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"Leaving no one behind" is a human rights principle, embedded in the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD) and reflected in the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development (SDG). Monitoring disability inclusive development cooperation is of great importance to ensure that development interventions contribute to this overall goal.
"If you're not counted, you don't count"
Insufficient tracking of persons with disabilities affects how the level of disability inclusion in programs and interventions may be monitored in a systematic way. Many people with disabilities are not registered and are thus 'invisible' for policy-makers and project implementers. Hence, there is a need for better definitions, concepts, standards and methodologies in the production of statistics about persons with disabilities in order to monitor the implementation of the CRPD and to fulfill the SGDs.
Objective
The objective of the seminar is to increase the knowledge and capacity of aid authorities, and public and private institutions and organizations to implement and monitor disability inclusive development strategies. This is especially important in cooperation with multilateral organizations.
How can we track disability inclusion in development?
A recent study by the Norwegian research institution Fafo has documented that it is possible to trace how specific Norwegian bi- and multi-lateral development funding flows down to a project level. It is however difficult to assess how much of this funding is used on inclusive education, and to what extent children with disabilities benefit. Similar difficulties of tracking and monitoring inclusion is also challenging in other sectors and funding mechanisms.
How can we implement inclusion?
The UN, the World Bank and many State Parties to the CRPD, are committed to ensure disability inclusive development cooperation. This includes the disability question set developed by the Washington Group on Disability Statistics. This set was developed as a response to the gap in quality, reliable and internationally comparable data on people with disabilities. Without disaggregated data on people with disability, the international community will not be able to reach those “left behind” and ensure equal opportunities as outlined in the CRPD, nor achieve the Goals established in the 2030 agenda. The seminar aims to provide a space for learning and sharing ideas and practical examples as well as innovative practices.
Speakers include:
- Mitch Loeb, Health Scientist at the National Centre for Health Statistics working with the Washington Group on Disability Statistics.
- Kjersti Skarstad, PhD graduate specializing on the rights of persons with disabilities UiO, Faculty of Social Sciences.
- Arnt Holte, Chair of the Atlas Alliance Board and Secretary General of the Norwegian Association of the Blind and Partially Sighted.
- Inga Bostad, Director for the Norwegian Centre for Human Rights.
- Kjell Erik Øie, Secretary general in Plan International Norway.