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Realisation of sustainable development goals by, for and with persons with disabilities: UN flagship report on disability and development 2018

UNITED NATIONS DEPARTMENT FOR ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL AFFAIRS (UNDESA)
December 2018

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This report represents the first UN systemwide effort to examine disability and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development at the global level. The report reviews data, policies and programmes and identifies good practices; and uses the evidence it reviewed to outline recommended actions to promote the realization of the SDGs for persons with disabilities. Over 200 experts from UN agencies and International Financial Institutions, Member States and civil society, including research institutions and organizations of persons with disabilities, contributed to this report. The report covers new areas for which no global research was previously available, for example, the role of access to energy to enable persons with disabilities to use assistive technology. It also contains the first global compilation and analysis of internationally comparable data using the Washington Group on Disability Statistics short set of questions. Reviews of legislation from 193 UN Member States were conducted and analysed for this report to highlight good practices and to assess the current status of discriminatory laws on voting, election for office, right to marry and others

Toolkit on disability for Africa

UNITED NATIONS DEPARTMENT OF ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL AFFAIRS (UNDESA)
November 2016

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A Toolkit on Disability for Africa has been developed by the United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs (UNDESA), Division for Social Policy and Development (DSPD). It is designed for the African context and aims to:

  • Provide practical tools on various disability-related issues to government officials, members of parliament, civil and public servants at all levels, disabled persons organizations (DPOs) and all those with an interest in the inclusion of persons with disabilities in society and development;
  • Support the implementation of the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (UNCRPD) and disability-inclusive development;
  • Offer examples of good practices from many countries in the African region.

 

Toolkit Modules:

  • UN DESA toolkit on CRPD – Trainers’ tips
  • Introducing the UNCRPD
  • Frameworks for implementing and monitoring the UNCRPD
  • Disability-inclusive development
  • Accessibility
  • Building multi-stakeholders partnerships for disability inclusion
  • National plans on disability
  • Legislating for disability rights
  • Access to justice for persons with disabilities
  • The rights of persons with disabilities to work
  • Inclusive health services for persons with disabilities
  • Participation in political and public life
  • Information and communication technology (ICT) and disability
  • Culture, beliefs, and disability
  • Inclusive education

United Nations Global Sustainable Development Report 2016

Uinted Nations, Department of Economic and Social Affairs (UNDESA)
July 2016

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This report was prepared to inform the discussions at the high-level political forum (HLPF) on sustainable development in 2016. The theme chosen for the HLPF is "ensuring that no one is left behind". The report builds on GSDR2014 and GSDR2015. The approach is of an assessment of assessments, documenting and describing the landscape of information on specific issues or nexuses of issues. Specifically, the report keeps the ‘science-policy interface’ and ‘SDGs as integrated system’ as main threads. Main topics include: ensuring that no one is left behind and the 2030 Agenda; the infrastructure – inequality – resilience nexus; perspectives of scientists on technology and the SDGs; inclusive institutions for sustainable development; and identification of emerging Issues for sustainable development. An annex addresses persons with disabilities specifically, highlighting their over-representation in the "furthest behind".

Global status report on disability and development prototype 2015

UNITED NATIONS DEPARTMENT OF ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL AFFAIRS (DESA)
2015

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This report situates disability and inclusion within the broader context of sustainable development, with a particular focus on the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The paper provides background on the historical role of the UN in promoting inclusion and outlines the current trends and challenges facing people with disabilities globally. The following section presents these challenges within the context of the SDGs, showing that disability needs to be tackled if the SDGs are to be achieved. It concludes with a number of recommendations for a disability-inclusive 2030 agenda for sustainable development

Accessibility and development : mainstreaming disability in the post-2015 development agenda

UN DEPARTMENT OF ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL AFFAIRS (DESA)
December 2013

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The publication reviews the concept of accessibility and its role in achieving inclusive and sustainable development. It propositions that accessibility be, not only a means and a goal of inclusive development, but also an enabler of an improved, participative economic and social environment for all members of society, including persons with disabilities.

Three key issues are addressed in the publication: (1) Accessibility in the context of human rights and development; (2) accessibility in policy and practice; and (3) accessibility and a disability-inclusive post-2015 development agenda.

