By IDA

 - August 13, 2018

IN THIS EDITION:

  1. Highlights
  2. Treaty bodies review, Geneva 2017-2018
  3. SDGs monitoring process
  4. Upcoming activities
  5. HR updates
  6. IDA members
  7. UN system, agencies, and mechanisms
  8. Others
  9. Job offers
  1. HIGHLIGHTS

GLOBAL DISABILITY SUMMIT, 24 JULY 2018, LONDON, UNITED KINGDOM

  • The UK Department for International Development (DFID), along with IDA and the Government of Kenya, hosted the first Global Disability Summit in London, United Kingdom, on 24 July 2018. The objectives of the Summit were to: raise global attention and focus on a neglected area; to bring in new voices and approaches to broaden engagement; to mobilize new global and national commitments on disability, and to showcase good practices and evidence from across the world. The event was attended by Ministers, representatives of organisations of persons with disabilities, academia, non-governmental organisations, representatives of the UN System, among others. In the culmination of the event, all attendees were invited to sign the Charter for Change—the principal legacy document of the Global Disability Summit. The Charter for Change aims at ensuring global consensus to address a long-neglected issue pertaining to rights of persons with disabilities such as inclusion in education, employment, independent living, voting, access to justice, among others.  More information available on IDA’s website.
  • Penny Mordaunt, the UK Secretary of State, used Sign Language in the House of Commons on 4 July 2018 to announce the Global Disability Summit to be held in London on 24 July 2018. This is a historic moment, believed to be the first time a cabinet minister has used sign language on the front bench. In her speech, the Secretary of State made a reference to IDA as one of the co-hosts of the Summit. Click here to watch the full clip.

CIVIL SOCIETY FORUM, 23 JULY 2018, LONDON, UNITED KINGDOM

  • The Civil Society Forum took place on 23 July 2018, one day prior to the Global Disability Summit and at the same venue. It was an opportunity for participants to share and capture what civil society sees as most important in terms of informing the outcomes of the overall Summit, and also to highlight current issues relevant to the global disability movement and realization of the CRPD that would not specifically be addressed at the Summit. The discussions also informed the Statement that was read out by IDA on behalf of Civil Society during the Opening of the Global Disability Summit day on 24 July. Click here to read the statement. More information available on IDA’s website.

HIGH-LEVEL POLITICAL FORUM, 9-18 JULY 2018, NEW YORK, USA

  • The High-Level Political Forum (HLPF) took place from 9-18 July 2018 at the UN headquarters in New York, USA. 46 countries delivered their country reports on SDG implementation. Out of the 46 voluntary national reviews, 36 included references to persons with disabilities. The Stakeholder Group of Persons with Disabilities (SGPwD) had 31 participants attending the HLPF. They delivered 6 interventions during the first week of HLPF and 5 statements on behalf of other stakeholders during the voluntary national reviews during the Ministerial week. As a result of the SGPwD’s advocacy, the Ministerial Declaration was adopted with 3 important references to persons with disabilities, including in WASH. For more information, please click here.  More information available on IDA’s website.  

 2. TREATY BODIES REVIEWS, GENEVA 2017-2018

70TH SESSION OF THE COMMITTEE ON THE ELIMINATION OF DISCRIMINATION, 2-20 JULY 2018, GENEVA, SWITZERLAND

  • The Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women held its 70th  Session from 2 July 2018 to 20 July 2018, in Geneva, Switzerland, in which it reviewed Australia, Cook Islands, Cyprus, Liechtenstein, Mexico, New Zealand, State of Palestine and Turkmenistan. The public meetings have been webcasted live by the UN Office of Geneva and can be watched here.

123rd SESSION OF THE HUMAN RIGHTS COMMITTEE, 2-27 JULY 2018, GENEVA, SWITZERLAND

  • The Human Rights Committee held its 123rd Session from 02 July 2018 to 27 July 2018, in Geneva, Switzerland.  It reviewed Algeria, Bahrain, Lao People's Democratic Republic, Liberia and Lithuania. The public meetings have been webcast live by the UN Office of Geneva and can be watched here.

