DESA Forum on Disability and Development
Roundtable Discussion on Disability-Inclusive Disaster Risk
Reduction and Resilience
CONCEPT NOTE AND PROGRAMME
CR5, TNLB, United Nations Headquarters New York
1.15-3.00pm, 11 June 2014,
Department of Economic and Social Affairs (UNDESA)
in collaboration with
Permanent Missions of Japan to the United Nations, UNISDR, UNESCAP,
Rehabilitation International, The Nippon Foundation, Japanese Disability Forum, Global
Alliance on Accessible Technologies and Environments (GAATES)
Background
Natural disasters are common in many countries across the world. There are between 2.9 and 4.2 million persons with disabilities among the world's 42 million forcibly displaced population. Experience and available information reveals that persons with disabilities, compared to the general population, are more vulnerable and likely to be left behind during natural disaster. A number factors contributed to the situation: lack of awareness; lack of inclusive and responsive policy frameworks, strategies and programmes for risk reduction and resilience and lack of access to information and communication and inaccessible facilities and services. Unfortunately policies and programs for long-term reconstruction, in many cases, neglect and do not engage persons with disabilities, or neglect the needs of persons with disabilities, thus missing opportunities to build an effective and responsive strategies to cope with future disasters that shall be inclusive of all.
When disaster reduction and response strategies don't include persons with disabilities, that's when the most deaths and casualties happen. Too often this has been the case in many affected areas in the world. Statistics and evidence show that, the mortality rate of disabled community was reported as high as 2 to 4 times, compared to the non-disabled population at large in many disaster affected cases.
In the recent years, there were increasing initiatives taken by Governments who worked hand in hand with civil society counterparts to include disability in to disaster risk reduction policies, strategies and efforts. More efforts, however, must be made to to include disability as an integral part of such policies and strategies and to integrate the needs and concerns of persons with disabilities into all phases of disaster risk reduction and emergency preparedness and responses efforts, especially those in support of the Hyogo Framework for Action 2005-2015, in order to address disaster preparedness and response more effectively and efficiently.
Policy frameworks for disability-inclusive disaster reduction and resilience
The United Nations' commitment to persons wit disabilities and advancing equitable and inclusive development is deeply rooted in its Charter. The Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD) Article 11 provides for the protection and safety of persons with disabilities in situations of risk, including the occurrence of natural disasters. Additionally, Article 9 requires countries to identify and eliminate obstacles and barriers and ensure that persons with disabilities can access their environment, transportation, public facilities and services, and information and communications technologies.
The General Assembly resolution A/RES/68/3 adopted at the High Level Meeting on Disability and Development urges the international community “to continue to strengthen the inclusion of and focus on the needs of persons with disabilities in humanitarian programming and response, and include accessibility and rehabilitation as essential components in all aspects and stages of humanitarian response, inter alia, by strengthening preparedness and disaster risk reduction”.
The Hyogo Framework for Action 2005-2015 is the major global framework concerning disaster risk reduction. Discussions and regional and national consultations have already started to prepare for the 3rd World Conference on Disaster Reduction that will be convened to adopt a new global framework guiding the global efforts in this regard in the next phase beyond 2015. Notably, the first session of the Preparatory Committee(PrepCom 1) of the Third UN World Conference on Disaster Risk Reduction will be held from 14 to 15 July in Geneva, Switzerland. Member States, UN entities and civil society organizations would have an unique opportunity to be part of this important global process and related regional consultations prior to the first PrepCom meeting. There exists a great potential for inclusion of disability that will make contribution to the success of the post 2015 development framework and a sustainable and equitable development for all.
Roundtable on disability inclusive disaster risk reduction and resilience
On 11 June, the Department of Economic and Social Affairs (DESA), in close collaboration with the Permanent Mission of Japan to the United Nations, Government of Indonesia , UNISDR, UNESCAP, Rehabilitation International, The Nippon Foundation, Disabled People's International, Japanese Disability Forum, will organise the DESA Forum on Disability and Development Roundtable discussion on disability inclusive disaster risk reduction and resilience.
Objectives:
In conjunction with the 7th Conference of States Parties to the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, the DESA Forum Roundtable discussion will aim to highlight a variety of perspectives on disaster resilience and disability, in order to help all major stakeholders and partners, especially policy makers, disability and DRR professionals, partners and advocates:
1) To take a stock of progress made so far in including disability in disaster risk reduction policy and practices
2) To share experience, knowledge and good practices in this regard,
3) To discuss options and ways forward as to how the post 2015 development agenda and frameworks (HFA2) can better incorporate the perspectives and needs of persons with disabilities
Outcome:
Outcome of the Roundtable discussion will expect to inform and contribute specifically to the ongoing regional and global consultations for development of the new emerging global framework (HFA2) and discourses leading to the post-2015 global development agenda which shall be sustainable, equitable and inclusive of all.
Programme:
1. Opening and welcome: Representative of Permanent Mission of Japan and UNDESA
2. Screening of a documentary titled Message of Life
3. Roundtable Discussion (moderated by UNDESA)
Segment 1: issues and challenges
(1) Ms. Elina Palm, United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction
(2) Mr. Yasunobu Ishii, The Nippon Foundation
(3) Mr. Jan Monsbakken , Rehabilitation International
Segment 2: Knowledge, good practices, promising solutions - what works in helping the building of a disability inclusive risk-resilient strategy and community - both policy and practices
(1) Ms. Aiko Akiyama, UNESCAP
(2) Mr. Katsunori Fujii, Japan Disability Forum
(3) Mr. Hiroshi Kawamura, DAISY for All
(4) Ms. Betty, GAATES
Segment 3: Ways forward: towards a disability inclusive HFA2:
(1) Mr Jan Monsbakken (RI, towards a disability inclusive HFA2
(2) Ms. Betty Dion, GAATES
(3) Other speakers
Segment 4: Q+A and interactive dialogue
Segment 5: Closing
- remarks by the Moderator (UNDESA)