The publication reviews good practices and lessons learned from both top-down and bottom-up approaches in promoting accessibility in practices and provides a response to the question: “How does accessibility relate to inclusive, sustainable and equitable development?” The publication argues that accessibility must be re-conceptualized as an enabler: a precondition for any progress toward development for all members of society.  It concludes that the full and effective participation of persons with disabilities in decision-making processes would contribute directly to the successful adoption of an inclusive post-2015 development agenda

ST/ESA/350

Mainstreaming disability in the development agenda : towards 2015 and beyond|Report of the Secretary-General

UNITED NATIONS ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL COUNCIL
November 2012

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"The report presents selected examples of advances made at the international, regional and national levels in mainstreaming disability in evolving policy frameworks for inclusive development. The report concludes that, in order to advance such policy frameworks further, follow-up strategies must be introduced at all levels and suggests elements for inclusion in such strategies. The report provides specific recommendations on action at the national, regional and global level to promote the effective implementation of the outcome of the High-level Meeting, specifying actions for Member States, the United Nations system, civil society and all other stakeholders"
E/CN.5/2013/9

Best practices for including persons with disabilities in all aspects of development efforts

FORGACS, R. T
November 2011

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"The present document has been prepared in response to the request in paragraph 15(b) of General Assembly resolution 65/186, in which the Secretary-General was asked to 'provide information on best practices at international, regional, sub regional and national levels for including persons with disabilities in all aspects of development efforts'...The document is divided into four main sections. Following this brief introduction, section II will focus on the initial criteria for the assessment of best practices. Section III presents a number of recommendations, suggesting also how the United Nations can facilitate the process of mainstreaming disability and persons with disabilities in development and highlighting the interlinks between the mainstreaming of disability and achievement of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs); and section IV contains 26 case studies from across the globe"

Mainstreaming disability in the development agenda

UNITED NATIONS COMMISSION FOR SOCIAL DEVELOPMENT, ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL COUNCIL
November 2009

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"The report presents an overview of the status of disability-inclusive development cooperation within the framework of multilateral, regional and bilateral initiatives. The report concludes with recommendations for mainstreaming disability in the development agenda and development cooperation"
E/CN.5/2010/6

National institutional frameworks and human rights of persons with disabilities

DEPARTMENT FOR ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL AFFAIRS (DESA), UNITED NATIONS
August 2006

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This resource compares national disability institutions and frameworks in Australia, Sweden, India, Guatemala and the UK. It aims to: identify the core institutions concerned with disability rights and describe how they were established; review the legislative framework; and examine the organisational structure, mandates and activities of the states’ monitoring institution/s

The concept of reasonable accommodation in selected national disability legislation

DEPARTMENT FOR ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL AFFAIRS (DESA), UNITED NATIONS
December 2005

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This paper describes how national legislation in selected countries has managed to incorporate the concept of reasonable accommodation for persons with disabilities. It utilises case studies from the following selected countries: Australia, Canada, European Union, Ireland, Israel, New Zealand, the Philippines, South Africa, Spain, Sweden, United Kingdom, United States and Zimbabwe

Making commitments matter : a toolkit for young people to evaluate national youth policy

UNITED NATIONS. Division for Social Policy and Development
2004

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This toolkit is meant for national youth organisations and/or representatives working with youth. It can be used as a tool to assess a country's progress in reaching the World Programme of Action on Youth (WPAY) goals; prioritise an organisation's work, and based on findings initiate actions at the national level. It should be used as a starting point for determining what has been done to better the lives of young people since 1995 in their community. In addition to providing methods for evaluating this progress, the toolkit also contains concrete tools to further youth work

Women with disabilities : lessons of reinforcing the gender perspective in international norms and standards

SARA-SERRANO MATHIASON, Maria-Cristina
January 2003

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This document discusses the history of getting women with disability issues into the UN development agenda. It provides guidelines for lobbying national governments and analysis of successful campaigns. This work also discusses the need for improvements in data collection and fact finding tips. This resource would be useful for anyone with an interest in women's rights and disability and development

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