64TH SESSION OF THE COMMITTEE AGAINST TORTURE, 23 JULY 2018 – 10 AUGUST 2018, GENEVA, SWITZERLAND

  • The Committee against Torture (CAT Committee) held its 64th Session (23 July - 10 August 2018) during which it has reviewed Chile, Mauritania, Russian Federation and Seychelles. The public meetings have been webcast live by the UN Office of Geneva and can be watched here.

CRPD NATIONAL WORKSHOPS

  • In collaboration with the Fédération National de Personnes Handicapées du Niger, IDA held a 3 days’ workshop on the CRPD review process on 28-30 May 2018 in Niamey, Niger. This workshop was developed in the lead up to Niger’s upcoming review by the CRPD Committee, beginning September 2018 with the adoption of the List of Issues by the Committee. The workshop gathered 20 participants from organisations of persons with disabilities and other civil society allies both from the capital Niamey and from other regions of the country. More information available on IDA’s website.
  • In collaboration with the Fédération National des Associations Personnes Handicapées du Senegal, the OHCHR - West Africa Regional Office, and Sightsavers, IDA held a 2 days’ workshop on the CRPD review process on 1-2 June 2018 in Dakar, Senegal. This workshop was developed in the lead up to Senegal’s upcoming review by the United Nations Committee on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, beginning next September 2018 with the adoption of the List of Issues by the Committee. The 2-day activity gathered 20 participants from organisations of persons with disabilities and other civil society allies both from Dakar and from other regions of the country.  More information available on IDA’s website.
  • IDA held a workshop in Erbil, Iraq, on 10-12 July 2018, with representatives from the Iraqi Alliance of Disability Organizations (IADO), a member of the Arab Organization of Persons with Disabilities (AOPD), and with the support of Handicap International Iraq. The aim of the workshop was to finalize the drafting of IADO’s alternative report and to prepare them to engage with the CRPD Committee prior to the adoption of the List of Issues during the 20th Session in September 2018, and the interactive dialogue with State representatives during the 21st Session of the Committee. More information available on IDA’s website. 
  • IDA, in coordination with the National Union of Disability Organizations in Rwanda (NUDOR), conducted a workshop in Kigali on 27-28 June 2018, to prepare the representatives of the DPOs for the upcoming review of Rwanda’s initial report to the CRPD Committee. 28 persons with disabilities participated in the workshop, representing the diversity of constituencies comprising NUDOR. More information available on IDA’s website.

DRAFT GENERAL COMMENT NO. 7 OF THE COMMITTEE ON THE RIGHTS OF PERSONS WITH DISABILITIES

  • The CRPD Committee has scheduled two dates for public meetings concerning the draft General Comment No. 7 during its next session in Geneva:
    - Monday 27 August from 3 to 4 pm;
    - Wednesday 5 September from 3 to 4 pm.
    The Committee will allow DPOs and CSOs to take the floor and make interventions during both segments. 

CALL FOR CONTRIBUTIONS BY OHCHR TOWARDS A STUDY ON THE CRPD ARTICLE 26

  • Based on Human Rights Council resolution 37/22, the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) will prepare a study on article 26 of the Convention on Rights of Persons with Disabilities in consultation with relevant stakeholders. For more information, please click here. Please send your contribution in an accessible format to OHCHR at United Nations Office at Geneva, CH 1211 Geneva 10; fax. +41 22 917 90 08; e-mail: registry [at] ohchr.org ; by 1 September 2018. For further information or clarification please do not hesitate to contact Facundo Chávez Penillas (disability [at] ohchr.org)  or Victoria Lee (vlee [at] ohchr.org).

UPDATED CALENDAR OF REVIEWS FROM OTHER TREATY BODIES

  • A calendar of the treaty bodies reviews can be downloaded here.

3. SDGS MONITORING PROCESS

  • Marion Steff, EDF’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) Coordinator, gave a webinar to the members of the Youth Committee, on 21 June 2018, about the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. In this webinar, participants acquired an understanding of how the SDGs could impact the next era and what influences the High-Level Political Forum (HLPF) and the different political processes.

