Newsletter from IDA Secretariat, August 2019

By IDA

 - August 20, 2019

14 Members of the International Disability Alliance

August 2019

<< Check out older editions of the newsletter

In this edition: 

  1. Highlights
  2. Treaty Body Review, Geneva
  3. Activities over the past weeks
  4. Upcoming Activities
  5. IDA Members
  6. UN System, Agencies & Mechanisms
  7. Others
  8. Vacancies & Consultancies

1. Highlights

  • Launch of the UN Disability Inclusion Strategy. During the Conference of States Parties, the UN Secretary General, Antonio Guterres, announced the launch of the new UN Disability Inclusion Strategy. The Strategy outlines a way forward for including persons with disabilities within the work and operations of the UN and provides clear bench markers for measuring progress. Read more about this launch by clicking here.

  • Landmark Resolution by the UN Security Council. On 20 June 2019, the UN Security Council adopted a resolution on the situation of person with disabilities in armed conflict and humanitarian crises. This landmark resolution is the first UN Security Council document to specifically address persons with disabilities. It is a clear political commitment towards mainstreaming disability across all UN pillars, including peace and security. Click here to read more about the resolution.

  • IDA Celebrates 20 Years. In 2019, the International Disability Alliance celebrates its 20th year of existence. Recognising the progress that has been made to date in the advancement of the rights of persons with disabilities, IDA organised a side-event under the auspices of the 12th Session of the Conference of States Parties to the CRPD. Through the side-event, IDA took stock of its progress over the past 20 years, including its key achievements and highlights, while also recognising the shortcomings and the gaps in its work.

2. Treaty Body Review, Geneva

  • On July 1, TB-Net organized an NGO meeting to discuss a common approach to the 2020 review of UN treaty bodies. Read more about this meeting, including the CSO proposal and common position for the 2020 review process, click here to visit CCPR.
  • Between 15-19 July the Human Rights Council’s Expert Mechanism on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples met in Geneva, Switzerland. Click here to learn more about the session.

