Background

It is estimated that there are 650 million persons with disabilities in the world, of which approximately 80% live in developing countries. Stigmatization and exclusion from education, transport, cultural and civic activities, healthcare and employment, result in making persons with disabilities at high risk of poverty, with the effect that it has been estimated that 20% of the world’s poorest people have a disability. Children with disabilities are at higher risk of mortality, of lacking any form of education, of living in the streets. Women and girls with disabilities are subject to multiple discriminations and are particularly exposed to abuse and violence, with limited opportunities to access health care, and to obtain protection and redress from the institutions of the State. Persons with disabilities, in short, are disproportionally excluded from benefiting from development, from participating in development processes and are at high risk of having their human rights violated.

In December 2006, the United Nations General Assembly adopted the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD) and its Optional Protocol, which came into force in May 2008. By clarifying the human rights standards and principles that apply to persons with disabilities, the CRPD offers a guiding frame of reference for UN programming for, and with persons with disabilities.

In recognition of the critical role the United Nations system has to play in protecting and promoting the rights of persons with disabilities, the United Nations Chief Executive Board established in 2007 an Inter-Agency Support Group for the CRPD (IASG for the CRPD), of which the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) and the Department of Economic and Social Affairs (DESA) share the chairmanship. The IASG for the CRPD works towards supporting the implementation of the CRPD, in particular by supporting States in their efforts to protect and promote the rights of persons with disabilities in line with the Convention.

In the implementation of this overall goal, the IASG for the CRPD has sought a partnership with the United Nations Development Group (UNDG) and has identified the development of a guidance note to integrate the human rights of persons with disabilities in United Nations programming at country-level as a priority task. To this purpose, a joint UNDG/IASG Task Team (UNDG/IASG TT) has been established, which OHCHR, DESA and ILO co-chair.

In light of the above, it has been decided to develop a guidance note on how to integrate the human rights of persons with disabilities in United Nations programming at country level. The guidance will be hyperlinked to the CCA/UNDAF Guidelines. The note will serve to assist UN agencies and United Nations Country Teams (UNCTs) to integrate the rights of persons with disabilities and disability concerns in UN programming at country level, and to support the promotion and implementation of the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD), and its Optional Protocol. The guidance note will be part of the broader application of a human rights based approach, one of the five inter-related principles of the CCA/UNDAF Guidelines.

Objectives of the survey

The following survey aims at informing the drafting of the guidance note and future UN work related to persons with disabilities. It is directed to UN agencies at field level.

It aims at collecting examples of concrete initiatives undertaken by agencies individually, and by UNCTs in a common fashion, together with Government and other partners. Your inputs will contribute to the identification of good practices related to persons with disabilities, especially – but not exclusively – in joint UN programming.

We greatly appreciate your taking the time to reply to the questions below. We are also asking you to attach documents reflecting the initiatives and activities you have undertaken. In addition, because the guidance note will include an initial mapping of tools and resources available on that you consider useful in disability related work in your country or region.