RI Global Press Release: RI Global Participates in Governance, Transparency and Accountability Workshop at UN HQ

18 June 2015

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RI Global: Office of Communications

Contact: Adrian Brune, +1 347-759-9501

Rehabilitation International is among the disability organizations taking part in the two-day workshop on Governance, Transparency and Accountability: Major Groups and Other Stakeholders (MGoS) Collaboration toward the High Level Political Forum (HLPF), which started today, June 18, at UN headquarters in New York. The workshop is aimed to discuss ways in which the mechanism of MGoS could be adapted to best function in the context of the review architecture to be put in place for the sustainable development agenda at the national, regional and global levels, including the HLPF, as well as the other platforms where the review of post-2015 is expected to occur.

The initial two remarks were provided by Mr. Jorge Laguna Celis, Secretary, Secretariat of Governing Bodies, UNEP, via video link from Nairobi, Kenya. Mr. Laguna Celis spoke about the importance of developing modalities for the enhanced participation of civil society in the review process.

Another remark was given by Mr. Thomas Gass, Assistant Secretary-General for Policy Coordination and Inter-Agency Affairs, UN DESA, who spoke via video link from Geneva. Mr. Gass cited the importance of the paradigm shift to not leave anyone behind in the MDGs review process as well as the implementation of the SDGs. He said there has to be a strong will to build from existing structures and also strengthen relationship of governments with other stakeholders in the national level.

RI, through its Secretary General Venus Ilagan, was among the first four organizations which provided comments and raised questions on the remarks. Ms. Ilagan asked Mr. Gass what could he suggest as a possible mechanism to include/provide space for the participation of groups of stakeholders that are traditionally excluded from public discourse on important issues, especially on the national level. She specifically cited the case of people with disabilities, who face added and multiple challenges in their participation.

Mr. Gass said the intervention from RI was important and one that sends a message to the UN system on the need to ensure that structures for participation have to be flexible enough and sensitive to the needs of people with disabilities as stakeholders. He underscored the importance of data that can be dis-aggregated and the identification of champions for this important group in the post-2015 agenda. He said that stakeholders should not work in silos but in coordination, owing to the diversity of the goals and targets.

The outcome of the 2-day workshop will be in the form of proposals for the monitoring, follow-up and review architecture for the Post-2015 Development Agenda at various levels, including the HLPF. In addition, it will develop recommendations for the effective and genuine participation of MGoS in these processes.

 

RI Global: Founded in 1922, Rehabilitation International (RI Global) is a worldwide network promoting the rights and inclusions of persons with disabilities (PwDs) through advocacy, habilitation and rehabilitation to achieve an inclusive world in which all people can enjoy full human rights.

Join us at the 2016 RI Global World Congress: riworldcongress.com

 

 

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