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COVID-19 response: Considerations for children and adults with disabilities

UNICEF
April 2020

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A guidance note on considerations for children and adults with disabilities in the COVID-19 response. The guidance describes what we need to know about the situation of persons with disabilities in COVID-19 response, and what we need to do in five key points: Limit human to human transmission and protect individuals from exposure; minimise morbidity and mortality; prevent and address the secondary impact of the outbreak- minimise the human consequences of the outbreak; enhance risk reduction and in-country preparedness including coordination; inclusion in UNICEF operations

A new way to measure child functioning

UNICEF
WASHINGTON GROUP
May 2017

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"In recognizing the need for a set of questions that would produce internationally comparable data on children, the Washington Group formed a subgroup in 2009 that is chaired by the National Statistical Office of Italy (ISTAT). UNICEF joined the subgroup in 2011.

The first main activity of the subgroup was the development of a short set of questions to reflect current thinking on child functioning for inclusion in censuses and surveys. The new module uses the ICF-CY as the conceptual framework and relies on a functional approach to measuring disability.

The Washington Group/UNICEF Module on Child Functioning, finalized in 2016, covers children between 2 and 17 years of age and assesses functional difficulties in different domains including hearing, vision, communication/comprehension, learning, mobility and emotions. To better reflect the degree of functional difficulty, each area is assessed against a rating scale. The purpose is to identify the subpopulation of children who are at greater risk than other children of the same age or who are experiencing limited participation in an unaccommodating environment. The set of questions is intended for use in national household surveys and censuses"

The module is being translated into multiple languages. Supporting documentation, including a concept note, tabulation plan, templates for reporting, guidelines for interviewers and training materials are also available.

Guatemala National Disability Study ENDIS 2016 Report

DONICIO Carlos
GRECH Shaun
Islay MACTAGGART
Jonathan NABER
Dr Ana Rafaela SALAZAR DE BARRIOS
Gonna ROTA,
Sarah POLLACK
April 2017

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The Guatemala National Disability Study (ENDIS 2016) was undertaken to address a need for up to date reliable data on disability in Guatemala.

Through a population based survey:

* To estimate the national disability prevalence among adults and children in Guatemala, and to provide regional estimates for 5 broad regions

* To disaggregate the prevalence of disability in Guatemala by age, sex, type of functional limitation and socio-economic status

* To explore the impact of disability on: poverty, quality of life, participation, health and opportunities to go to school and to work amongst children and adults respectively

Through a qualitative study:

* To explore cultural, ideological, and social interpretations and responses to disability; provide insight into the disability and poverty relationship; and examine social, political, and economic dimensions operating within this relationship.

For every child, a fair chance : the promise of equity

UNITED NATIONS CHILDREN’S FUND (UNICEF)
November 2015

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“UNICEF’s commitment to equity – giving a fair chance in life to every child, everywhere, especially the most disadvantaged – is built on the conviction that it is right in principle and evidence that it is right in practice. This report makes the case for closing persistent gaps in equity…” The report identifies a number of persistent gaps in equity for children, ranging from health to nutrition, to social inclusion. The report concludes by making recommendations to close gaps in equity worldwide as well as projecting progress in achieving equity by 2030

Education 2030 Incheon Declaration And Framework for action towards inclusive and equitable quality education and lifelong learning for all

WORLD EDUCATION FORUM 2015
2015

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UNESCO together with UNICEF, the World Bank, UNFPA, UNDP, UN Women and UNHCR organized the World Education Forum 2015 in Incheon, Republic of Korea, from 19 – 22 May 2015, hosted by the Republic of Korea. Over 1,600 participants from 160 countries, including over 120 Ministers, heads and members of delegations, heads of agencies and officials of multilateral and bilateral organizations, and representatives of civil society, the teaching profession, youth and the private sector, adopted the Incheon Declaration for Education 2030, which sets out a new vision for education for the next fifteen years.

