Newsletter Vol. 1, No. 07 | January 2016
International Day for Persons with Disabilities
2016 celebrates ten years since the implementation of the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD). On the 2nd of December the Division for Social Policy and Development with the support of Member States and Civil Society facilitated celebrations for the International Day for Persons with Disabilities at UN Headquarters in New York. Celebrations commenced in the morning with a high level event. The event included an address from outgoing Secretary General, Ban Ki-Moon with it being one of his final public addresses as the United Nations Secretary General. Mr Ki-Moon took the opportunity to urge Member States yet to ratify the CRPD to do so. Stevie Wonder with a cause close to his heart addressed the room reminding all that persons with disabilities are not a case for charity but human beings and with equal access have the ability to achieve greatness. Read more about the 2016 International Day for Persons with Disabilities.
To learn more about out work with persons with disabilities go to social.un.org/disabilities
Accessible Cities
To learn more about our work with Persons with Disabilities go to social.un.org/disabilties
World Family Summit 2016
From December 4-7 Daniela Bas Director of the Division for Social Policy and Development attended the 2016 World Family Organisation (WFO) facilitated World Family Summit – “Families in Balance: Eradicating Poverty and Promoting Prosperity Ensuring that no Family is Left Behind”. The summit was held in Sao Paulo, Brazil. With a focus on families as dynamic and changing units instead of a group of individuals, speakers and attendees acknowledged the family, the basic unit of society as a powerful agent for sustainable social, economic, environment and cultural development. Ms Bas’ interventions focused on the fact society is ageing, more women work outside the home and more people are living in cities. Ms Bas conveyed the need for cities to be more accessible to families to ensure job security and shelter. The Director suggested an increase in inter-generational housing arrangements where extended family is in close proximity to support one another. The objective of the summit was to discuss the positive impact of the SDGs and targets on the family, To learn more about the summit go to worldfamilysummit.org
To read more about our work with families head to social.un.org/family
Watch: Toolkit on Disability for Africa
On the 2nd of December the Division for Social Policy and Development launched a Toolkit on Disability for African Nations. The toolkit provides practical tools to governments, disabled persons organisations and civil society to ensure inclusive environments are established for persons with disabilities. A focus of the toolkit is to assist with the implementation of the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities.
The toolkit was launched during UN celebrations for the 2016 International Day for Persons with Disabilities. Read more about the launch here. The toolkit can be accessed here.
Featured Stories
Open Ended Working Group on Ageing – Seventh Session
December 12-16 UN Headquarters in New York hosted the Seventh Session of the Open Ended Working Group on Ageing (OEWG) . During the opening session the Working Group voted unanimously in favour of a draft that would grant National Human Rights Institutions (NHRIs) access to the Working Group. With this decision the OEWG made history as the first UN subsidiary body to give NHRIs full access to proceedings. Read more about the Seventh Session of the OEWG. To learn more about our work with older persons go to social.un.org/ageing
DSPD Highlights
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Featured Publication
UN General Assembly Official Report on Social Development
Upcoming Events
January 18 – 20 – EGM – UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous, Implementation
February 1-10 – 55th Session on the Comission for Social Development
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