UNITED NATIONS ENABLE NEWSLETTER
December 2014
The United Nations 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 Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD)
- News from UN Headquarters
- Highlights from UN agencies
- Calendar of events
- Other news
STATUS OF THE CRPD
151 ratifications and 159 signatories to the CRPD
85 ratifications and 92 signatories to its Optional Protocol (OP)
The 8th session of the Conference of States Parties will be held from 9 to 11 June 2015.
NEWS FROM UN HEADQUARTERS
Holiday Letter from SCRPD
As 2014 comes to an end, we take this opportunity to look back on an exciting year. The Secretariat for the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (SCRPDSPD/DESA) would like to express its deepest appreciation for your strong support for the work of the United Nations to create an inclusive, accessible and sustainable society, and to further realize disability-inclusive development. Read a brief recap our progress this year… (http://www.un.org/disabilities/documents/newsletter/2014_scrpd_holiday_greetings.doc)
International Day of Persons with Disabilities observed at UN Headquarters
The International Day of Persons with Disabilities was commemorated at UN Headquarters, on 2-3 December 2014 under the theme “Sustainable Development: The Promise of Technology”. In addition to the opening session on 3 December, there were five panel discussions, a press conference, the Enable film festival, a book launch, musical performances by the NY School for Special Education and a Korean ensemble, as well as a reception by the Permanent Mission of Republic of Korea.
The panel discussions focused on different aspects pertaining to sustainable development and persons with disabilities: “Accessible technologies for Persons with Disabilities: Crossing the Digital Divide”; “Mental well-being and disability: toward accessible and inclusive sustainable development goals”; "Creating enabling work environments”; ”Disability-Inclusive Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)”; and “Disability-Inclusive Disaster Risk Reduction and Humanitarian Action”. In addition, a UN press conference was held to announce a global advocacy campaign on disability inclusive disaster reduction and resilience: “Inclusion Saves Lives”. A book entitled “Disability, Education and Employment in Developing Countries: From Charity to Investment” written by Dr. Kamal Lamichhane, Research Fellow, JICA Research Institute was launched. The film “We stand alone”, along with a welcome address by Ms. Leymah Gbowee, Nobel Laureate, as well as sixteen other short films were screened at UN Headquarters during the United Nations Enable Film Festival. (http://www.un.org/disabilities/default.asp?id=1620)
UN General Assembly adopts resolution on disability
The 69th session of the General Assembly negotiated and adopted a resolution on disability on 18 December (A/RES/69/142). The resolution entitled: “Realizing the Millennium Development Goals and other internationally agreed development goals for persons with disabilities towards 2015 and beyond”, had 112 co-sponsoring Governments, and would work to promote the mainstreaming of disability in development, as well as in international cooperation, national development strategies and official statistics. (http://www.un.org/disabilities/default.asp?id=36)
Call for civil society speaker nominations for PGA High-level thematic debate
Call for civil society speaker nominations for the UN President of the General Assembly's 9-10 February High-level thematic debate on "Means of Implementation for a Transformative Post-2015 Development Agenda". At the request of the Office of the President of the General Assembly (OPGA), the UN Non-Governmental Liaison Service (UN-NGLS) is conducting an open process to obtain nominations for the above, which will take place at UN Headquarters in New York. The individual selected will receive travel funding. For more information and to submit a nomination, please visit: http://bit.ly/PGA-MOI-nominate-CSO. All nominations received will be posted online automatically at: http://bit.ly/PGA-MOI-nominations-received. A civil society Selection Committee will be facilitated by UN-NGLS to evaluate all nominees and determine a short-list of candidates to submit to OPGA. To learn more about the Selection Committee, and to apply to be a member, visit: http://bit.ly/PGA-MOI-CSSC-Apply.
Commission for Social Development, 53rd session, 4 to 13 February 2015
The 53rd session of the Commission for Social Development will meet at UN Headquarters in New York from 4 to 13 February 2015. Read the report of the Special Rapporteur on Disability to the Commission that highlights his recent activities, as well as presents his observations, conclusions and recommendations for the future. Recommendations include a call for establishing a standing mechanism to systematically review and monitor progress in realizing all internationally agreed development goals for persons with disabilities towards and beyond 2015, to promote coordination, effective implementation and synergies among UN programmes and to promote accessibility within the UN itself by considering the establishment of a reasonable accommodation fund. (http://www.un.org/disabilities/default.asp?id=38)
Disability inclusion in post-2015 disaster risk reduction strategies
The Third UN World Conference on Disaster Risk Reduction (3WCDRR) will be held from 14-18 March 2015 in Sendai, Japan. The Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR) Disability Network that has worked to ensure the process for the design of the post-2015 disaster risk reduction strategy (HFA2) has been inclusive of persons with disabilities. The DRR Disability Network also successfully established “persons with disabilities” as a key recognized stakeholder group. An overview and background note on the 3WCDRR, as well the co-Chairs' pre-zero draft of the HFA2 strategy is available at http://www.un.org/disabilities/default.asp?id=1619.
