UN Enable Newsletter s1
UN Enable Newsletter
September 2015
The UN Enable Newsletter is prepared by the Secretariat for the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (DSPD/DESA) with input from UN offices, agencies, funds and programmes, as well as from civil society organizations, including organizations of persons with disabilities. It is also available online at: www.un.org/disabilities.
In this issue:
- Status of the CRPD
- News from UN Headquarters
- News from other UN entities
- Calendar of international disability events
- Other news
STATUS OF THE CRPD
159 ratifications/accessions and 160 signatories to the CRPD
88 ratifications/accessions and 92 signatories to its Optional Protocol (OP)
- Democratic Republic of the Congo acceded both the CRPD and the OP on 30 September
- Bahamas ratified the CRPD on 28 September
- Belarus signed the CRPD on 28 September
Upcoming 9th session of the Conference of States Parties (2016)
The 9th session of the Conference of States Parties (COSP) to the CRPD will be held from 14 to 16 June 2016 at UN Headquarters in New York. Further details will be available in 2016. (http://www.un.org/disabilities/default.asp?id=1535)
Access the CRPD in other languages and formats
The UN Enable website also includes CRPD in various languages or easy-to-read formats, as well as in a range of national sign languages. Many non-official UN language versions and formats have been provided by stakeholders, including Governments and civil society organizations. (www.un.org/disabilities/default.asp?navid=15&pid=150)
NEWS FROM UN HEADQUARTERS
UN High-Level Week and Sustainable Development Summit
Promising to leaving no one behind, the UN General Assembly adopts the SDGs at the Sustainable Development Summit
On Friday, 25 September, Member States of the United Nations adopted the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development at the UN Sustainable Development Summit. More than 150 Heads of State and Government attended the Summit that was held at UN Headquarters in New York. The negotiation process of the 2030 agenda spanned more than two years and featured the unprecedented participation of civil society, including organizations of persons with disabilities and other stakeholders. Disability is referenced in various parts of the new agenda and specifically in parts related to education, growth and employment, inequality, accessibility of human settlements, as well as data collection and monitoring, including seven targets that explicitly refer to persons with disabilities. During the Summit, participants drew attention to challenges and opportunities related to achieving the SDGs for all, including persons with disabilities. Representatives of civil society organizations, including organizations of persons with disabilities, made statements in key dialogues at the Summit. (www.un.org/disabilities/default.asp?id=1618). See also the UN Enable infographic on the SDGs that graphically presents disability-inclusion in the SDGs: http://bit.ly/1PLyKxC.
International efforts toward disability-inclusive SDG indicators
On 22 September, the Permanent Mission of the Republic of Korea to the UN hosted experts from Member States, UN agencies and civil society at a meeting entitled "The importance of disability indicators for measuring the implementation of the SDGs for Persons with Disabilities". The event was co-organised by the International Disability Alliance (IDA) and the International Disability and Development Consortium (IDD), co-sponsored by the Permanent Missions of Antigua and Barbuda, and Australia, UNICEF and DESA. DESA provided the keynote address and discussed options to include disability indicators in the SDG-indicator framework. A total of 25 indicators were discussed, fifteen of which can be obtained simply by disaggregating already collected data by disability. Indicators are important to measure the progress of implementation of the new Agenda for persons with disabilities and to make sure that no one is left behind. Panellists noted that unless policy makers are provided with data on disability indicators and disaggregated by disability, they will not be able to make educated decisions, design policies and address gaps in the implementation of the sustainable development goals and related targets. The event also marked the launch of the Global network on monitoring and evaluation for disability-inclusive development. (www.un.org/disabilities/default.asp?navid=13&pid=1515)
First lady of China unveils new UN custom stamp sheet on disability and development