4. UPCOMING ACTIVITIES

AUGUST

  • CRPD: The 20th Session of the CRPD committee will take place from 20 August 2018 to 7 September 2017, in Palais des Nations, Geneva, Switzerland.

OCTOBER

  • BRIDGE CRPD-SDGs TRAINING OF TRAINERS: The next IDA-IDDC Bridge CRPD-SDGs Training of Trainers Module B will take place in Dubai, the United Arab Emirates from 18-26 October 2018 during the World Data Forum (22-24 October 2018).
  • UN WORLD DATA FORUM: The UN World Data Forum 2018 will take place in Dubai, UAE from 22-24 October 2018. The event will bring together data leaders from diverse stakeholder groups, including national and international statistical systems, academia, business community and civil society. The aim of the forum is to exchange ideas, showcase innovations, identify solutions, discuss future strategies, and provide mutual learning opportunities on a wide variety of topics. More information available on the website of the UN World Data Forum. 

5. HR UPDATE

  • Dorodi Sharma joined IDA from 2 July 2018 as Monitoring, Evaluation, Accountability and Learning (MEAL) Officer. In her capacity as MEAL Officer, Dorodi will support reporting, monitoring and evaluation of IDA's work, including the Catalyst project. Dorodi is based in Delhi (and can be contacted on the following email: dsharma [at] ida-secretariat.org, and Skype: dorodisharma. You can read about Dorodi's profile on the IDA team webpage.

6. IDA MEMBERS

European Disability Forum

  • EDF and its members are strongly opposing the adoption of the draft additional protocol to the Oviedo Convention. According to EDF, the adoption of this protocol would send the message that the Member States can lawfully impose forced treatment and placement in mental health institutions of persons with disabilities. This would breach, among others, the right to non-discrimination, legal capacity and liberty and security. EDF requests you to contact your relevant ministries, raise the issue and tell them why they should oppose the adoption of the draft and ratification of the protocol. Send EDF updates on the position of your government on the additional protocol and any work you, as DPOs, undertook in this regards. Please contact Marine Uldry (marine.uldry [at] edf-feph.org) for any questions, information or support on the issue.
  • In 2018 the European Commission launched for the first time ever a European Sustainability Award to reward the efforts and creativity of European people, businesses and organisations. The award aims to champion inspiring cases of initiatives that are turning the global Sustainable Development Goals into concrete solutions and opportunities. For this year's edition, the theme of the award is “Empowering people and ensuring inclusiveness and equality”. Click here to find out how to enter the competition. The deadline for applications is 14 September 2018
  • Social Platform, an organisation representing European rights and value-based civil society organisations working in the social sector, has launched the Your Vision for Europe survey. The survey intends to gather the voices of human rights and civil society advocates across Europe. The survey is available in 23 languages and takes 5 minutes to complete. It is extremely important that representatives of organisations of persons with disabilities fill this survey. It will ensure that our voices are a significant part of civil society response and that disability issues are given the weight they deserve. Please fill it as soon as possible. The survey will be open until 31 August 2018, but Social Platform will also work on intermediate results. Fill out the survey here.

Down Syndrome International

  • The 13th World Down Syndrome Congress was held on 25-27 July 2018 at Glasgow, Scotland. Held every two years, the Congress provides a once in a lifetime opportunity for families, professionals and people with Down syndrome to access the latest medical research, educational developments and best practice related to the condition. More information available on IDA’s website.