In this connection, DESA/DSPD will organize a Public Forum on 15 March at the Conference to call for a new multi-stakeholder partnership to promote the inclusion of disability in the DRR framework and processes. The Forum entitled: “Taking Action in New Partnership towards a Disability-inclusive Global Disaster Risk Reduction Framework and its implementation” will be held at Tohoku University – Room B-200. The Forum will be a full-day event organized in collaboration with UNISDR, Government of Japan and global and local DiDRR caucuses.
During the activities to commemorate the International Day of Persons with Disabilities on 3 December, a Press Conference entitled “Inclusion saves lives – Towards a disability-inclusive post-2015 development framework” was held at UN Headquarters by DESA in collaboration with UNDPI and the DRR Disability Network. Speakers at the press conference were Ms. Akiko Fukuda, community leader in DiDRR and Secretary-General of the World Federation of the Deafblind, Mr. Hiroshi Kawamura, Disability Group Focal Point of the 3WCDRR; Mr. Masni Eriza, Counsellor, Permanent Mission of Indonesia to the UN; and Ms. Elizabeth Lockwood, IDA and CBM representative, New York Office. (http://bit.ly/13czSXV)
Make disability visible on the Ignite stage in Sendai. The IGNITE Stage is a special venue where WCDRR participants are allowed 15 minutes to present a disaster risk reduction topic, project or initiative. Its aim is to widen the array of topics that are discussed at the World Conference beyond those that are presented in the main sessions and events.(http://www.wcdrr.org/conference/programme/ignite)
ECLAC: Commemorating the International Day of Persons with Disabilities
The Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC/CEPAL) organized an event on December 3 at its Headquarters in Santiago, Chile to commemorate the International Day of Persons with Disabilities. Children from the Adenidown Foundation performed Grease and Charleston to a crowd of over 120 staff. The event was made possible by the staff council.
ESCWA: International Day commemorations
On 3 December 2014, the Economic Commission for Western Asia (ESCWA) in partnership with OHCHR, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNICEF and UNRWA organized a commemoration of the International Day of Persons with Disabilities at the United Nations House in Beirut. The theme of the event was “Persons with Disabilities in Emergencies: Building Resilience, Protecting Rights”, and included a panel discussion, an arts and handicrafts fair, and a photo exhibition. “Persons with disabilities are disproportionately affected by humanitarian crises,” Mr. Nadim Khouri, Deputy Executive Secretary of ESCWA, stated during the opening remarks. “In going forward… we need to continue to promote an inclusive and rights-based approach to development and humanitarian activities.” (http://www.escwa.un.org/information/pressescwaprint.asp?id_code=696)
UN Secretary General's Global Education First Initiative (GEFI)
The UN Secretary General's Global Education First Initiative (GEFI), in partnership with the Global Observatory for Inclusion (GLOBI) and the GEFI Youth Advocacy Group, has launched#DrawDisability, a global disability-focused art project which aims to encourage dialogue and raise awareness on disability and related issues among teachers and students within educational environments.Schools from all over the planet will be encouraged to get involved in the project. Teachers will receive guidelines containing information about disability and inclusion, and will be invited to promote critical reflections and awareness on disability within the classroom. More information of the initiative can be found here:http://www.globi-observatory.org/drawdisability/. Also, on 3 December, the Youth Advocacy Group of the UN Secretary General’s Global Education First Initiative has launched the accessible versions of the youth advocacy toolkit (http://www.globaleducationfirst.org/css/Advocacy_Toolkit_final.pdf in varied forms Easy to Read, Braille, Audio Books, DAISY (Digital Accessible Information System), EPUB (Open E-Book), and Multipage HTML. These accessible versions can be accessed at:http://bit.ly/1vNibZe.