During the High-level summit at UN Headquarters, the First lady of China, Madam Liyuan Peng unveiled a new UN custom stamp sheet as part of the UN Summit to adopt the 2030 agenda for sustainable development. With the support of DESA, the UN Postal Administration (UNPA) in cooperation with the China Disabled Persons’ Federation (CDPF) issued the stamp sheet to highlight initiatives and programmes that promote inclusive and equal access for people with disabilities. The tabs of the sheet feature Chinese words representing: Perseverance, Bravery, Staunchness, Self-respect, Inclusiveness, Unyieldingness, Magnanimity, Fearlessness, Lofty Aspiration, and Equality. The background of the sheet features a symbol of disability surrounded by iris flowers that represent hope, wisdom, and courage. A message on behalf of the Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon was presented by Mr. Hongbo Wu, the Under-Secretary-General of DESA in the presence of the First Lady of China, Mrs. Ban and others. (www.unmultimedia.org/radio/chinese/archives/239341/; UNPA website: http://unstamps.org/shop/disability-and-development/)
Summit side-event highlights the inclusion of persons with disabilities in decision-making processes for development
The Nippon Foundation in collaboration with the Permanent Mission of Japan to the UN and DESA co-organized a side-event prior on 24 September prior to the opening of the UN Summit for Sustainable Development. The side-event entitled: “Towards full inclusion of disabled persons in the 2030 sustainable development goals and global governance processes” was co-sponsored by the Permanent Mission of Ecuador to the UN, the World Bank, UNESCO, the Institute on Disability and Public Policy (IDPP) and the International Disability Alliance (IDA). At the event, ideas, approaches and strategies for developing a framework for the inclusion of persons with disabilities in achieving the SDGs was be presented and discussed by an expert panel of speakers. Speakers elaborated on the importance and benefits of social and economic inclusion, accessible ICTs for education and the coordination between all stakeholders, as well as the accessibility and participation of persons with disabilities in the UN system and broader global governance processes. ()
Civil society applauds the new disability-inclusive development agenda
Representatives of civil society organizations, including organizations of persons with disabilities, who participated in key dialogues at the Sustainable Development Summit noted that the new 2030 agenda for sustainable development was one of the most inclusive efforts in UN history. They also emphasized the importance of the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD) as a guiding document to achieve the new development agenda for persons with disabilities. Furthermore, CSO speakers highlighted the importance of a human-right based, participatory, non-discriminatory approach and equity on the road to 2030 to create an inclusive society for all, including persons with disabilities. (www.un.org/disabilities/default.asp?id=1618)
DESA – UN Habitat: Forum on disability inclusion and accessible urban development
DESA will organize a three-day Forum with a focus on disability inclusion and accessible urban development in Nairobi from 28 to 30 October 2015. The Forum will be organized in close collaboration with UN-Habitat, the UN Economic Commission for Africa (ECA), the African Union Commission and civil society partners, including the African Disability Forum. Experts from around the world will present ways to ensure that the world’s urban development agenda will be inclusive of and accessible to persons with disabilities. Discussions will also contribute to the preparatory processes leading to the Habitat III and its emerging “New Urban Agenda”. (www.un.org/disabilities/default.asp?navid=15&pid=1624)
2015 International Day of Persons with Disabilities, 3 December
Celebrate the International Day of Persons with Disabilities (IDPD)
IDPD has been commemorated since 1992 to promote awareness and mobilize support for critical issues relating to the inclusion of persons with disabilities in society and development. The estimated one billion people living with disabilities worldwide face many barriers to inclusion and do not have access to key aspects of society on an equal basis with others. This year's theme: "Inclusion matters: Access and empowerment for people of all abilities", seeks to reduce inequalities and remove barriers to equal participation for persons with disabilities in society. Sub-themes for IDPD 2015 are: (1) Making cities inclusive and accessible for all; (2) Improving disability data and statistics; and (3) Including persons with invisible disabilities in society and development. Events at UN Headquarters will include events on the theme, as well as around the implementation of the 2030 agenda for sustainable development for persons with disabilities. (www.un.org/disabilities/default.asp?id=1637)
Share your plans for IDPD 2015 with people from around the world
You tell us! If you are commemorating the International Day of Persons with Disabilities in your community and would like to share an innovative idea that includes other stakeholders, such as your Government, a UN agency, an NGO/DPO or a community, please let us know about it. We will showcase the idea on our website to inform and inspire others to do the same. Please send your ideas to .
