9 Mar 2014

A New Article on African Persons with Psychosocial Disabilities

The Rapporteur's new article is published in a book entitled "Torture in Healthcare Settings" from the Center for Human Rights and Humanitarian Law of Washington College of Law at American University. It is available on-line at http://antitorture.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/03/PDF_Torture_in_Healthcare_Publication.pdf 

24 Feb 2014

15-22.2.2014 Mission to Moldova

The Rapporteur was invited by the British Embassy in Moldova to deliver lectures on conflict resolution based on his experiences in South Africa. He also visited UN country office in Moldova during this mission. He flew directly from New York to Moldova.

11 Feb 2014

Mission to New York for making his last oral speech at the UNHQ

On 13th February between 10 am and 1 pm at New York time, the UN Special Rapporteur on Disability, Mr. Shuaib Chalklen, will be making his oral speech at the UN Headquarters in the Commission for Social Development, 52nd Session (11-21 February 2014). This is going to be his last speech during his mandate as the Rapporteur. His speech is available at http://webtv.un.org/watch/6th-meeting-commission-for-social-development-fifty-second-session/3198651816001/

4 Feb 2014

26-31.1.2014 Mission to Finland

(<-- The Rapporteur exchanged opinions with Disability Diplomacy Group members. All the members are Finnish persons with disabilities.)

The Rapporteur visited Finland for attending various meetings including the one-day-seminar entitled, "Disability Inclusive Development". The seminar was the initiative of Kalle Könkkölä and was co-organised by the Finnish Ministry for Foreign Affairs and FIDIDA. 50 invited guests attended the seminar from "like-minded" countries on the theme such as Nordic countries, UK, Germany, and Ireland. 

Mr. Facundo Chavez of OHCHR and the Rapporteur played significant roles in the seminar.

The agenda of the held meetings was on his initiative to establish an African Disability Forum, the new special envoy of the UN Secretary General, and obviously post-2015 Sustainable Development Goals. Inequality reduction, inclusive education as well as human rights-based approach seem to be important priorities for many organisations and development agencies that attended the seminar and other meetings. 

International arena around disability rights is difficult for many to understand due to lack of relevant and timely information coming from above. Hopefully, the disability community receive enough information and opportunities to negotiate with relevant actors on the importance of disability inclusive development. 

16 Jan 2014

12-16.12 Mission to Addis Ababa including the Interim Working Group Meeting of an African Disability Forum

The Rapporteur was in Addis Ababa to attend UNECA's disability seminar and the Interim Working Group Meeting of the African Disability Forum. The trip and the latter meeting was funded by Abilis Foundation of Finland. 

10 Interim Working Group Meeting members who are leaders of DPOs in Africa with regional, gender, disability and age balance participated in this meeting held between 13th and 15th December 2013. The Meeting affirmed to establish the African Disability Forum. 

Annie Robb, who was one of the Interim Working Group members, wrote an e-mail announcement to a variety of global disability movement actors to announce this news by stating, 

"The IWG is now making preparations for the formal launching of the ADF in 2014 and invites all continental, sub-regional and national federations of DPOs to consider becoming members.  The ADF, once established, will seek recognition by the African Union, the UN Economic Commission for Africa (UNECA), the International Disability Alliance (IDA), and will also seek to develop a close working relationship with the Secretariat of the African Decade of Persons with Disabilities, which provides technical guidance and support to African Governments for the implementation of the Continental Plan of Action for the African Decade of Persons with Disabilities, 2010-2019."

If you would need more information about the African Disability Forum, please get in touch with the current UN Special Rapporteur, chalklenshuaib68 (at ) gmail.com

9 Dec 2013

President Mandela and the Rapporteur

The Rapporteur worked for the President Mandela as a Senior policy Analyst in the Presidency of South Africa (2007-2007) and Director of the Office of the Status of Disabled Persons in the Presidency of South Africa (1996-2001). The Rapporteur spoke many personal experiences of him with the President Mandela, which is one of the many things that I have enjoyed listening to. If you are interested in them, please do ask from the Rapporteur next time when you meet him. Both of them are human rights defenders. 

Respect.

2-7.12. Mission to Madrid

The Rapporteur participated in an OHCHR meeting on education.