Keynote address by Ms. Daniela Bas, Director, DSPD/DESA
4th Zero Project Conference, Thursday, 25 February 2015, 10.15 a.m.
[Notes: Welcome and opening: 9.30 to 10.15 a.m.; then Opening Keynotes: 10.15 to 11 a.m.:
Daniela, followed by Facundo (OHCHR), and Javed (DPI); speaking time – 15 minutes, each]
Good morning, ladies and gentleman,
Thank you for the opportunity to speak to you today in my capacity as Director of the
Division for Social Policy and Development in the Department of Economic and Social
Affairs at the United Nations Secretariat.
I commend the Zero Project platform in its catalytic and innovative role that provides a
unique opportunity that brings together innovators, policy-makers and practitioners – key
influencers from a variety of fields and occupations – to share knowledge and forge networks
to realize a common goal: to create a society for all that fully includes persons with
disabilities on an equal basis with others. After all, disability does not discriminate. At any
point in our lives, each of us could face some form of disability, whether permanent or
temporary. Impairments often arise as a natural part of the life-cycle process. They are a part
of human diversity.
With reality in mind, the work on disability in the United Nations seeks to promote
disability as a cross-cutting development issue, and issues that speaks directly to one of the
UN’s core aims - creating a society where everyone is included, where everyone has a voice
and a right to participate in the lives of their societies on an equal basis with others.
It is around this core aim that the work of my Division is focused. From its beginnings,
right here in Vienna, until now, the Division for Social Policy and development has worked
to advance social inclusion and development that benefits all members of society,
particularly those that are most often left out. To achieve this goal, we work closely with
Governments, other entities of the UN system and civil society. A major part of what we do
involves supporting the formulation of policies and social development frameworks that can
help Governments to deliver on commitments made at the global level.
The Division also serves as the focal point on disability within the UN system. It works
to promote the full and equal participation of persons with disabilities in society and
development on an equal basis with others. It has been doing so for the past few decades. It
first supported the development of the World Programme of Action concerning persons with
Disabilities that was adopted in 1982, as well as the Standard Rules on the Equalization of
Opportunities for Persons with Disabilities of 1993.
During the early part of the last decade, the Division along with the Office of the High
Commissioner for Human Rights, served as the Secretariat to the Ad Hoc Committee that
drafted and negotiated the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities. We did so
through close collaboration and involvement of representative organisations of persons with
disabilities. As a result, the Convention strongly speaks of the principle ‘nothing for us
without us’. More recently, our work focuses on promoting the implementation of the
Convention and the mainstreaming of disability in all development processes, including the
on-going work toward the post-2015 development framework and sustainable development
goals – the SDGs. The SDGs are due to be officially adopted by the UN General Assembly,
later this year.
In September 2013, a landmark event on disability took place at UN Headquarters in
New York. The High-level Meeting of the General Assembly on Disability and Development
was attended by several Heads of State, and other ministerial-level participants. The
Assembly adopted an action-oriented Outcome Document that supports the aims of the
Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities. The document presents a disabilityinclusive development agenda that works to break barriers and open doors to realize an
inclusive society for persons with disabilities. It emphasises the role of persons with
disabilities in development and the importance of political participation and independence.
The first impact of this document can be seen in the intentional inclusion of disability in the
post-2015 development framework and the SDGs.
But what does this have to do with innovation? How does dis translate into realizing
better lives for persons with disabilities on eth ground?
The human rights and development instruments that we work to develop and promote
provide comprehensive guidance for policy-making, legislation and programming for what I
like to refer to as “disability-inclusive development”. We work extensively with
organisations of persons with disabilities to ensure that the principle of ‘nothing for us
without us’, is cemented into these frameworks. I am pleased to say that at the global level, it
is now part of the regular discourse to identify and including persons with disabilities as both
agents and beneficiaries of development.
But this is not enough.
In spite of advances in the international normative framework on disability, a gap
between policy and practice continues to exist. All too often, disability and persons with
disabilities remain invisible in society and development. The invisibility of disability in
development efforts affects not only persons with disabilities and their families, but also
adversely impacts on the achievement of internationally agreed development goals.
Addressing this lack of data on disability is particularly important as we prepare for the post2015 development framework and the SDGs.
My Division and others are advocating for the emerging post-2015 development
framework to speak to the principle of "leave no one behind", and for goals and targets only
to be considered met if they are met for everyone, including the world’s estimated 1 billion
people living with a disability. We are working to ensure that new goals and targets should
be supported by data that are disaggregated by different social groups, including persons with
disabilities.
I hope you can join us in our Breakout Session this morning on “Worldwide Data and
Statistics on Independent Living and Political Participation” where we will discuss the
inclusion of disability in the SDGs and the challenges in enumerating the situation of persons
with disabilities in society and development.
Similarly, we are working along with others to ensure that the growing global discussions
on disaster risk reduction are inclusive of the needs of persons with disabilities.
With the growing number of disasters in recent years, the international community is moving
forward to adopt a post-2015 international framework on disaster risk reduction at the Third
UN World Conference on Disaster Risk Reduction, to be held next month in Sendai, Japan.
Persons with disabilities face higher risks and are disproportionately affected by disasters
and emergency situations. Available data indicates that the mortality rate of the disabled
population is two to four times higher than that of the non-disabled population in such
situations.
This afternoon my Division will conduct a special consultation on technology and
disability-inclusive disaster risk reduction. The consultation is expected to draw out the
potential of innovative and assistive emerging ICT technologies for persons with disabilities
in disaster and emergency situations, such as early-warning systems, location and navigation
applications. I eagerly look forward to all attending this consultation and joining this new
network.
I would like to close with a word about social development, even as we commemorate
twenty years since the World Social Summit that was held in Copenhagen in 1995. Earlier
this month, the Commission for Social Development met in New York under the theme
“Rethinking and strengthening social development”. The core purpose of this theme was to
advance a strategy that integrates the “social dimensions” of peace and security, human rights
and development, to bridge the gaps between these three main facets of the work of the
United Nations. The strategy would also promote the inclusion and participation of
individuals from marginalized and vulnerable groups in the implementation and monitoring
processes. This is essential to the implementation of true political participation of persons
with disabilities. As we move forward, it is crucial that persons with disabilities are engaged
in all processes of social development.
I reiterate, ‘Nothing about us without us.’
I thank you again for the opportunity to share with you this morning, and hope that you
will join us in continued dialogue on these issues during our events at this Conference.
I wish you all success for a pleasant and productive experience in the days ahead.
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