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From: "Dspd Enable" <[log in to unmask]>
To: <[log in to unmask]>
Sent: Saturday, June 26, 2010 11:14 AM
Subject: United Nations Enable Newsletter, May/June 2010
ENABLE NEWSLETTER
May / June 2010
The Enable Newsletter is prepared by the United Nations Secretariat for the
Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (SCRPD) at the United
Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs (DESA). Input has been
received from by UN offices, agencies, funds and programmes, as well as
from civil society. It is also available on-line at:
http://www.un.org/disabilities.
In this issue:
§ Status of the Convention
§ Highlights
§ Upcoming events
§ Other news
STATUS OF THE CONVENTION (CRPD)
87 ratifications of the Convention
145 signatories to the Convention
Optional Protocol to the Convention
54 ratifications of the Optional Protocol
89 signatories to the Optional Protocol
Recent news:
Convention
Nepal ratified the Convention on 7 May 2010
Slovakia ratified the Convention on 26 May 2010
Fiji signed the Convention on 2 June 2010
Optional Protocol to the Convention
Nepal ratified the Protocol on 7 May 2010
Slovakia ratified the Protocol on 26 May 2010
Fiji signed the Protocol on 2 June 2010
Third Conference of States Parties, 1-3 September 2010
The third Conference of States Parties to the Convention (COSP) will be
held from 1-3 September 2010 at UNHQ in New York. This session, under the
theme: “Implementing the Convention through Advancing Inclusion of Persons
with Disabilities”, will begin with the election of members of the
Committee on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities and include
substantive roundtable discussions and an interactive informal session with
civil society. Elections for members of the Committee will be held in
accordance with article 34 of the Convention. As the total number of
ratifications has passed 80, the membership of the Committee will increase
by six to a total of 18 members. Additional elections will be held for the
six members whose term expires in 2010. Information, including NGO
accreditation and participation, has been posted at:
http://www.un.org/disabilities/default.asp?id=1532.
Spain submits its initial report to the CRPD Committee
On 3 May, Spain submitted its initial report on its implementation of the
CRPD to the Committee on the CRPD. It is the first country to submit its
report. More information:
http://www.internationaldisabilityalliance.org/spain-has-been-the-first-country-to-submit-its-initial-report-to-the-crpd-committee/
.
HIGHLIGHTS
Disability included in Millennium Development Goal Report 2010
The 2010 MDGs Global Report, which has recently been issued, includes
several references to disability and persons with disabilities, especially
under MDG2 - achieving universal primary education. This Report comes five
years before the target date for the Millennium Development Goals, and
leaders from around the world will be gathering at the United Nations this
September to undertake a comprehensive review of progress and together
chart a course for accelerated action on the MDGs between now and 2015. The
inclusion of disability perspectives and persons with disabilities in
realizing the achievement of the MDGs has been reiterated by the General
Assembly in its resolutions 63/150 and 64/131. See the full Report at:
http://www.un.org/en/mdg/summit2010/pdf/MDG%20Report%202010%20En%20r15%20-low%20res%2020100615%20-.pdf
Expert Group Meeting on Accessibility, 28 to 30 June 2010
The “Expert Group Meeting on Accessibility: Innovative and cost-effective
approaches for inclusive and accessible development” will be organized in
collaboration with the World Bank and will be held at their Headquarters in
Washington, DC from 28-30 June. The experts will review current standards
and practices on accessibility and work to develop practical guidelines for
disability-inclusive policy frameworks to ensure accessibility for persons
with disabilities, with reasonable adaptation, in both the physical
environment and in the fields of information and communication
technologies. With a view to foster the building of an international
community of experts on all aspects of accessibility, SCRPD is calling for
experts to email the details of their expertise and contact information, so
as to establish a global community of experts to move forward the
accessibility agenda. More information:
http://www.un.org/disabilities/default.asp?id=1516.
GAID/G3ict – Roundtable on women with disabilities and ICTs
On 1 July, an ECOSOC Ministerial Roundtable meeting will be organized by
G3ict and GAID on “The role of Information and Communication Technologies
in Empowering Women with Disabilities”, at UN Headquarters. The aim of this
meeting is to address the topic of inclusion for women living with
disabilities. Experts in ICT applications for persons with disabilities
will illustrate the role of ICT in empowering women with disabilities and
discuss issues such as the role of accessible internet resources for work,
health, education and social networking, how accessible mobile phones can
change the lives of women with disabilities, breaking the isolation of
women with disabilities with ICTs, accessible workplaces and accessible
financial services, and success stories, pending issues, and new solutions
offered by industry and service providers. More information:
http://www.un.org/disabilities.
