By IDA

 - July 18, 2016

Commitment tree

The second week of the High-level Political Forum on Sustainable Development 2016 is the 'ministerial week', with high-level representatives of governments meeting in New York to discuss implementation and progress so far towards the Sustainable Development Goals. The day included the opening of the Partnership Exchange, for all participants of the HLPF to discuss ways to enhance global partnership for sustainable development. Ambrose Murangira contributed to the discussion, calling for all partnerships for the SDGs need to be inclusive: "we all need to take steps towards universal design and reasonable accommodation".

Ambrose and the SDGs

Click to read more about the Multi-stakeholder Partnerships here

Colin Allen, IDA's Chair, was invited to present alongside the Prime Minister of Norway, Erna Solberg, former Prime Minister of New Zealand and UNDP Administrator Helen Clark, and President of ECOSOC Ambassador Oh-Joon, as well as ministers and senior representatives from Albania, Bangladesh, Canada, Colombia, Germany, Kenya, Liberia, Mexico, the Netherlands, Rwanda, Tanzania, and the United Kingdom, as well as the World Bank, UNICEF and the Overseas Development Institute (ODI). The discussion was around 'Early action to Leave No One Behind: delivering for the world’s poorest people', drawing on new research into the impacts of early investment, and targeted initiatives to reach those furthest behind first. Colin Allen emphasized the importance of persons with disabilities and their representative organisations participating directly in initiatives and programmes, and the dangers of being left out of discussions and decision-making - which had left persons with disabilities behind during the implementation of the Millennium Development Goals. Each participant signed a large canvass visualisation of the pledges and discussions - the 'Commitment Tree'

Erna Solberg, Norway PM, and Colin AllenColin Allen and Helen Clark

The Stakeholder Group of Persons with Disabilities also held a town hall-style discussion at the Ford Foundation, to discuss the experiences and barriers faced by DPOS in participating with government in implementing the SDGS. Panelist, all from the Stakeholder Group, drew on their experiences from seven countries across all global regions. Lauro Purcil of the ASEAN Disability Forum discussed barriers faced in the Philippines, Ambrose Murangira discussed experiences in Uganda, José Maria Viera of the World Blind Union drew on experiences across Colombia, Mexico and Venezuela, Michael Herbst of CBM Germany discussed experience of engaging the German government, and Mr Abdulmajid Makni shared experiences from Morocco. The discussion was moderated by Yetnebersh Nigussie of Light for the World Ethiopia. Representatives of UN Member States and Agencies, as well as wider civil society, took part in the discussion, sharing similar challenges and opportunities of effective engagement and partnerships. Among the respondents to the panel were a Representative of Norway and Yannis Vardakastanis, President of the European Disability Forum and former IDA Chair.

DPO panel at Ford Foundation

The discussion was livestreamed on Periscope, click here to replay the video 

DPO event participants and Yannis VardakastanisDPO event and Noreigian Represetative

This evening Colin Allen is participating in a dinner event hosted by the Permanent Mission of the U.K. to the United Nations, while Yetnebersh Nigussie and José Maria Viera are representing the Stakeholder Group of Persons with Disabilities at a Ministerial reception held by the Permanent Mission of the Republic of Korea to the United Nations

Follow us throughout the HLPF online here: http://www.internationaldisabilityalliance.org/events/high-level-political-forum-2016

And by using #HLPF2016 #SDGs and #LeaveNoOneBehind

Photos from the HLPF are now available on our Facebook page, click here.