Call for films for UN Enable Film Festival
Each year, disability-related films are selected from films submitted from around the world are screened at UN Headquarters in New York for the UN Enable Film Festival (UNEFF). The films selected for UNEFF work to highlight an emerging or often overlooked disability issue and present a disability perspective in a larger societal context, as well as highlight the human diversity of disability. Send us your short film if you think it can help achieve the objectives of the International Day of Persons with Disabilities and is suitable to be presented to a diverse international audience. Further details and submission guidelines are available on the UN Enable website. Deadline: 20 November 2015. (www.un.org/disabilities/default.asp?id=1562)
Send us your “images of ability” for photo exhibition at UN Headquarters
A photo exhibition “Images of ability” will be organized for IDPD 2015. Submissions for the photo exhibition are open to all, including professional photographers, except staff of the UN Secretariat and their families. Final images selected by a panel of judges will form part of a display exhibited at UN Headquarters in New York during the International Day of Persons with Disabilities and be archived on the UN Enable website. Photographs may also be used for UN publications and other outreach efforts. See complete details and guidelines on our website. Deadline: 31 October 2015. (www.un.org/disabilities/default.asp?id=1639)
NEWS FROM OTHER UN ENTITIES
OHCHR – CRPD Committee concludes its 14th session
The 14th session of the CRPD Committee concluded on 4 September. The Committee held dialogues with delegations from: Brazil, Gabon, Kenya, Mauritius, Qatar, Ukraine, and the European Union. The Committee also prepared a General Comment on Women with Disabilities (Article 6 of the CRPD), and received submissions from DPOs and others. State Party reports, official documents and statements, and concluding observations by the Committee on State reports are available on the website of the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR). The next session of the Committee will be held from 29 March to 21 April 2016. (http://bit.ly/1MwLvfL)
UNICEF – Post MDGs: Disability beyond 2015
UNICEF will mobilize advocacy efforts to ensure that future international development frameworks comprehensively and clearly acknowledge the rights of people and children with disabilities in line with the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD). This international recognition would enable enhanced advocacy by, and empowerment of, people with disabilities and increased financial incentives for disability-inclusive programmes for children and people with disabilities. See also the post -2015 world fit for children, “Issue Brief: The Rights of Children with Disabilities”. (www.unicef.org/disabilities/index_70277.html)
UNICEF – Young disability advocate calls for greater participation in ICT
On 22 September at UN Headquarters, UNICEF and The Guardian news organization, brought together roughly 200 attendees from a cross-section of international NGOs, policymakers, academics and the private sector for an event entitled: “Development without equality? Creating the world we need post-2015”. Kartik Sawhney, a member of the Youth Council of the Global Partnership on Children with Disabilities (www.gpcwd.org) and student at Stanford University studying computer science, with an emphasis on artificial intelligence and human-computer interaction, spoke during the panel discussion on “How innovation can help create the world we need”. He highlighted that persons with disabilities are not only consumers, but developers of innovative solutions. He further called for greater opportunities for persons with disabilities to be involved in innovation and technology development. (www.unicef.org/disabilities/)
ILO – New publications on the employment and disability-inclusion
The International Labour Organization’s (ILO) recent publication “Inclusion of people with disabilities in national employment policies” is designed to provide step-by-step support in effectively including women and men with disabilities in the development of national employment policies (NEP). Furthermore, the resource guide on gender issues in employment and labour market policies gives guidance on how to effectively embed gender dimensions in NEP development (http://bit.ly/1P1WcZl). The ILO’s work on disability inclusion focuses on promoting pathways into decent work for people with disabilities in developing countries. This builds on and extends the experience the ILO has gained on increasing their employability, and in promoting inclusive employment and enabling environments. In light of the above, the recent ILO publication: “ILO and disability inclusion” provides an overview of the ILO's approach to disability inclusion in developing countries, and includes a range of examples. (http://bit.ly/1WtJip7)
CALENDAR OF INTERNATIONAL DISABILITY EVENTS
Please send information on major international disability events, for possible inclusion in the list below, to . Now also available on the UN Enable website at www.un.org/disabilities/default.asp?id=1627
2015
4 to 8 October: VI Africa Forum of the Institutional Development Program
(www.perkins.org/international/africa/idp)
5 October: World Habitat Day
(http://unhabitat.org/world-habitat-day/)
8 October: World Sight Day
(www.iapb.org/advocacy/world-sight-day)
10 October: World Mental Health Day
(www.who.int/mental_health/world-mental-health-day/en/)
28 to 30 October: DESA – UN Habitat: Forum on disability inclusion and accessible urban development
(http://www.un.org/disabilities/default.asp?navid=15&pid=1624)