Panel discussion on women with disabilities at ECOSOC AMR
On 1 July, the Secretariat of the Convention on the Rights of Persons with
Disabilities will co-organize a lunch-time panel discussion on women with
disabilities with along with Governments and other stakeholders, during the
ECOSOC High-Level Segment, held at UN Headquarters. More information:
http://www.un.org/disabilities.
UNDAW- Online Discussion on Gender, Education and Employment
On 7 July at 10am (New York, EST) the UN Division for the Advancement of
Women (UNDAW) will organizing an online Podcast featuring experts who will
discuss linkages between women’s and girls' access to and participation in
formal and non-formal education and training, and their equal access to
full employment and decent work. The Podcast will be available at the UNDAW
Website:
http://www.un.org/womenwatch/daw/csw/csw55/onlinediscussion.html and on UN
Radio: http://www.unmultimedia.org/radio/english/ from 7 July at 10 a.m.
(New York time). Send your questions to the Podcast participants using the
form available online, or e-mail collete_at_un.org by 5 July.
UN-NGLS - Interactive Hearings on the UN MDG Summit
On 14 – 15 June the Informal Interactive Hearings of the General Assembly
with Non-governmental organizations, Civil society organizations and the
Private sector were convened at the UN Headquarters in New York. Nearly 50
representatives from NGOs, the civil society and the private sector spoke
at the event and participated in an open dialogue with Government
representatives. Also included in the list of speakers was Mr. Imed Chaker,
chairman of Arab Organisation of People with Disabilities, who spoke on
behalf of the International Disability Alliance. More information:
http://www.un-ngls.org/spip.php?page=amdg10&id_article=2263.
UNESCO – Interactive session on ICTs and Person with Disabilities”
On 11 May, UNESCO in partnership with the NGO Sindbad Mediterranean without
Disabilities organized an interactive session on Information and
Communication Technologies and Persons with Disabilities at the WSIS Forum
2010 in Geneva, Switzerland. The session presented good practices in the
use of ICT to facilitate social inclusion of persons with disabilities.
More information:
http://portal.unesco.org/ci/en/ev.phpURL_ID=30398&URL_DO=DO_TOPIC&URL_SECTION=201.html
World Bank - New financial access frontier for persons with disabilities
On 18 June, a roundtable discussion was held at the World Bank
Headquarters, convened by the Center for Financial Inclusion, in
partnership with the Disability and Development Team of the World Bank. The
discussion entitled “New Financial Access Frontier: Including People with
Disabilities” included representatives from microfinance institutions and
disability organizations who deliberated on how they could best contribute
to increasing access to financial services for persons with disabilities
living in poverty, worldwide. More information:
http://go.worldbank.org/K39C68QSG0.
GPDD Working Group on the reconstruction of Haiti
During the major reconstruction that follows most natural disasters,
planners often miss opportunities to avoid recreating the exclusion of
persons with disabilities by adapting the design of the built environment.
It is far more cost-effective to modify the plans for a new building at the
outset than to adapt an existing building to make it accessible. The Global
Partnership for Disability and Development (GPDD) has initiated a Working
Group on Haiti Reconstruction to ensure that reconstruction efforts after
the Haiti earthquake involve persons with disabilities during all stages
and that all rebuilt and newly built infrastructure is fully accessible to
and usable by people with disabilities. To participate in this group,
please contact Maria Veronica Reina at [log in to unmask] and Luca Valente
at [log in to unmask]). More information:
http://www.un.org/disabilities/default.asp?id=1533
UNHABITAT – World Urban Forum and disability
On 22 to 26 March 22, the 5th World Urban Forum was held in Rio de Janeiro
Brazil. As part of this Forum, a networking event on the CRPD and the Right
to the City was arranged by “Deaf Aid” and “Disabled Child Monitor”, two
organizations of persons with disabilities in Kenya. Supported by the UN
Habitat Youth and Partners Section, the presenters showcased issues related
to children with disabilities from the Kibera slums in Nairobi. The event
entitled “An Inclusive City is an Inclusive Nation!” showed how an
inclusive city can sustain the livelihood of all people. More information:
http://www.unhabitat.org/categories.asp?catid=584 and
http://www.unhabitat.org/documents/SOWC10/R12.pdf.
