Promoting the Rights of Children with Disabilities, UNICEF

Regionally relevant aims and targets have also beenset by the African Decade of Persons with Disabilities(2001–2010), 132 coordinated by the Pan AfricanFederation of the Disabled and six major internationalorganizations of persons with disabilities, by the ArabDecade for Persons with Disabilities (2004–2013), 133and most recently by the adoption of a Program ofAction for a Decade of the Americas for Persons withDisabilities (2006–2016). 134Materials developed for the regional decades,and lessons learned from them, can provide firmfoundations for new initiatives in the context ofimplementing the new UN Convention. At thesame time, this treaty is likely to provide additionalimpetus and mechanisms to monitor and evaluateachievements against objectives and targets at theregional level.The European Union (EU) designated 2003 as theEuropean Year of People with Disabilities, withthe aim of accelerating progress towards ensuringequal rights for persons with disabilities in itsmember States. The year was organized by theEuropean Commission in collaboration with theEuropean Disability Forum, an umbrella organizationrepresenting more than 37 million persons withdisabilities in Europe. A major success of the yearwas the increased awareness and concern fordisability issues among the European public. Theyear also provided further incentives for memberStates to look at new policy and legal developmentstowards achieving equal opportunities for personswith disabilities. 135Progress depends on the ability to think beyondtraditional ’boxes’. This may mean thinking ofdisability in the wider context of other marginalizedgroups and joining forces to work for a moreinclusive society. A challenge for both internationaland national agencies concerns the extent towhich they can create opportunities or strengthenmechanisms for working together in a more holisticway to meet the needs of children, families, adultsand communities. Where traditional administrativeboundaries have been crossed in order to poolresources, persons with disabilities have benefitedfrom an approach that recognizes that their needsdo not correspond to the narrowly focused remitsof departments such as health, education, socialservices, income support and employment.At the local level, creative solutions to theseproblems have been found by the appointment ofa key worker who supports the child particularlyat points of transition between home and schooland between childhood and adulthood. At thenational level, bodies responsible for initiating andcoordinating policy for persons with disabilitiesacross the board have achieved a great deal in manycountries. Supplementing previous internationalstandards and commitments, the UN Conventionon the Rights of Persons with Disabilities providesan ideal opportunity to develop more effectivemechanisms to ensure that children with disabilitiesattain their full human rights in the years to come.In the recognition that concerns of persons withdisabilities are often not included in the policiesor development projects of the EU, an initiativeon Breaking the Cycle of Poverty and Disabilityin Development Cooperation was launched inlate 2005 with support from the EU. The MakeDevelopment Inclusive project represents apartnership among 12 European organizations,with the objective of promoting, in a coordinatedmanner, the mainstreaming of disability issues in thedevelopment cooperation policies of the memberStates of the European Union, EU institutions andrelevant NGOs. Particular focus is given to buildingthe capacity of public institutions and NGOs workingin the development field, including organizationsrepresenting persons with disabilities. 136The development of much closer collaborationbetween the many international agencies working inthis field presents a major challenge for the future.The needs of persons with disabilities cut across themandates of different departments and agencies,at both national and international levels. In planningfor the future, the voices of adults and children withdisabilities and their families need to be much moreclearly heard in the councils of the world.37 Promoting the Rights of Children with Disabilities Innocenti Digest No. 13