Global Action on Disability (GLAD) network

This side-event, promoted by GLAD focus on improving coordinated efforts to foster inclusion of people with disabilities at the international level (more info on the event here).

Ms Gillian Bird, Ambassador & Permanent Representative of Australia to the UN highlighted 3 overarching goals of Australia's disability-related actions:

1.Inclusive education
2. Social protection
3. Humanitarian action

Gerard Howe, Head of Inclusive Societies, UK Department for International Development (DFID)
called on the need to move from will to action on the ground.n
He also commented on the need to use the Washington group questions set as the golden standard to collect data on disabilities.

Rosangela Berman-Bieler, Senior Advisor on Children with Disability, UNICEF shared impressions from the meeting in Berlin in humanitarian action, discussing key issues on the area and identified priority areas for GLAD network.
She emphasized the need for all countries to support the implementation of the Charter on Inclusion of Persons with Disabilities in Humanitarian Action.

Members of the civil society and Canadian government attended this section. The Canadian government was announced as a new member of GLAD network and Senator Jim Munson spoke on behalf of the Minister Carla Qualtrough. He emphasized that Canada is glad to endorse the charter and is committed to not leaving anyone behind, including those with invisible disabilities such as individuals with autism and intellectual disabilities.

 Katariina Sario, Senior Advisor, Ministry for Foreign Affairs of Finland and Birgitta Weibahr, Senior Policy Specialist, Swedish International Development Agency (SIDA) spoke about the working groups progresses, and examples where joint statements to support policymaking that includes the rights of persons with disabilities in the workforce, and in creating systems that function on a needs-base.

Social protection requires working with government and DPOs. She indicated how the three pillars of the SDGs: social (which includes disability, gender equality, poverty), economic and environmental development are not equally being developed in all spheres of governments and decision-making. More emphasis need to be put in the social pilar.

 Dr. Heike Kuhn, Head of Division 302: Human rights; gender equality; inclusion, German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development outlined the next steps for GLAD network. She indicated 2 major challenges:
1. Tracking and monitoring inclusion and implementing  article 32
2. Improving the livelihood of all individuals with disabilities in promoting the SDGs and especially of those who face multiple layers of discriminations, namely woman and children with disabilities.

Other points presented:

• Access to information (e.g. information about sexual and reproductive rights to woman and girls) was put as an important consideration when addressing multiple discriminations.  
• To create Knowledge Platforms and guidelines to implement the 2030 agenda.
• Strategic partnerships with disability groups.
• Foster agency of woman and girls in advocacy campaigns (e.g.Planet 5050 campaign, violence agains woman campaign).

UN system: how can we learn from and collaborate with senior UN partners?
Programming: Make sure disability aspects are considered (e.g. budgeting and planning, resilience, humanitarian action, etc).


"Leaving no one behind" in the 2030 agenda is a big challenge that we are all committed to move forward!