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UN called on to lead by example in disability rights practice
UNESCO Regional Office for Southern Africa Director, Nisha, implored the United Nations and partners to lead by example in advancing disability inclusive through supporting the joint implementation of national and international frameworks. She said this whilst opening the third United Nations Country Team Eswatini bimonthly strategic and policy meeting on the 20th of February 2024.
There is need for the UNCT to constantly reflect and refer to the two main 2 guiding global disability inclusion frameworks, the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities and the United Nations Disability Inclusion Strategy. The CRPD is a Normative instrument and the UN Disability Inclusion Strategy, adopted by the UN Secretary General In 2019 is the foundation for the progress we make on disability-inclusion.
The UN’s involvement in supporting countries to achieve an inclusive SDGs and Agenda 2030 are in alignment with the United Nations Disability Inclusion Strategy (UNDIS) launched by the Secretary General in 2019.
Nisha pointed to UNDIS as a launchpad for dialogue on disability inclusion across all levels of the UN system and all levels of the nation. She implored the UNCT for its achievements in UNDIS leadership, strategic planning & management, inclusiveness and programming. However organizational culture still remains a challenge for managers, where communication and capacity development for UN staff remains low.
The meeting brought together over 20 participants who included the UN Resident Coordinator for Eswatini, 10 UN Agencies and members of the UNPRPD Eswatini implementing Agencies, the United Nations Partnership on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities Project Team and key representatives from the Deputy Prime Ministers Office. The meeting gave the Government of Eswatini and UNESCO a platform to jointly share and dialogue on the recently developed National Disability Plan of Action (2024-2028) and how the UNCT can systematically integrate priority areas identified in the plan to future UNSDCFs and Common Country Assessment processes.
The UN Resident Coordinator for Eswatini encouraged continued partnership building between the Government and the UN Family to ensure the prioritization of key issues that help improve the quality of life for persons with disabilities. He also stressed the need for a skills audit to ascertain how far disability stakeholders recruit persons with disabilities.
We talk a lot about it, but in terms of our processes including hiring, we do seem to lag behind. One of the things I think we should consider moving forward is how to integrate leadership by example in terms of inclusion.
During the meeting, participants commended the Government of Eswatini for its commitment to advancing disability inclusive SDGs and Agenda 2030, and the next 5-year NDPA (2024-2028). The NDPA was developed through a multistakeholder approach, and its key distinctive elements include the meaningful engagement of persons with disabilities, including OPDs representing women and children with disabilities as well as underrepresented groups such as persons with intellectual/psychosocial disabilities.
Speaking on behalf of the Deputy Prime Minister’s Office Marcelia Neves, Deputy Director for Social Issues, expressed gratitude and appreciation for the technical and financial support received from the UN agencies in the successful development of the NDPA and appealed for the inclusion and integration of priorities identified in the NDPA into the UN Mechanisms for sustainability. Marcelia thanked the UNPRPD project for establishing the National Disability Advisory Council and the Inter-Ministerial Committee to help push forward disability matters into government business.
We are hopeful as the DPMO that with your support the NPDA priority areas can be fully incorporated into the current UNSDCF processes and look forward to the inauguration of the NDPA into UNSDCF processes, and support from all both financial and technical for the full implementation of the frame. The DPMO also requests for support towards the costing of the NDPA. As Government we count on your support both financial and technical to implement fully the NDPA (2024-2028).
The 2024 to 2028 National Disability Plan of Action was developed by the Deputy Prime Minister’s Office, with funding from UNPRPD MPTF and provides a clear road map on how Eswatini will move forward the Disability Act of 2018, as well as the accelerated implementation of the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities ratified in 2012. Disability inclusion remains a priority area for the Government of Eswatini.