3. Activities over the past weeks

  • The 12th Session of the Conference of States Parties to the CRPD took place from 10 to 13 June 2019, at the UN Headquarters in New York, USA. For the third year since the entry into force of the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD), persons with disabilities and their representative organizations were meaningfully consulted and actively engaged in the preparation and formal proceedings of the Conference. More than 300 persons with disabilities and their representative organizations, broader civil society actors, donors, governments and UN Agencies participated in the Civil Society CRPD Forum 2019. The intention of the forum was to provide additional space for civil society to make its own contributions. The day was used as an opportunity for Civil Society to share and capture what civil society sees as some current standing issues. There was meaningful engagement of civil society as round table co-chairs in all thematic sessions, and as speakers in the opening and closing sessions of the Conference.  During the course of the Conference, IDA and its members organized, participated as speakers in or co-sponsored over 20 side-events.
  • From 2-4 July the 3rd Technical Workshop of the Inclusive Education Task Team was held in Brighton. This meeting built on the discussions held in Nepal in March of this year towards an evidence based, DPO led consensus position on CRPD compliant implementation of SDG 4. The Task Team also met with members of IDDC to build on these recommendations. The Task Team proudly reached a consensus position, and produced a summary validated by the IDA Board to submit to UNESCO as an IDA contribution to the upcoming Global Education Monitor report 2020, which focuses on inclusive education.  
  • A start-up workshop to launch the Inclusion Works consortium project was held in Dhaka, Bangladesh from 9-11, July 2019. This followed similar workshops that were held in Kenya and Uganda earlier in June. Specific attention was paid at all three workshops to ensure DPO participation. It is noteworthy that a separate slot was provided at these workshops for self-advocates from among persons with intellectual disabilities and for deaf-blind participants, to present on their issues. The Inclusion Works programme is a DFID funded programme that is working to increase access to waged employment for persons with disabilities in Bangladesh, Kenya, Nigeria and Uganda. For more information about this programme, click here.
  • The High-Level Political Forum (HLPF) took place from 9-18 July 2018 at the UN headquarters in New York, USA. 47 countries delivered their country reports on SDG implementation. Out of the 47 voluntary national reviews, 34 included references to persons with disabilities. The Stakeholder Group of Persons with Disabilities (SGPwD) had 72 participants attending the HLPF. They delivered 4 interventions during the first week of HLPF, and 5 statements on behalf of other stakeholders during the voluntary national reviews during the Ministerial week. The SGPwD held two official delegation meetings during the HLPF to discuss the development of a 5-year strategic framework which identifies and outlines the goals of the group. The SGPwD also organized a side-event on reducing inequalities which attracted 100+ attendees. The Stakeholder Group has launched an official Twitter page as a way to provide ongoing updates about their work. Click here to read more about HLPF 2019.
  • Between 22nd and 28th of July 2019 Module 1 Tanzania of the Bridge CRPD SDGs training initiative was held in the city of Dar-es-Salaam. The training brought together 15 participants drawn from diverse impairment groups and geographical locations with the United Republic of Tanzania. This Bridge was organised by the Tanzania Federation of Disabled People’s Organizations (SHIVYAWATA), African Disability Forum (ADF), International Disability Alliance (IDA) and CBM with support from Inclusion International and World Network of Users and Survivors of Psychiatry. Click here to learn more about Bridge Tanzania.
  • The Disability Data Advocacy Working Group launched their June 2019 newsletter which highlights the extensive work of the first six months of the working group’s operation. View their newsletter by clicking here.
  • The recent disappointing judgement of the European Court of Human Rights STOIAN v ROMANIA, no 289/14 strikingly fails to protect the rights of a student with disabilities, Ştefan Stoain, a Romanian quadriplegic teenager, subject to years of bullying, discrimination and degrading conditions at his school.  IDA joins 8 disability organizations in condemning the Court's ruling, which misunderstands the right of inclusive education and non-discrimination, and neglects States' obligations arising from the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD). Read the full case by clicking here.
  • The International Disability Alliance, along with Autism-Europe, Child Rights International Network, Disability Rights International, European Disability Forum, European Network on Independent Living, Inclusion Europe, Inclusion International, International Disability Alliance, International Federation of Spina Bifida and Hydrocephalus, TASH and Validity Foundation, have endorsed a statement and key recommendations on the Rights to Family, recognized under international law. The signing disability rights, child rights and human rights organizations call on the UN General Assembly to include a number of recommendations in its forthcoming resolution on the rights of the children without parental care. Read the full statement and recommendations by clicking here.

4. Upcoming Activities

AUGUST

  • The 22nd session of the CRPD Committee is being held from 22 August to 20 September, 2019. The State Party Reports covered during this session are Albania, Australia, Ecuador, El Salvador, Greece, India, Iraq, Kuwait, Myanmar. Ukraine and Canada’s list of issues will be raised during this session in August 2019.

SEPTEMBER

  • From September 2-6, 2019 Sightsavers will be organising the annual consortium meeting of the partners of both the Inclusion Works and the Disability Inclusive Development programmes. On September 4, IDA will be facilitating a discussion session on CRPD compliance and DPO engagement for both the cosnortoum partners, which will be attended by members of the IDA Inclusive Livelihoods Task Team.  
  • UNPRPD, ILO, UNICEF, and IDA are organizing an exchange learning week entitled Strengthening Advocacy for Social Protection Reforms that promotes inclusion of persons with disabilities taking place 8-14 Sept. 2019 in Manila, in conjunction with the Asia Pacific Social Protection Week.
  • The Bridge CRPD-SDGs MENA Module 2 will be held between Sept. 12-18 in Beirut, Lebanon.
  • The 74th session of the UN General Assembly will take place from 17-30 September 2019 at the UN Headquarters in New York.
  • The High Level Political Forum- SDGs Summit will be held at the UN Headquarters in new York from 24-25 September, 2019.
  • UN Women will be holding the second webinar in their empowerment of women and girls series in September. This second webinar will focus on a multi-pronged approach to disability-inclusion, and data and evidence. The webinar will explore accepted methodologies of collecting data on disability, and how this can be incorporated into policy and programming.

OCTOBER

  • The IDA Programme Committee meeting initially planned to be held during the week of October 14, 2019 is postponed to the first quarter of 2020.

  • The Human Rights Council will be holding the Social Forum October 1-2, 2019 in Geneva, Switzerland.

  • On October 10th the Second Global Ministerial Mental Health Summit will be held in the Netherlands.

