Newsletter from IDA Secretariat | 4 September 2017

By IDA

 - September 5, 2017

Logos of all IDA Members

In this edition

1. Highlights of the week
2. Other activities
3. Activities next weeks 
4. IDA (or sponsored) intellectual production 

1. HIGHLIGHTS OF THE WEEK

  • On the 23th of August 2017, IDA Executive Director met with Ms. Amina Mohamed, the UN Deputy Secretary-General in the UN Headquarters in New York.  During the meeting, IDA reiterated their commitment to working with the Office of the DSG in order to coordinate the mainstreaming of the rights of persons with disabilities across the UN system. The Executive Director communicated the readiness of the alliance to work with the United Nations to support the inclusion of organizations of persons with disabilities in implementation of Agenda 2030, and in participating in task-forces and working groups in order to make this a reality. There was discussions on working collaboratively in order to concretely implement the UN Sustainable Development Goals, in line with the UN CRPD. For more information, please click here.
  • On the 25th of August 2017, the CRPD Committee held a Day of General Discussion (DGD) on the Right to Equality and Non-discrimination (Article 5). The event was sponsored by IDA as well as the German Permanent Mission to the UN and the CRPD Committee Secretariat. The DGD gathered CRPD Committee members, Representative from States, National Human Rights Institutions, civil society organisations, including organisations of persons with disabilities, and academia. At this occasion, Ms. Silvia Quan, provided closing remarks. More information available here.
  • To nourish suggestions towards a general comment no. 6 on Article 5 of the CRPD, IDA co-hosted a side event on the 25th of August 2017, Day of the General Discussion, in partnership with the European Union Agency for Fundamental Rights (FRA) and the Global Alliance of National Human Rights Institutions (GANHRI), with the sponsorship of the OHCHR and the Permanent Missions of Mexico and New Zealand. More information available here.  

2. OTHER ACTIVITIES

  • The CRPD Committee opened its 18th Session on the 14th of August 2017.
  • During the session, IDA’s Treaty Bodies Unit provided technical support to DPOs from the following countries: Panama, Morocco, Montenegro, Latvia, Luxemburg, the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland.
  • IDA also assisted DPOs from Ecuador and the Russian Federation in the preparation of their presentations in front of the CRPD Committee, through private video conferencing, prior to the adoption of the list of issues of their respective countries.
  • Financial support was also provided to representatives of DPOs from Panama, Morocco, Montenegro, Tunisia and Argentina in order for them to attend the reviews of their country or the adoption of List of Issues, in Geneva.
  • The 18th Session came to an end on the 1st of September 2017. During this session, the Committee also adopted List of Issues prior to Report on Argentina, Australia, Ecuador and Tunisia. List of Issues on Algeria, Cuba, Malta, Macedonia, Poland, Philippines and South Africa will be adopted, in March 2018, by the 9th Pre-sessional Working Group. More information on the session available here.
  • IDA's entire statements made during the opening and closing sessions will be available on IDA’s website shortly.

3. ACTIVITIES OVER THE NEXT WEEKS

  • IDA Executive Director and Board Member Klaus Lachwitz (representing Inclusion International) will be attending the Belt and Road Disability Cooperation High-Level Event, which will be held in Beijing, 13 – 15 September 2017. The Event, organized by the China Disabled Persons’ Federation is being convened as a follow-up of the consensus reached at The Belt and Road Forum on International Cooperation. This prior Forum was held in Beijing from 14 - 15 May 2017, and 29 heads of state and government issued a Joint Communique calling upon endeavors to expand people-to-people exchanges, to be more responsive to all the needs of those in vulnerable situations such as, children, persons with disabilities and the elderly and ensure equal access by all to development opportunities. More information on IDA's participation available here.
  • In the lead-up of the 28th Session of the Universal Periodic Reviews (UPR), which will take place from 06 November 2017 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.
  • In parallel of the HRC 36th session, which will open on the 11th of September 2017, IDA has been invited to take part, as a main speaker, to a side-event related to the empowerment of children with disabilities, on the 27th of September. The side-event is hosted by the Permanent Mission of Bulgaria and the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights. In addition, on the 21st and 22nd of September, will be held an expert workshop on Witchcraft and Human Rights. The objective of the meeting is to enable greater understanding of witchcraft related beliefs and practices, and their impact on the enjoyment of human rights, in order to prevent further abuses from taking place. A representative from the African Disability Forum, with Albinism, has been invited by the Special Rapporteur to take part in the event. IDA and ADF will jointly be supporting his participation.
  • On the 13th and 14th of September 2017, in Geneva, will be held an expert meeting on the Global report on situation and rights of persons with deafblindness, co-organised by WFDB and IDA, as part of the “No One Left Behind” grant of DFID, as well as supported by the MOFA Norway (c.f. fundraising updates), will be attended by board members of WFDB with Deafblindness, Sense international, IDA, IDDC, UN agencies and Academia. The concept note and programme of the meeting will be shared in the next activity report.
  • The NGO-International Federation of the Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies- United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees Reference Group in-person meeting will take place in Amman, Jordan, on the 25th and 26th of September 2017, to discuss engagement in the drafting of the Global Compact on Refugees. IDA will be represented by the Social Development & Human Rights Officer.
  • On the 26th and 27th of September 2017, in London, United Kingdom, will take place an informal meeting to enhance the coordination for CRPD compliant SDG monitoring. The meeting, co-hosted by IDDC members and IDA, and co-financed by IDDC members, Leonard Cheshire Disability, Handicap International and Sightsavers, will be attended by representatives of ADF, PDF, RIADIS, WNUSP and II, as well as DRAF. The purpose of the 2-day event is to share existing or upcoming initiatives and plans with regards to CRPD-compliant SDG monitoring at country and regional levels, as well as learnings from the High-Level Political Forum so far. Synergies and complementarities in coverage, methods, knowledge-sharing and/or any relevant area will be identified to optimize efforts and resources.

 4. IDA (OR SPONSORED) INTELLECTUAL PRODUCTION

  • The Overseas Development Institute (ODI), in collaboration with the International Disability Alliance (IDA), and with the financial support of the Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT), has conducted a research on the links that exist between poverty and disability in rural Bangladesh. The research has been published and is available on IDA’s website. Click here to read the report.