Disability and Ageing Publication – Call for papers
SCRPD and the UN Programme on Ageing are supporting the development of a
publication on disability and ageing. Currently, papers are being sought
for inclusion in the publication, which will focus on: similarities and
differences in the impact of disability on younger an older persons;
disability, ageing and poverty; design for disability (rural/urban design,
home/community design; affects in later years of acquired v/s born-with
disability; the impact of vision, hearing and/or mobility loss on older
persons; and access to assistance/services for disabled older persons in
developing countries.. For more information, please contact the NGO
Committee on Ageing Proposal Contact Information: Jessica Frank Lopez,
Chair, Tel: (212)407-3710 or E-mail: [log in to unmask] or Florence L.
Denmark, Tel: (212)346-1551 or E-mail: [log in to unmask] or Mary J. Mayer,
Tel: (212)876-2131 or E-mail: [log in to unmask]
UPCOMING EVENTS
1 July: Panel Discussion on Women with Disabilities
(See above).
1 July: GAID/G3ict - Roundtable on women with disabilities and ICTs
(See above)
7 July: Online Podcast on Gender, Education and Employment
The UN Division for the Advancement of Women is organizing an online
Podcast featuring experts who will discuss gender, education and employment
of women and girls. (See above).
12 - 15 July: International Conference on Rebuilding Sustainable
Communities with the Elderly and Persons with disabilities after Disasters
This conference organized by the Center for Rebuilding Sustainable
Communities After Disasters, University of Massachusetts, Boston, will
bring together specialists and stakeholders from around the globe to share
information and experiences and to develop strategies around core issues
concerning the elderly and persons with disabilities in local, regional,
national and international post-disaster reconstruction policies, plans and
programs. More information: http://www.rebuilding.umb.edu/RSCEPD.php
18 - 23 July: XVIII International AIDS Conference (AIDS 2010)
AIDS 2010 will be held in Vienna, Austria and will mark an important
milestone: the deadline by which world leaders have committed to ensuring
universal access to HIV prevention, treatment, care and support. The
International Disability and Development Consortium (IDDC) task team on
disability and HIV has organized a Disability Zone at the XVIII
International AIDS Conference in Vienna this year. More information:
[log in to unmask] at www.heard.org.za/african-leadership/disability and
http://www.aids2010.org.
18 - 22 July: 21st International Congress on Education of the Deaf
The 21st International Congress on Education of the Deaf (ICED) will take
place in Vancouver, Canada. The Congress themed "Partners in Education”,
will look at past achievements in education of the Deaf, recent research
and established best practices. More information: http://www.iced2010.com/
25 - 29 August: Leadership Exchange in Arts and Disability (LEAD)
The conference to be held in San Diego, California (USA) opens with eight
in-depth pre-conference workshops followed by three full days of
interactive discussions, including a legal session with a representative
from the Civil Rights Division of the US Department of Justice. The
conference aims to provide attendees with the tools and information needed
to make facilities and programmes accessible to persons with disabilities
and older adults. More information:
http://www.kennedycenter.org/accessibility/education/lead/conference.html
20 – 22 September: International Forum on Disability Management
The International Forum on Disability Management (IFDM) will bring together
speakers from around the world to discuss disability management on every
level, from employer relations to government policy. With the theme
“Collaborating for Success”, IFDM 2010 provides a unique opportunity for
the health, safety, workers’ compensation and disability management
communities to advance their knowledge and share insight. More information:
http://www.ifdm2010.com/index.html
1 - 3 September: Third Conference of States Parties to the CRPD
(See above)
16 September: SCRPD Panel Discussion on Mental Health
The SCRPD will co-organize a panel discussion and the launch on the
publication on mental health and development along with the World Health
Organization, held at UNHQ. More information:
http://www.un.org/disabilities.