World Federation of Deaf

  • IWDeaf 2018 will take place on 24-30 September 2018 under the theme “With Sign Language, Everyone is Included!”. This is the first time ever that the theme is being shared with the International Day of Sign Languages (IDSL). The IDSL has been adopted by the United Nations General Assembly to be celebrated annually during International Week of the Deaf on 23 September beginning in 2018. Please, click here to see the International Week of the Deaf (IWDeaf) 2018 Toolkit and here for campaign materials.
  • Due to a rise in international events taking place in Asia, the World Federation of the Deaf Regional Secretariat for Asia (WFDRSA) and the World Association of Sign Language Interpreters in Asia (WASLI-Asia) are providing a 3-day training in Macau for interpreters looking to improve their IS skills. More information available here. 
  • Please, click here to find the WFD Position Paper on Deaf Community as linguistic identity or disability. The document is also available on the WFD website.
  • On 15-16 May 2018, Catalina Devandas Aguilar, the UN Special Rapporteur (SR) on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities hosted an expert group meeting in Geneva, Switzerland. The meeting focused on the rights of persons with disabilities to the highest attainable standard of physical and mental health. Special Rapporteur Aguilar invited the World Federation of the Deaf (WFD) to attend this meeting.  Dr. Peter C. Hauser from the National Technical Institute of the Deaf (NTID) at Rochester Institute of Technology was selected by Mr. Colin Allen, WFD President, to present on behalf of WFD. Hauser discussed the status of Deaf individuals’ health and access to healthcare and health information, which the SR will use to create a report to be presented to the 73rd UN General Assembly to be held in New York in September 2018. More information available on WFD’s website.

7. UN SYSTEM, AGENCIES AND MECHANISM

  • UNESCO INSTITUTE FOR STATISTICS: UNESCO Institute for Statistics (UIS) has developed a series of new products for SDG 4 data:
    - The Quick Guide to Education Indicators for SDG 4 describes the process of developing and producing global monitoring indicators while explaining how they can be interpreted and used.
    - The SDG 4 Data Book: Global Education Indicators 2018 ensures that readers have the latest available data for the global monitoring indicators. This booklet will be regularly updated.
    - The SDG 4 Explorer displays data by country, region or year; by the data source; and by sex, location and wealth. It allows users to explore the measures of equality that are crucial for the achievement of SDG 4.
    - The SDG 4 Country Profiles, designed specifically for the Member States, present the latest available SDG 4 global indicators in charts and graphs that are easy to understand. For those who need quick facts on countries, this is the place to come.
    - The SDG 4 Cheat Sheet is a quick reference for the definitions and data sources of the 11 global indicators.  
  • HIGH-LEVEL UNITED NATIONS CONFERENCE ON SOUTH-SOUTH COOPERATION: The second High-level United Nations Conference on South-South Cooperation will be held in Buenos Aires, the Republic of Argentina, from 20-22 March 2019 under the overarching theme "Role of South-South cooperation and the implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development: challenges and opportunities". Accreditation is now open until 10 August 2018 for relevant non-governmental organizations, civil society organizations, academic institutions, the scientific community, the private sector and philanthropic organizations whose work is related to the High-level Conference, to participate in the Conference as observers. Click here to register.  Non-governmental organizations with consultative status with ECOSOC do not need to apply at this stage. A separate registration form for the High-level Conference will be opened in due course. Additional information on the High-level Conference available here.
  • IE ON THE ENJOYMENT OF ALL HUMAN RIGHTS BY OLDER PERSONS: In her 2017 report, the Independent Expert on the enjoyment of all human rights by older persons examines the impact of assistive and robotics technology, artificial intelligence and automation on the human rights of older persons. Click here to read the report.
  • UNDP BOTSWANA: UNDP Botswana is looking for a Disability Strategy Consultant. The National Disability Strategy will be developed in September 2018 with consultations to be held between September and October 2018. The deadline for application is 17 August 2018. More information available here.

