1. ACTIVITIES IN THE PAST WEEK
- IDA TREATY BODIES UNIT: A side event entitled: "Promoting Quality, Independence and Diversity of Treaty Body membership: the importance of transparent and participatory nominations and election processes" was held on 2 November 2017 in Palais des Nations, Geneva. The event, organized by the TB-NET network, brought together treaty body members, States, civil society and other stakeholders. The objective of the event was to discuss the importance of quality, independence and diversity in treaty body membership and challenges and good practices in promoting these principles. IDA's Senior Advisor on Human Rights made an intervention from the floor. Among others, she stressed that mainstream UN Treaty Bodies should include qualified persons with disabilities in their membership. More information is available on IDA’s website.
- UNIVERSAL PERIODIC REVIEWS: The 28th Session of the Universal Periodic Reviews (UPR) took place from 6 to 17 November 2017 in Geneva. IDA provided support to DPOs from Guatemala and Japan in engaging in the pre-session of the UPR of their country. Support provided to DPOs includes the organization of meetings and technical support to advocate with Member States who will provide recommendations during the UPR review. IDA has also been providing support to DPOs from Sri Lanka, Pakistan and Gabon in the drafting of their reports. As a result, the Pakistani DPO was invited as main speaker to a side event on inclusive education organized by another Pakistani NGO; and the Sri Lankan DPOs succeeded in meeting bilaterally with staff from the Office of the Special Rapporteur on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities.
- 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) took place in Manama, Bahrain. The event was hosted by the Bahrain Center for Strategic, the International and Energy Study (DERASAT) and the United Nations Statistics Division (UNSD). The aim of the meeting was, 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 and IDDC took a leading role during the meeting and delivered several public presentations and interventions. As a result, the disaggregation work stream of the expert group produced for the first time a document called “Overview of standards for data disaggregation”, which includes a proposal to use the Washington Group’s Short Set of Questions as standard for the monitoring of the SDGs. More information available on IDA’s website.
- MENTAL HEALTH: The Trieste Conference on mental health took place on the 15-18 November 2017 in Trieste. It was 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 aimed 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 brought together several lead activists members of WNUSP and Beyond. More information will soon be available on IDA’s website.
- SOCIAL FORUM OF WOMEN WITH DISABILITIES: The First Social Forum for Women with Disabilities was held on 16 and 17 November 2017, in Sevilla, Spain. The event was organized by the CERMI Women Foundation with the support and collaboration of the organisation CERMI Andalucía. The event was also sponsored by Junta de Andalucía, Fundación ONCE, Telefónica, Iberdrola and AC Hoteles. IDA's Senior Advisor on Human Rights made an intervention on behalf of IDA. More information available in Spanish on Cermi Andalucia’s website.
- CRPD: A review of the initial report of the Republic of China (Taiwan), outside of UN system, was concluded in Taipei on 3 November 2017. The International Review Committee (IRC), invited by the government, had a constructive dialogue with the government and sessions with the civil society, including organizations of persons with disabilities, for three days from 30 October to 1 November 2017. IRC released its Concluding Observations on 3 November 2017.
2. UPCOMING ACTIVITIES
NOVEMBER
- COMMITTEE AGAINST TORTURE: The Committee Against Torture (CAT) opened its 62nd session on 6 November 2017 (ending in on December 2017) during which it will be reviewing Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Cameroon, Italy, Mauritius, Republic of Moldova, Rwanda and Timor-Leste. Please click here to watch public meetings webcasted live by the UN Office of Geneva. See programme of work.
- 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.
- 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.
DECEMBER
- SDG reporting: A technical meeting on Niger’s reporting on the SDGs' implementation in line with the CRPD will be held in Geneva, Switzerland, from 4 to 6 December 2017. The Chair of the Niger Federation of Persons with disabilities and two colleagues will be attending the meeting, with IDA senior staff and representatives of UN agencies Geneva-based to define the structure of a comprehensive report to be submitted to the DFID Committee next year.
- SDG implementation: A workshop on alliances for SDG’ implementation and monitoring in line with the CRPD' will take place from 10-15 December 2017 in Hanoi, Viet Nam. The workshop is organized by IDA in partnership with the Vietnamese Federation on Disabilities (VFD) and CBM Vietnam. The workshop will mainly focus on the monitoring of SDG's implementation, with a strong focus on the CRPD and reporting processes. See the concept note and tenative agenda.
3. IDA (OR SPONSORED) INTELLECTUAL PRODUCTION
- CRPD: A compilation of CRPD Committee Concluding Observations, produced by IDA, has been updated to 13 November 2017. It is available on IDA’s website.
4. IDA MEMBERS
WORLD FEDERATION OF DEAF
- PRESS RELEASE: On 8 November 2017, the World Federation of Deaf produced a press release on“All Children Reading: A Grand Challenge for Development Unveils New Competition to Ensure All Deaf Children Achieve Literacy”. The press release is available in International Sign Language on the USAID YouTube (https://youtu.be/BQ4pmZ1-5kM, https://youtu.be/6MBQlN0cX5Q).