15 - 17 September: Implementing disability-inclusive development in the
Pacific and Asia: Reviewing progress, planning the future
An international conference and action planning roundtable will be held in
Darwin, Australia and is organized by the ADDC - Australian Disability and
Development Consortium. The Conference will discuss and review practical
actions being taken in the Pacific and Asia to ensure that local, national
and international development includes people with disability. More
information: http://www.addc.org.au/2010/02/addc-conference-first-notice/
17 - 19 September: Stand Up, Take Action: Make a Noise for the MDGs
Around the world, people will participate in a wide range of events,
relevant actions and initiatives to show their support for the achievement
of the MDGs and have their voices heard articulating their demands for
delegations attending the Summit. This global action is designed to grab
public, political and media attention and to make sure that the global
movement in support of the MDGs is seen and heard around the world. More
information: http://www.endpoverty2015.org/en/stand-up.
20 - 22 September: Millennium Development Goals Summit
UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has called on world leaders to attend the
MDG High-level Summit that will be held this coming September in New York.
The Summit aims to boost efforts to achieve the MDGs by 2015.
More information:
http://www.un-ngls.org/spip.php?page=article_s&id_article=1963
3 - 14 October: Commonwealth Games – Para Sports
The Commonwealth Games Federation (CGF) has officially released the
Para-Sports Medal Events Programme for the Delhi 2010 Commonwealth Games
following consultation with the International Paralympic Committee. The
Games will take place in New Delhi, India, and will showcase world-class
sporting opportunities for elite athletes with a disability. More
information:
http://www.paralympic.org/Media_Centre/News/General_News/2008_11_26_a.html.
22 - 24 October: First European Congress on Visual Impairment
The first European Congress on Visual Impairment will be held in
Valladolid, Spain and will cover the prevention of visual impairments and
rehabilitation.
More information:
http://www.eventoplenos.com/eurovision_eng/02%20Primer%20boletin%20eng.pdf
and http://www.eventoplenos.com/eurovision/Pages_from_Memorando0.pdf.
26 - 29 October: 4th CBR Africa Conference
The theme of this Community-based Rehabilitation (CBR) Conference is
“Linking CBR with Disability and Rehabilitation” and will be held in Abuja,
Nigeria. The conference aims to promote better CBR practices in Africa and
provides an opportunity for people to share information, knowledge, and
experience on how disability concepts and CBR programmes can link together
to help improve the quality of life for persons with disabilities and their
families.
More information: Joan Okune ([log in to unmask]) or Sally Hartley
([log in to unmask]).
28 - 30 October: 4th National Spinal Cord Injury Conference
The Conference is organized by the Toronto Rehabilitation Institute and
will take place in Niagara Falls, Ontario, Canada and showcase new
research, clinical breakthroughs, innovative approaches and methodologies
to address spinal cord injuries. More information:
http://www.sciconference.ca.
30 October - 3 November: International Conference for Universal Design
The International Association for Universal Design will organize the
conference in Hamamatsu City, Japan. The theme of the third conference will
be “For the People and the Earth of Tomorrow - Towards a Sustainable
Co-existence”. The conference organizers are inviting educators, product
planning and developers, administrators, consultants and civic activists
and students to submit research papers, as well as reports and editorial
articles.
More information: http://www.ud2010.net/index.en.html.
3 December: International Day of Persons with Disabilities.
The theme of the 2010 commemoration of the International Day of Persons
with Disabilities is "Keeping the promise: Mainstreaming disability in the
Millennium Development Goals towards 2015 and beyond". The day aims to
promote an understanding of disability issues and mobilize support for the
dignity, rights and well-being of persons with disabilities. It also seeks
to increase awareness of gains to be derived from the inclusion of persons
with disabilities in every aspect of life. More information:
http://www.un.org/disabilities.
July 3 - 8, 2011: Access Africa - 5th IDP Africa Forum
The 5th IDP Forum will focus on how the power of technology can advance
equality and rights of persons who are blind and partially sighted.
Participants will include parents, persons who are blind and partially
sighted, representatives from organizations of and for the blind,
universities and Government ministries, international organizations,
vendors, and sponsors of assistive technology. More information:
http://www.perkins.org/international-programs/localexpertise/idp.html#Access_Africa_The_5th_IDP_Africa_Forum
OTHER NEWS
(The information below from the non-governmental disability community is
provided for informational purposes only; they do not constitute
endorsement of, or an approval by, the United Nations of any of the
products, services, or opinions of the corporation, organization, or
individual. The United Nations bears no responsibility for the accuracy,
legality or content of their statements and opinions.)