 8. OTHERS

  • DISABILITY DATA PORTAL:  Leonard Cheshire and the UK Department for International Development (DFID) have launched a new disability data portal.  For the first time, data disaggregated by disability from multiple and diverse sources -  across 16 development indicators in 40 countries - has been pooled together in one resource. Data around key development themes including inclusive education, economic empowerment, technology/innovation and stigma/discrimination is available. The portal is designed to be easily accessible to government officials, experts and advocates and aims to ensure people with disabilities, including groups such as girls with disabilities, are fully considered and included in development programmes and activities. Click here to access the Disability Data Portal.
  • DISABILITY RIGHTS FUND: The Disability Rights Fund (DRF) has now opened its 2018 Round 2 Request for Proposals for Disabled Persons’ Organizations in Pacific Island countries and Rwanda. DPOs in Uganda who have been invited are also welcome to apply. To see the details, please click here. The deadline for proposals is 22 August 2018. The full eligibility criteria and RFP details are available on the Fund’s website.
  • LIGHT FOR THE WORLD: Light for the World has launched a brand-new award this year:  Her Abilities. It is the first global award honouring the achievements of women with disabilities across the board, in three categories: health and education; rights; and arts, culture and sports. Nominations must be submitted by 30 September 2018. More information available here.
  • TCI-ASIA NETWORK: TCI Asia network is holding its 5th Plenary meeting, "Classic Edition TCI Asia" in Bali, Indonesia, on 27-29 August 2018 with participation from over 20 countries. The meeting will include learning sessions on TCI Asia’s understanding of inclusion, legal harmonisation and budgeting, enabling environments through building community support and public actions. During the meeting, a "TCI Asia Bali Declaration" will be produced in a collective way and adopted. For more details, please click here and here.
  • ERA CONFERENCE ON EU DISABILITY LAW: ERA is holding a seminar on “Disability in Employment and Beyond” from 17 – 18 September 2018 in Trier, Germany. This training will give participants an in-depth and concrete insight into several legal aspects related to disability in employment and beyond, and in particular into disability discrimination. There is no seminar fee. Deadline for applications is 10 August 2018. Click here to register. More information available here.
  • JOURNAL DISABILITY AND INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENT: The Journal Disability and International Development is looking for a wide range of contributions addressing different aspects of the complex context of disability and forced migration and research and practice in the Global South and North. Among others, articles may broach the following topics:
    - Empirical data on the situation of refugees and displaced people with disabilities, on the link between conflicts and crisis and impairment, etc.
    - Inclusive approaches to refugee support and protection
    - Accessibility of refugee protection services and disability services in host countries
    - Intersectional challenges
    - Innovative models and support services on the national and international level
    - If you are interested in contributing an article, please send an abstract to janaoffergeld [at] yahoo.com or thorsten.hinz [at] caritas.deDeadline for submission of papers is 15 July 2018.
  • RREI LATIN AMERICA: The Regional Network for Inclusive Education (RREI Latin America) elaborated a document titled “Monitoring of SDG 4: Indicators for not leaving persons with disabilities behind". This document briefly tackles the issue of the lack of data on the educational situation of people with disabilities in Latin America and proposes some key indicators to monitor the progress of States in the implementation of SDG 4. Please, click here to download a copy in PDF format and here for the accessible one for people with visual disabilities in WORD version in Spanish. In a couple of weeks, there will be an English version available on RREI Latin America’s website.
  • 2018 EQUALS IN TECH AWARDS: Applications for the 2018 EQUALS in Tech Awards are now open. Exceptional initiatives that are using the power of information and communication technologies (ICTs) to empower women and girls across the globe are invited to submit nominations. More information about the nomination here.
  • MENTAL HEALTH: A TV program by NHK describe mental hospitals in Japan. Click here to watch.
  • SURVEY ON THE ACCESSIBILITY IN WORKING LIFE IN GERMANY: Based on the German Federal Government’s National Action Plan 2.0 for the implementation of the UNCRPD, the Federal Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs (focal point) commissioned a comparative survey on the accessibility in working life. The German Social Accident Insurance (Deutsche Gestzliche Unfallversicherung, DGUV) has been asked to carry out this study. The objective of the study is to find the best practices and international experiences for an extensively accessible working environment that can subsequently be offered for implementation to German enterprises and their associations. Click here to read the full article. 
  • mEDUCATION ALLIANCE SYMPOSIUM: The 8th Annual mEducation Alliance Symposium will take place on 6-8 November 2018 in Washington, D.C. Participants will explore the theme of “Using Technology to Scale Support for Teachers and Community Educators in Low-Resource Environments”. The event is designed to dynamically increase practitioner and policymaker access to relevant information concerning the appropriate and scalable use of low-cost technologies to improve learning outcomes, principally in low-resource environments and developing countries. The primary focus of this year’s Symposium is the central role of the teacher and community educator, and how technology can provide greater support for their professional development, motivation, networking, and delivery of instruction in traditional and non-traditional educational settings. More information available here.
  • INCLUSIVE EDUCATION: Communication Rights developed a Teachers’ Toolkit that promotes inclusive education; specifically helping to build the capacity of schools and teachers to better support students with communication disabilities. The Teachers’ Toolkit has been funded by the NDIS Information, ILC National Readiness Grants programme, which aims to build the capacity of mainstream services, including the education sector. Click here to read the media release. 
  • GLOBAL PARTNERSHIP FOR CHILDREN WITH DISABILITIES: MIUSA and Partners for Youth with Disabilities launched a report that highlights leadership opportunities for young people with disabilities. The report is a mapping exercise to better understand 1) what leadership and mentoring opportunities are available for youth and young adults with disabilities and 2) what opportunities youth and young adults with disabilities are currently accessing and what they need to develop leadership skills. Ultimately it is hoped that the findings can be used to strengthen training, leadership and mentoring opportunities for young people with disabilities. Access the full report here.
  • ROUTLEDGE HANDBOOK OF DISABILITY IN SOUTHERN AFRICA: The Routledge Handbook of Disability in Southern Africa provides a body of interdisciplinary analyses suitable for the development of disability studies in southern Africa. By drawing upon and introducing resources from several disciplines, theoretical perspectives and personal narratives from disability activists, it reflects on disability and sustainable development in southern Africa. Click here to get a copy.
  • 2020 GEM REPORT: The 2020 GEM Report will take an in-depth look at inclusion and education, showing the barriers faced by the most vulnerable, with a particular focus on people with disabilities. By analysing policies over the world, it will present evidence on the different elements of education systems that can support inclusion. A range of indicators will be examined for their effectiveness in measuring inclusion in education as well. An online consultation will run for eight weeks. You are invited to suggest relevant literature, data analysis and case studies to help inform the writing of the GEM Report team. Please send your comments or attachments of documents or data that you would like to share to gemreport [at] unesco.org with ‘2020 Report Consultation’ as a subject heading.”
  • M-ENABLING FORUM: The M-(mobile) Enabling Forum Europe will take place on 27 September 2018, parallel to REHACARE in Düsseldorf, Germany. E.J. Krause & Associates (EJK) and G3ict (The Global Initiative for Inclusive ICT, established with the support of the United Nations)  will organize this conference and showcase to promote accessible technologies and environments for senior citizens and persons with disabilities. The forum will offer simultaneous translation and captioning (English and German). Further information and conference pass registration is on the Conference’s website.