Towards 2030: a new vision for education

Our vision is to transform lives through education, recognizing the important role of education as a main driver of development and in achieving the other proposed SDGs. We commit with a sense of urgency to a single, renewed education agenda that is holistic, ambitious and aspirational, leaving no one behind. This new vision is fully captured by the proposed SDG 4 “Ensure inclusive and equitable quality education and promote lifelong learning opportunities for all” and its corresponding targets. It is transformative and universal, attends to the ‘unfinished business’ of the EFA agenda and the education-related MDGs, and addresses global and national education challenges. It is inspired by a humanistic vision of education and development based on human rights and dignity; social justice; inclusion; protection; cultural, linguistic and ethnic diversity; and shared responsibility and accountability. We reaffirm that education is a public good, a fundamental human right and a basis for guaranteeing the realization of other rights. It is essential for peace, tolerance, human fulfilment and sustainable development. We recognize education as key to achieving full employment and poverty eradication. We will focus our efforts on access, equity and inclusion, quality and learning outcomes, within a lifelong learning approach.

 

Action and commitments required to implement the agenda are presented.

The state of the world's children 2014 in numbers : every child counts

UNITED NATIONS CHILDREN’S FUND (UNICEF)
January 2014

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This report highlights the critical role data and monitoring play in realising children’s rights. It presents an updated compendium of statistics and data (which has been produced thirty years after the initial report) relating to the position of children throughout the world but particularly within the Global South. The data indicators cover a vast range: from demography, health and education, to rate of progression, child mortality, and disparities by household wealth. It emphasises that credible data, disseminated effectively and used correctly, make change possible to target interventions that help right the wrong of exclusion by identifying needs, supporting advocacy, gauging progress and holding duty bearers to account

Take us seriously! Engaging children with disabilities in decisions affecting their lives

LANSDOWNE, Gerison
et al
June 2013

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UNICEF’s work on disability is based on a human rights approach, with a focus on equity. It has been developed within the framework of inclusive development, and actively promotes the social model of disability. A central tenet is that legislation, policies and programmes must be informed and shaped by the children they will affect. Participation is a foundational principle of a rights-based approach. These guidelines are meant to strengthen the capacity of UNICEF and partners in creating opportunities for children with disabilities to exercise their right to be heard and taken seriously.

It is important to:

  • clearly identify obstacles impeding the participation of children with disabilities;
  • examine why participation is important for children with disabilities;
  • provide practical guidance on how and where to reach out and engage children with disabilities more effectively and systematically;
  • prioritize ways to measure the effectiveness of participatory initiatives with children with disabilities. 

The state of the world’s children 2013 : children with disabilities

THE UNITED NATIONS CHILDREN’S FUND (UNICEF)
May 2013

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This report examines "the barriers from inaccessible buildings to dismissive attitudes, from invisibility in official statistics to vicious discrimination - that deprive children with disabilities of their rights and keep them from participating fully in society. The report also lays out some of the key elements of inclusive societies that respect and protect the rights of all children, regardless of disability, and progress in helping all children to flourish and make their contribution to the world"

Adolescence : beyond the stereotypes

VOICES OF YOUTH
2011

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This report highlights the state of the world from a young perspective by reflecting on adolescents’ experiences and providing insights into their lives. The report contains essays and messages written by adolescents highlighting the impact of racial and other discriminations. This resource is useful for people interested in adolescents’ perspectives of the world

The state of the world's children 2009

UNITED NATIONS CHILDREN'S FUND (UNICEF)
December 2008

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The 2009 report ..."examines critical issues in maternal and newborn health, underscoring the need to establish a comprehensive continuum of care for mothers, newborns and children. "The report outlines the latest paradigms in health programming and policies for mothers and newborns, and explores policies, programmes and partnerships aimed at improving maternal and neonatal health. Africa and Asia are a key focus for this report, which complements the previous year's issue on child survival." The report can be downloaded as a PDF or a multi-media version is also available in four languages

Progress for children : a report card on maternal mortality, number 7

UNITED NATIONS CHILDREN'S FUND (UNICEF)
September 2008

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This report describes global and regional progress in reducing maternal mortality and provides the latest statistics on Millennium Development Goal (MDG) 5 indicators for 192 countries and territories. Globally, the maternal mortality ratio declined from 430 deaths per 100,000 live births in 1990 to 400 in 2005, with significant regional disparities. The report examines differences in progress between regions and within regions and describes lifetime risk by region and country. Reductions in maternal mortality have come far too slowly, particularly in those regions where the problem is most acute (such as sub-Saharan Africa). Current progress is not sufficient to achieve the MDG target of reducing the maternal mortality ratio by three quarters between 1990 and 2015. This lack of progress has an enormous impact on children