Forced Migration Review: Feature on disability and displacement
The latest issue of FMR, a widely read and consulted publication on refugee
and internal displacement issues, includes 27 articles focusing on
disability and displacement, including an introduction by Shuaib Chalklen,
Special Rapporteur for Disability. This issue shows why persons with
disabilities who are displaced need particular consideration. The review
highlights initiatives taken (locally and at the global level) to change
thinking and practices, so that their vulnerability is recognized, their
voices heard – and responses made inclusive. For the full review:
http://www.fmreview.org/disability/
Experts discuss successes and obstacles for children with disabilities
On 18 May, the Doha International Institute for Family Studies and
Development (DIIFSD) announced the completion of Project CHILD Voices from
around the World Special Report. Findings from the report were presented
at United Nations Headquarters as part of the International Day of the
Family commemoration activities. In 2009, the DIIFSD, in partnership with
the Public Policy Research Institute (PPRI) at Texas A&M University,
initiated an international study on the status of children with
disabilities and their families entitled Children and the International
Landscape of Disabilities (Project CHILD). More information:
http://www.fsd.org.qa/doha/home/projectchild.asp. For the Report:
http://www.fsd.org.qa/common/files/child/index.html or email
[log in to unmask]
International Online Training on Portage Early intervention and inclusion
in Community Based Rehabilitation (CBR)
From 15 to 25 June 25, the CBR Network held online training in order to
facilitate holistic early childhood development. Portage strategy and
accompanying material have been modified to reflect local concerns and are
being used in about 145 countries. Portage is scientifically precise and
facilitates the holistic development of all children. More information:
www.cbrnetworksouthasia.org
International VSA Festival
From 6 to 12 June, VSA, an international organization on arts and
disability, brought together artists, educators, researchers, and
policymakers with and without disabilities from around the world, for a
multicultural celebration of the arts and arts education. The Festival
featured visual, performing, literary, and media artists and over 2,000
participants from around the world. The festival included the 2010
International VSA Education Conference on Advancing Inclusive Education and
21st Century Learning Skills through the Arts and a Pathway to Employment
for artists with disabilities.
More information: http://www.vsartsfestival.org.
Web seminar on work and persons with disabilities
On 22 June, representatives from the corporate sector shared best practices
in processes and programmes related to recruiting and retaining persons
with disabilities. At this web seminar entitled: The Workforce and
Long-Term Implications–Innovative Strategies for People with Disabilities,
presenters addressed topics of corporate assessment, the Americans with
Disabilities Act and recent legislative changes. More information:
http://www.diversitybestpractices.com/events/651.
International discussions on social security and disability
The International Social Security Association (ISSA), which is the
principal international institution bringing together social security
agencies and organizations, recognized that during the last two decades
disability benefit payments increased significantly in most of the
industrialized countries, although the rate of this growth has declined
over time. This has occurred despite increased efforts to prevent
disabilities and a clear long-term improvement in physical work conditions,
including the decline in the prevalence of manual work. ISSA outlines how
disability benefits work, and various return-to-work policies. More
information: http://www.issa.int/aiss/Temas/Invalidez#
Newsletter of the International Disability Alliance May 2010
Find out more about the participation of civil society in the work on the
implementation of the CRPD, as well as the work of the Human Rights Council
and the Committee on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities. Download the
latest issue at:
http://www.internationaldisabilityalliance.org/advocacy-work/disability-rights-bulletin/
14th Session of the Human Rights Council
On May 31 – June 18th the HRC held its 14th Session in Geneva Switzerland.
The International Disabilities Alliance (IDA) has undertaken a disability
analysis of the reports that were submitted to the Council. More
information:
http://www.internationaldisabilityalliance.org/advocacy-work/human-rights-council/human-rights-council-sessions/regular-sessions/14th-session-june-2010/
.
CONTACT INFORMATION
The Enable Newsletter is prepared by the Secretariat for the Convention on
the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, Division for Social Policy and
Development, Department of Economic and Social Affairs (DESA) at the United
Nations Secretariat in New York.
Mailing address: UN Secretariat for the Convention on the Rights of Persons
with Disabilities, 2 UN Plaza, DC2-1306, New York, NY 10017, USA.
Website: http://www.un.org/disabilities
Email: [log in to unmask]
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