INCLUSION INTERNATIONAL
- VOLUNTEERING: Inclusion International is looking for volunteer self-advocate leaders from around the world to join an Action Team for its self-advocacy initiative Empower Us. The self-advocates will help to produce international self-advocacy resources and tools, with the chance to also lead training and take part in self-advocate exchanges. Applications must be submitted online. More information available here.
EDF
- EVENT: The 4th European Parliament of Persons with Disabilities (EPPD) event will be held on 6 December 2017 at the European Parliament in Brussels. (Please click here to download the agenda). Delegates registered for the event may now apply for speaking time. Online application form must be filled by 26 November 2017. For any technical assistance to fill out this form, you can contact Virginie Niyonzima at virginie.niyonzima [at] edf-feph.org.
- DOCUMENTS: Two EDF documents will be adopted by the delegates of organizations of persons with disabilities during the 4th European Parliament of Persons with Disabilities: an EDF Manifesto on the next European elections 2019 and an EDF Resolution on the future European Disability Strategy 2020-2030. The two documents will be adopted by acclamation. The EDF Board has adopted two proposals, which are now open for consultation to all EDF members (to download the Manifesto click here and to download the Resolution click here). Should you have any feedback, please send your comments by Sunday 26 November: on the Manifesto to Etienne Cuche at Etienne.cuche [at] edf-feph.org and on the Resolution to Simona Giarratano at Simona.Giarratano [at] edf-feph.org
- PETITION: EDF has launched apetition on access rights for persons who require assistance dogs within the European Union. The petition states that members of the association frequently report having been refused access to a building because they were accompanied by an assistance dog. Those accompanied by assistance dogs are not permitted to enter taxis, trains, theaters, parks, hotels, sports facilities, shops and other areas which are open to the public. Please click here to sign the petition.
5. OTHERS
- HANDICAP INTERNATIONAL: Handicap International is looking for a Technical Advisor Support to Civil Society Unit to ensure the quality of its work in South East Asia, East Asia and Latin America focused on strengthening persons with disabilities’ participation in decision-making process from grassroots to international levels, and to support the capacity development of Civil Society Organizations (including DPOs) to better represent their members and promote an inclusive society and access to services for all. Applications must be submitted online by 3 December 2017
- LO NORWAY: LO-Norway is implementingactivities related to decent work for people with disabilities. Their activities show how social dialogue is central in effective decent work for persons with disabilities and others workers health and safety. Through a work group consisting of members from the authorities and the social partners, they are trying to identify successful methods where people with disability are hired and what kind of cooperation, follow-up and work were needed in order to succeed in this. The stakeholders are also working together on how to communicate important information to employers, union representatives and the labor and welfare administration concerning the topic. More information available on the LO-Norway’s website.
- EUROPEAN UNION AGENCY FOR FUNDAMENTAL RIGHTS: The European Union Agency for Fundamental Rights (FRA) has published three reports “From institutions to community living” calling for systematic changes in the way support for people with disabilities is organised and funded. The reports particularly explore different aspects of the move away from institutions towards independent and community living, a right enshrined in the UN’s CRPD. They look at: deinstitutionalisation plans and commitments; funding; and the impact this is having on people with disabilities. More information is available on the FRA’s website.
- BUREAU OF DEMOCRACY, HUMAN RIGHTS AND LABOR: The U.S. Department of State, Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights and Labor (DRL) announces an open competition for organizations interested in submitting applications for projects that support DRL’s goal is to support social and economic reforms in Saudi Arabia. This includes measures called for in Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030 strategy, to create an environment in which civil society and NGOs can operate effectively. Strengthening citizens’ interest in the rights of persons with disabilities is an important avenue to advance these goals. Successful programs will include people with disabilities in program design and implementation and will promote networking opportunities for participant organizations and their members locally, nationally, and internationally. Applications must be submitted by 17 January 2018. More information is available on the DRL’s website.
- CRPD: International Service for Human Rights (ISHR) undertook a survey among all Treaty Bodies (TBs) to find out who are the focal points on reprisals within their Secretariat. Two of the TBs surveyed said they could not disclose who the TB focal point/rapporteur on reprisals was: the CRPD and the Committee on Enforced Disappearances. In light of the above, ISHR is interested in hearing your views, as users and experts in the CRPD on the following:
- Have you experienced threats or reprisals related to your engagement with CRPD and/or have you been made aware of such threats against individuals engaging w the CRPD?
- In your view, why are the contact details of the focal point on reprisals not disclosed? Is it because there are less reprisals at CRPD?
- Do you have other views or suggestions as to how best to counter reprisals against individuals engaging w CRPD?
Please send your input to Vincent Ploton, Director of Development & Treaty Body Advocacy (v.ploton [at] ishr.ch).