Sustainable elimination of iodine deficiency : progress since the 1990 World Summit for Children

UNITED NATIONS CHILDREN'S FUND (UNICEF)
2008

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This report has three purposes. First, it reviews the global and national efforts to eliminate IDD during the past two decades. And it shows how governments, the salt industry and communities, with UNICEF support, have made great progress in eliminating iodine deficiency through universal salt iodization. Second, it captures the lessons learned and best practices in the elimination of IDD in various countries. Third, it proposes an agenda against IDD as a vital step towards preventing adverse effects on international development and human potential

Children and the millennium development goals : progress towards a world fit for children

BAN KI-MOON
December 2007

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This is an adaptation of the Secretary-General’s report, ‘Follow-up to the special session of the General Assembly on children’ of 15 August 2007. It contains updated data and presents information from 121 country and territory reports. New information and analysis on how far the world has come in addressing the goals set out in the 27th Special Session of the General Assembly in 2002 is presented in the following chapters: - What have we done for children? - Promoting healthy lives. - Providing quality education. - Protecting against abuse, exploitation and violence. - Combating HIV and AIDS

A human rights-based approach to education for all : a framework for the realization of children's right to education and rights within education

UNITED NATIONS CHILDREN'S FUND (UNICEF)
UNITED NATIONS EDUCATIONAL, SCIENTIFIC AND CULTURAL ORGANIZATION
September 2007

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This publication describes current thinking and practice that have informed the recent shift to a rights-based approach in the education sector. The report provides a framework for policy and programme development from school to international level. The focus is primarily the education rights of children

The state of the world's children 2007. Women and children : the double dividend of gender equality

UNITED NATIONS CHILDREN'S FUND (UNICEF)
2006

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"The State of the World’s Children 2007 examines the discrimination and disempowerment women face throughout their lives and outlines what must be done to eliminate gender discrimination and empower women and girls. It looks at the status of women today, discusses how gender equality will move all the Millennium Development Goals forward, and shows how investment in women’s rights will ultimately produce a double dividend: advancing the rights of both women and children"

The state of the world's children 2006 : excluded and invisible

UNITED NATIONS CHILDREN'S FUND (UNICEF)
2005

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The 2006 UNICEF report focuses on children who are 'excluded' or 'invisible', and is an assessment of the world's most vulnerable children. These are the children, that even if the Millenium Development Goals are met, will be left out. They are the ones who are currently beyond the reach of laws, programmes, research and budgets. The report states that children in four circumstances are most likely to become invisible and forgotten: children without a formal identity, children without parental care, children in adult roles and children who are exploited. For example, children who are not registered at birth do not appear in official statistics and are not acknowledged as members of their society. Discrimination on the basis of gender, ethnicity and disability are also factors in the exclusion of children. The report outlines concrete actions that can be taken by civil society, the private sector, donors and the media to help prevent children falling between the cracks

Young people and HIV/AIDS : opportunity in crisis

UNITED NATIONS CHILDREN'S FUND (UNICEF)
JOINT UNITED NATIONS PROGRAMME ON HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS)
WORLD HEALTH ORGANIZATION (WHO)
2002

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More than half the new HIV infections globally are in people between 15 and 24 years old. This report contains HIV indicators for 60 countries, demonstrating the need to give top priority to investing in the well-being of young people and engaging them in the fight against HIV/AIDS

UNGEI : United Nations girls' education initiative

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The United Nations Girls’ Education Initiative (UNGEI) is a partnership of organisations committed to the goals of narrowing the gender gap in primary and secondary education by 2005 and ensuring that, by 2015, all children complete primary schooling, with girls and boys having equal access to free, quality education. The website includes a number of printed and multimedia resources, and GirlsEd-Net, an online knowledge network on girls’ education. This network aims to facilitate dialogue and information sharing among UNGEI partners and a broad range of constituencies at the global, regional and national levels. Some of the network’s main activities include a monthly electronic newsletter, information sharing announcements and eDiscussions

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