OHCHR: The Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities: A Training Guide
The Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) Training Guide is for facilitators of training courses on the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities and its Optional Protocol who are already familiar with the international human rights system. The Training Guide’s methodology is interactive and promotes a participatory approach. Its modules can be used to develop tailored training courses to meet the needs of specific audiences (Government officials, health professionals, civil society, employers’ organizations, etc.). It is also helpful as a general information resource on the Convention and its Optional Protocol. (https://unp.un.org/Details.aspx?pid=24268)
HIGHLIGHTS FROM UN AGENCIES
UNICEF – 20th Anniversary of the CRC
On 20th November, UNICEF prepared a series of accessible events to celebrate the 25th anniversary of the Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC), the most rapidly and widely ratified international human rights treaty in history. To-date, 194 States have ratified this agreement. Twenty-five years ago, the world made a commitment to all its children to do everything in its power to promote and protect their rights. The CRC offers a vision of the world where all children survive and develop to their full potential without discrimination, and are protected, respected and encouraged to participate in decisions that affect their lives. There was much to celebrate as UNICEF marked the 25th anniversary of the Convention, from declining infant mortality to rising school enrolment, but this historic milestone must also serve as an urgent reminder that much remains to be done. In support of children’s rights, artist Yoko Ono has endorsed #IMAGINE,UNICEF’s new interactive digital project that allows every child and adult, including children with disabilities to use an application to record their own version of ‘Imagine’, John Lennon’s iconic anthem of hope and peace. Yoko Ono joined UNICEF to launch #IMAGINE at the General Assembly Hall at UN Headquarters as part of 25th anniversary celebrations of the CRC.
Global Partnership on Children with Disabilities
In celebration of International Day of Persons with Disabilities on the 3rd of December, the Global Partnership on Children with Disabilities (GPCWD) presented a working document to contribute to advocacy on disability inclusion within the post-2015 development agenda (http://www.gpcwd.org/gpcwd-on-post-2015.html). This document was developed with partners and will be used for their advocacy work to promote disability within the sustainable development goals (SDGs), targets and indicators. In addition, as part of International Day of Persons with Disabilities events, a member of the GPcwd Youth Council, Kartik Sawhney, was invited to join the UN panel on “Sustainable Development: The Promise of Technology”. Kartik shared his experience of being a blind student in India and overcoming challenges to work towards his dream of becoming a computer scientist.(http://blogs.unicef.org/2014/12/02/technology-transforming-the-lives-of-children-with-disabilities/)
WHO - #SaveKidsLives
The UN Road Safety Collaboration is pleased to announce the global campaign for the Third UN Global Road Safety Week, 4-10 May 2015, on the theme children and road safety: #SaveKidsLives. The campaign seeks to highlight the plight of children on the world's roads; generate action to better ensure their safety; and promote the inclusion of safe and sustainable transport in the post-2015 development agenda. As milestone events on the global road safety calendar, UN global road safety weeks serve as important platforms for concerted advocacy and give added impetus to the Decade of Action for Road Safety 2011-2020 and its goal: saving 5 million lives. (#SaveKidsLives, http://www.savekidslives2015.org/; http://www.who.int/roadsafety/week/2015/en/)
CALENDAR OF EVENTS
(Please send us information on major international disability events for possible inclusion in the list below)
4 to 13 February: 53rd Commission for Social Development
(http://undesadspd.org/CommissionforSocialDevelopment/Sessions/2015.aspx)
14 to 18 March: 3rd World Conference on Disaster Risk Reduction
(http://www.un.org/disabilities/default.asp?id=1619)
15 March: DESA Forum on Disability and Development: Taking Action in New Partnership towards a Disability-inclusive Global Disaster Risk Reduction Framework and its implementation
(See DRR item above).
21 March: World Down Syndrome Day
(http://www.un.org/en/events/downsyndromeday/)
2 April: World Autism Awareness Day
(https://www.un.org/en/events/autismday)
18 to 19 May: Pacific Rim International Conference on Disability and Diversity
(http://www.pacrim.hawaii.edu)
9 to 11 June: Eight session of the Conference of States Parties to the CRPD
(http://www.un.org/disabilities/default.asp?id=1535)
6 to 9 July: 6th International Conference on Disabilities - Unity & Diversity in Action
(http://eng-conf.beitissie.org.il/)
28 to 31 July: TRANSED 2015 -The 14th International Conference on Mobility and Transport for Elderly and Disabled Persons
(http://www.transed2015.com)
28 July to 1 August: XVII World Congress of the World Federation of the Deaf
(http://wfdeaf.org/whoarewe/world-congress/xvii-world-congress)
2016 Habitat III
(http://unhabitat.org/habitat-iii/)
OTHER NEWS
(DISCLAIMER: The information below is provided by civil society organizations and others for informational purposes only. This does not constitute endorsement of, or an approval by, the United Nations of any of the products, services, or opinions of the organization or individual. The United Nations bears no responsibility for the accuracy, legality or content of their statements and opinions.)