Inclusion Africa”
A Movement for Change“
28 April – 1 May 2015, Hilton Nairobi Hotel, Kenya
Closing Speech
Distinguished Guests,
Dear friends,
It`s a pity, but we have to close our conference now. It was a really successful event and I want to thank in particular KAIH, Inclusion International`s member in Kenya, for its hospitality and its great engagement to provide a framework which allowed us to come together in a very friendly atmosphere to exchange views and to build partnerships in Africa.
And I want to thank all participants for the passion they have shown while engaging in the topics of the plenary sessions and workshops. We had very interesting dialogs and discussions everywhere and, I am sure, we could have prolonged our meetings for at least another full day.
There are so many things moving for change as far as the implementation of the UN Convention of the Rights of Persons with Disabilities is concerned! And we have learned how important it is to mobilize self – advocates to speak up and to develop a “voice for change” not only within our national associations, but also towards politicians, officials representing public bodies and other stakeholders who play an important role in our societies.
Mr. Charles Omondi, KAIH`s President, just told me that KAIH was founded in 2000 by families whohad chosen the name “Parents mobilisation”. I like the term “mobilisation” as we have reached the next level in our movement: To mobilize self – advocacy and to state that many persons with intellectual disabilities can make their own
decisions in everyday life if they are properly trained to do that and if they receive sufficientsupportto express theirneeds and requests.
I was asked by the organizers of the conference program to answer the question:“Why it is so important to have families and self – advocates in the cross – disability voice?”
In my function as President of Inclusion International I want to talk about the influence of Africa and its Disabled People’s Organisations (DPOs) at global level.My question, therefore, is:Why do we need a global cross – disability voice?
I will try to explain that by referring to the Convention of the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD) and the Post 2015 Development Goals which were already presented and explained today in the plenary session by Ms. Mitsu Kemura, UNICEF.
We all know that the CRPD is an amazing human rights instrument, a very progressive description of what human rights mean for persons with disabilities. The reason for this is that the UN – Working Group which drafted the first text of the Convention in 2004 included not only Government representatives from all over the world but also delegates from global Disabled People’s Organisations (DPOs) such as the World Blind Union, the World Federation of the Deaf and Inclusion International. The influence of these international DPOs was remarkable and I am proud to state that Inclusion International played an important role while the text of the Convention was negotiated and drafted between 2004 and 2006.I already mentioned yesterday that Inclusion International was represented in the 2004 Working Group and later in the 2004 – 2006 UN - Liaison Group by Robert Martin, a self – advocate from New Zealand.
His input was very important as he urgedthe UN CRPD Liaison Groupto recommend a text proposal to the UN – Member States that all persons with disabilities irrespective of their kind and degree of disabilityenjoy full legal capacity on an equal basis with others (Art. 12 CRPD).
The results of the UN Working Group were great.But when the CRPD was finally adopted by the General Assembly of the United Nations in 2006 we all knew: This is just the start!” Now the States Parties have to ratify the CRPD and to implement its contents at national level!
The leaders of the global DPOs took the view that a strong international cross –disability voice is needed to follow up and monitor the implementation of the CRPD. Therefore the International Disability Alliance (IDA) was established which today consists of eight global and four regional DPOs.
Inclusion International is a full member of IDA and one of its founders.
Today IDA is a legal entity with offices in Geneva, Switzerland, and New York City and I don`t exaggerate by stating: IDA is a very strong international DPO umbrella and cross – disability voice! It`s accepted by the UN – Committee on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities and by many missions and diplomats of the UN – CRPD – States Parties as the main counterpartin all disability issues as itworks related to practice and as it is capable todescribe, reflect and summarize the needs of persons with disabilities at global level.
I have already mentioned that four regions are represented in the International Disability Alliance; the Arab speaking countries, Europe, Latin America and the Pacific. What is still missing is the cross – disability voice of Africa! It is therefore of utmost importance for the influence of African States at the United Nations that theAfrican Disability Forum(ADFwas founded in 2013 under the leadership of Mr. Shuaib Chalklen, UN Special Rapporteur on Disability. On November 19, 2014 representatives from 16 African Disability Organisations met in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, for a “Formative General Assembly” to discuss and adopt a draft ADF constitution. Inclusion Africa took part in that meeting with a strong delegation consisting of KAIH`s Managing Director, Ms. Fatma Wangare Haji, Inclusion International`s Council member, Ms.Fauzia Haji from Zanzibar and Inclusion International`s coordinator for Africa, Mr. Shikuku Obosi. An Interim Working Group (IWG) was established to take over the responsibilities of a provisional ADF Board until the First ADF General Assembly is held in the second half of 2015. Ms. Fatma Wangare Haji is member of the IWG and will make sure that the voices of persons with intellectual disabilities and their families are heard when ADF officially start its activities to represent persons with disabilities inAfrica.
It is important that ADF get finally organized as 2015 is a very significant year for the global disability movement. In September 2015 the Post 2015 Agenda for Sustainable Development will be adopted at an UN Summit in the UN headquarters in New York City. The aim of the Post 2015 Agenda, which will apply to all countries, is to continue working on the Millennium Development Goals - adopted by the UN in the year 2000 - which have not been achieved by 2015 and to merge them with the Sustainability Agenda of the Rio+20 process. In that context some dimensions of the Millennium Declaration like human rights and good governance are to be included in the agenda.
The International Disability Alliance fights intensively for the recognition of important human rights disability issues in the 2015 Sustainable Development Goals such as the right to inclusive education.
We need the voice of Africa to succeed!
We, therefore, need the African Disability Forum, including the voice of Inclusion Africa!
This Conference was an important milestone to build strong links between African associations representing self – advocates and their families and to make sure that Inclusion Africa will serve as a strong and influential member of the African Disability Forum.
Thank you for your attention and engagement and have a safe travel back home!
Klaus Lachwitz
President
Inclusion International
and
Secretary General of the
International Disability Alliance
Nairobi
April 30, 2015