on EDF’s website and on IDA’s website. 

UPCOMING ACTIVITIES

NOVEMBER

  • CRPD WORKSHOP: On 29-30 November 2017, IDA Treaty Body Unit will be facilitating a workshop in Alger, Algeria on the CRPD review process. The workshop will be organized by the Algerian Federation of Persons with Disabilities and will gather around 25 participants, gender and constituency balanced.

  • IDA TREATY BODIES UNIT: The TB-NET network will hold a side event entitled: "Promoting Quality, Independence and Diversity of Treaty Body membership: the importance of transparent and participatory nominations and election processes" on 2 November 2017 in Palais des Nations, Geneva, from 1:30 pm to 3:30 pm. The event will bring together treaty body members, States, civil society and other stakeholders. The objective of the event is to discuss the importance of quality, independence and diversity in treaty body membership and challenges and good practices in promoting these principles. In particular, it will seek to raise awareness on the pressing need to improve the transparency and accessibility of nomination processes at the national level, as well as election processes at the international level. The side-event will be webcasted live on TB-NET’s facebook.

  • UNIVERSAL PERIODIC REVIEWS: In the lead-up of the 28th Session of the Universal Periodic Reviews (UPR), which will take place from 6 to 17 November 2017, IDA is providing support to DPOs from Guatemala and Japan in engaging in the pre-session of the UPR of their country, by organizing meetings and providing technical support in advocating with Member States who will provide recommendations during the UPR review. IDA has also been providing full substantive support in the drafting of the report of the Japanese DPO.

  • IAEG- SDGs: On 13-14 November 2017, the 6th Statistical Meeting of the Inter Agency and Expert Group on Sustainable Development Goal Indicators (IAEG-SDGs) will take place in Manama, Bahrain. The event will be hosted by the Bahrain Center for Strategic, International and Energy Study (DERASAT) and the United Nations Statistics Division (UNSD). The aim of the meeting is, inter alia, to review the tier statuses of the SDG indicators, based on the documentation submitted by indicator custodian agencies, to discuss the proposed guidelines on data flows and global data reporting and review progress made on the methodological development of tier III indicators. IDA will be represented by Senior Adviser on the 2030 Agenda.

  • MENTAL HEALTH: The Trieste Conference on mental health will take place on the 15-18 November 2017 in Trieste. It is organised by the Department of Mental Health of the Italian region of Trieste and supported by World Network of Users and Survivors of Psychiatry (WNUSP), as part of the “No One Left Behind” grant of DFID. Wishing to continue the reflection undertaken during the one-day meeting in Galway held in June 2017, the conference aims to frame a global strategy to promote CRPD complaint policies for inclusion of persons with psychosocial disabilities. To discuss how to deinstitutionalize mental health services in Europe, the conference is bringing together several lead activists members of WNUSP and Beyond.

  • HIGH-LEVEL POLITICAL FORUM: The Stakeholder Group of Persons with Disabilities will hold a call in late November to provide additional information and a dialogue to exchange on Voluntary National Reviews. Call details will be shared in the next newsletter. 

DECEMBER

  • ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL COMMISSION FOR ASIA AND THE PACIFIC: A High-level Intergovernmental Meeting on the Midpoint Review of the Asian and Pacific Decade of Persons with Disabilities will take place in Beijing, China between 27 November – 1 December 2017. The event is organized by the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP) in cooperation with the Government of China. Among its objectives, the Meeting aims to discuss the future policy direction for building disability-inclusive societies in Asia and the Pacific. IDA Inclusive Development Liaison will be representing IDA at the meeting. 

  • ASEAN DISABILITY FORUM: On 3-4 December 2017, will be held the 2017 ASEAN Disability Forum Conference in Manila, Philippines. The objectives of the meeting are the following:1) to share vision on ASEAN as a concrete action for Disability inclusion toward living in peace, stability and prosperity, bonded together in partnership of dynamic development and a community of caring societies; 2) To mark the integration of Disability movement in all ASEAN entities. The event will be organized by the DeafBlind Support Philippines and the Philippine Coalition of the UNCRPD GUIDE, with cooperation of the ASEAN Disability Forum Secretariat. The meeting will be funded by the Disability Rights Advocacy Fund ASEAN Foundation. If you wish to attend the event, send the registration form to: secretariat [at] aseandisabilityforum.org; adfsecretariat9 [at] gmail.com. If you would like to participate as speaker, please send to adfsecretariat9 [at] gmail.com an abstract/summary of your presentation on the topics of the Parallel sessions of your choosing (see attached the concept note of the meeting) along with your Curriculum Vitae. Your abstract should not be more than 500 words.

INTELLECTUAL PRODUCTION

  • COSP: The 11th Conference of States Parties (COP) to the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD) will be held on 12-14 June 2018 during which the elections will take place for nine of the eighteen seats of the Committee on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities. IDA produced documents on guidance to national DPOs on the election process. Documents specifically cover how to participate in the nomination process, highlighting some good nomination practices, as well as information on the suggested profile for a Committee member. The produced documents are available on IDA’s website  in French, English and Spanish.

IDA MEMBERS

  • INCLUSION INTERNATIONAL: Inclusion International (II) praised UNESCO for its 2017/18 Global Education Monitoring Report For Attention to Equity and Inclusion released this week. The report notes that establishment of metrics and standardized instruments to enable comparisons of local governments and schools, local control over education, privatization and ranking of schools can all contribute to further marginalization of some children.  A key message of the report is that “Accountability needs to emphasize building more inclusive, equitable, good-quality education systems and practices.”

  • INTERNATIONAL FEDERATION FOR SPINA BIFIDA AND HYDROCEPHALUS: The International Federation for Spina Bifida and Hydrocephalus (IF) is looking for national and regional Spina Bifida and/or Hydrocephalus associations from all over the world to expand its membership. To apply, please download the IF Membership Application Form and send it to info [at] ifglobal.org together with a written request for membership to the IF Board of Directors and a copy of your organisation’s Statutes. Deadline for applications is 23 November 2017.

  • EUROPEAN DISABILITY FORUM: EDF is recruiting an EDF External Communications Officer based in Brussels, Belgium. Applications must be sent by18 December 2017. More information and how to apply here. 

OTHER

  • HANDICAP INTERNATIONAL: Handicap International (HI) is recruiting a Disability Rights and Monitoring Coordinator based in Lyon or London (or one of the HI offices in Europe with regular trips to Lyon/ London). Applications need to be sent online by 5 November 2017.  Further information and application here.

  • HANDICAP INTERNATIONAL: Handicap International (HI) and Leonard Cheshire Disability (LCD) are teaming up to pilot a mechanism of civil society led data and evidence collection for monitoring progress towards the realization of inclusive SDGs. In the framework of this pilot project, HI is looking for a consultant to support for mapping methodologies, tools and good practices on SDG and disability rights monitoring. Interested candidates should send a CV, a cover letter and a short description of the methodology to conduct the assignment to: charlotte.axelsson [at] handicap.be; Kate.Turner [at] leonardcheshire.org. Deadline for the application is 20 November 2017.

  • BOOK BOOST: ACCESS FOR ALL CHALLENGE: All Children Reading: A Grand Challenge for Development (ACR GCD) and Pearson’s Project Literacy are launching the “Book Boost: Access for All Challenge” to drive innovation in accessible publishing. The challenge seeks business models that are rooted in optimizing and increasing the number of accessible books in the title development phase of the book value chain, resulting in a more efficient and cost effective process. If you would like to take part in this challenge, please submit your business plan by 19 January 19 2018 at acrgcd [at] worldvision.org.