10. JOB OFFERS 

  • DISABILITY RIGHTS FUND: The Disability Rights Fund seeks a Program Officer in the Pacific Islands. Please, click here to download the job description. Applications accepted on a rolling basis. 
  • ENIL: ENIL is looking for a Development Officer. Click here to read the job description. Deadline for application is 10 August 2018.
  • SOLIDAR: SOLIDAR has opened a job vacancy for a Development Education Project Officer. Click here to read the job description. Deadline for application is 22 August 2018.
  • INTERNATIONAL FEDERATION FOR SPINA BIFIDA AND HYDROCEPHALUS: IF is looking for an experienced Office Manager. Click here to read the full job description. Deadline for applications is 13 August 2018.
  • JOSEPH P. KENNEDY, JR. FOUNDATION: The Joseph P. Kennedy, Jr. Foundation announces the next round of its International Public Policy Fellowship Program. The 2018 Fellowships will focus on either the inclusion of students with intellectual disabilities in inclusive education systems or on the full respect of the rights of persons with intellectual disabilities.  The Foundation is seeking Fellows for the following placements:
  • UNICEF Country Office, Kathmandu, Nepal (Fellowship in inclusive education)
  • UNICEF Headquarters, New York, USA (Fellowship in inclusive education)
  • Office of the Special Rapporteur on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, Geneva, Switzerland (Fellowship in disability rights).
    The application deadline for 2018 is 15 September 2018 by 5:00 P.M. EST. Please, click here to download the flyer for full details.

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