Refugees and Internally Displaced Persons with Disabilities

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IDA-UNHCR Strategic Collaboration in 2021: Achievements, Challenges, and Way-Forward

This report provides a summary of the activities jointly organized in 2021 by the International Disability Alliance (IDA), and the United Nations Refugee Agency (UNHCR) in order to fulfill goals stipulated in their 2020 Memorandum of Understanding (MOU).

Year 2021 was the first year of the two organizations' strategic collaboration with lots of impressive achievements and many precious lessons learned. The summary compiles activities conducted under each of the four main areas of collaboration enumerated in the MOU as well as an overview of the identified gaps under each area and some ideas on how to address them in 2022 and beyond.

Summary of Activities 2021

Strategic collaboration with the UN Refugee Agency

On December 4, 2020, the International Disability Alliance (IDA) and the United Nations Refugee Agency (UNHCR) signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to facilitate and frame their collaboration. Building on the unique status of UNHCR as the main coordinator of global refugee response, and IDA unique representation of persons with disabilities and their organizations, this MOU has initiated a key collaboration toward enhancing equal protection, inclusion, and participation of forcibly displaced and Stateless persons with disabilities.

According to this MOU, UNHCR and IDA commit to joining efforts and exchange expertise to actively promote the rights of persons of concern with disabilities and affected communities through a partnership to strengthen the capacity and cooperation between organisations of persons with disabilities and UNHCR HQ, Bureaus and country offices. The expected outcome of this collaboration will be enhanced visibility and respect for the rights of persons of concern with disabilities across the capacity-building, coordination, advocacy, human rights monitoring and strategic efforts undertaken by both Parties.

The document below provides a  general overview of the areas of collaboration, as well as roles Organizations of Persons with Disabilities, can play and the achievements they can expect.

44th Session of the Human Rights Council Virtual side-event: “Persons with disabilities in the context of internal displacement”

By IDA

 - July 17, 2020

On Monday 13 July 2020, the International Disability Alliance, in partnership with the UN Migration Agency (IOM) and the UN Human Rights Special Procedures presented the webinar "Persons with disabilities in the context of internal displacement" as a side event to the 44th session of the Human Rights Council.

World Refugee Day 2020

IDA-IDDC logo

The International Disability Alliance and the International Disability and Development Consortium, mark the 2020 World Refugee Day recognizing the devastating impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on refugees around the world....

IDA attended the first-ever Global Refugees Forum, 17-18 December 2019 in Geneva

The International Disability Alliance attended the first-ever Global Refugees Forum (GRF) held in Geneva from 17 to 18 December 2019. The IDA delegation was comprised of the board member Mr....

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