DPO Participation in SDG Implementation & Reporting: Experience from the ground

Amazing session opened by our very own Minister of Sports and Persons with Disabilities Hon. Carla Qualtrough.

She emphasized the Partnership and Engagement efforts put in place by Canada to implement the SDGs.

One important endeavour was the stakeholders consultations in the development of the new Accessibility Legislation. The minister outlined that the challenge now is to include the over 10000 contributions in the new legislations.
A few issues that the government is actively working on were: a) access to post-secondary learning for youth with disabilities, knowing that students with disabilities often face secondary challenges to access higher education. She mentioned the loan forgiveness plan for students with persistent disabilities as one of strategies to overcome this barrier; b) New national housing strategies are also being put in place; c)  as well as investments on social spheres, and prevention and rehabilitation.

The minister also highlighted some of the international development initiatives that Canada is supporting in Pakistain and Ukraine (e.g. programs on awareness on inclusion of persons with disabilities in democratic processes), and how the GLAD network is an important forum for exchanging ideas in efforts to implement the 2030 agenda.

Canada has endorsed the charter on inclusion of persons with disabilities in humanitarian action  and is taking concrete actions

Ms. Penny Innes, Head of Disability Inclusion Team, Department for International Development (UK)
mentioned the importance of the Disability Rights Fund to implement the SDGs and the need to collect data as per Washington group guidelines.

Mr. Mika Kontiainen, Director Disability, Development Policy Division, Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (Australia) mentioned that all Australian aid investments over 3 illion dollar sto report annually on the degree to which they have consulted and engaged with DPOs in the dsign and implementation of the investment. Also report on the extent to which barriers to inclusion have been identified and addressed. Developments are evaluated with the Australian Monitoring evaluation framework (should we check and model?). 
Partnership with the IDA and other partners are contributing to achieving disability inclusion in the SDGs internationally.
He also mentioned how Stats bureau is working to refine and update the indicators and supporting framework for disability data collection, including endorsement and use of Washington group questions. 

Ms. Diana Samarasan, Founding Executive Director, Disability Rights Advocacy Fund and Disability Rights Fund mentioned how these funds include funding opportunities for DPOs for advocacy on the SDGs - the funds support projects doing direct advocacy to government and civil society actors to include persons with disabilities

Mr. Med Ssengooba, Program Officer for Africa, Disability Rights Fund


Ms. Orsolya Bartha, Senior Adviser, International Disability Alliance spoke about interventions done at the international level portraying issued of persons with disabilities in the broad  SDGs platforms such as the high-level political forum  and representation of of DPOs in all the regional SDGs forums.