  • eLearning Africa will be hosting The International Conference & Exhibition on ICT for Education, Training & Skills Development October 23 to 25 in Cote d’Ivoir.

  • October 29 to 30 the European Regional Review of the Beijing +25 will be held in Geneva, Switzerland.

NOVEMBER 

  • The IDA Board meeting will be held from 2-6 November, 2019 in Seoul.
  • The Global Business and Disability Network Annual Meeting will be hosted by the ILO November 21 to 22 in Geneva, Switzerland.
  • EDF will be celebrating The European Day of Persons with Disabilities November 28 to 29, 2019. 

DECEMBER 

  • The International Day of Persons with Disabilities will be marked on December 3, 2019.
  • Bridge South Asia Module 1 will take place during the week of December 5, 2019.
  • The Global Refugee Forum will be held by UNHCR between December 17-18 in Geneva, Switzerland. 

5. IDA Members

African Disability Forum
On July 3 the African Disability Forum held the African Workshop on Disability Human Rights and Sustainable Development in Niger.

European Disability Forum

International Federation of Spina Bifida and Hydrocephalus
On October 25, IF celebrateds its 8th World Spina Bifida and Hydrocephalus Day. Check out this page for their celebratory launches and celebrations.

World Federation of the Deaf
The 2019 Global Congress of WFD was held in Paris, France between July 23rd and 27th. Click here to visit the WFD website.

World Federation of the Deafblind
WFDB held a strategic planning workshop in Brighton, UK at the end of June 2019; this included discussions on the way forward following the release of the first Global Report on the situation of persons with deafblindness.

World Network of Users and Survivors of Psychiatry
In October WNUSP will be engaging in the Second Global Ministerial Mental Health Summit taking place in Amsterdam, Netherlands.

6. UN System, Agencies & Mechanisms

  • UN Women held the UN Women Webinar on the Inclusion of Persons with Disabilities on July 24th. The first webinar in this series focused on challenges and solutions to inclusion, focusing on the gaps and barriers that prevent the full and effective participation and leadership of women and girls with disabilities across the humanitarian – development continuum. They also discussed that by addressing gaps in alliances, partnerships and funding opportunities can help enable full and effective participation. Click here to visit the UN Women’s main website for more information.

  • Between August 20th and 23rd the UNCHR held regional webinars related to the Global Refugee Forum which is taking place 17-18 December 2019 in Geneva. These webinars focused on the Inclusion of Persons with Disabilities in the Global Compact on Refugees, and ways to engage and contribute to the Global Refugee Forum. Pledges, good practices and feedback are being collected until September 4th, these responses will be shared during two important meetings taking place the week of September 9th. For more information about the Global Refugee Forum please visit the UNHCR website by clicking here.

7. Others

8. Vacancies and consultancies

  • The International Disability Alliance is seeking academic research support to expand the range of analyses from the initial survey dataset, to develop the DPO Participation Index and to guide the development of the next iteration of the Global Survey (planned end 2020) incorporating the learning of phase 1. Deadline for applications: 22 August 2019. Read more and apply 
  • The International Disability Alliance is seeking Service providers to develop interactive online mapping and survey and data visualization tools, to be hosted on its website or as an embeddable application. Deadline for applications: 22 August 2019. Read more and apply.
  • The Global Action on Disability (GLAD) Secretariat is seeking a consultant or firm to implement new features in its existing online collaboration platform to support the goals of the GLAD Network and its geographically dispersed members. Deadline: 11 September 2019. Read more and apply. 
  • The International Disability Alliance is seeking an external consultant to support DPO-led, evidence-based monitoring of the SDGs by persons with disabilities (SDG reports from a CRPD perspective). Deadline: 25 August 2019. Read more and apply.
  • The International Disability Alliance (IDA) is seeking a Consultant to support IDA’s engagement with the ATscale, the Global Partnership for Assistive Technology. Deadline: 8 September 2019. Read more and apply. 
  • The International Disability Alliance Is seeking an Inclusive Humanitarian Action and Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR) Advisor. The Inclusive Humanitarian Action and DRR Advisor is responsible for leading and coordinating the implementation of IDA’s strategy to promote and support the effective enforcement of inclusive humanitarian action and disaster risk reduction. Deadline for applications: 2 September 2019. Read more and apply.

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