The Forthcoming 51st Session of the Commission for Social Development in February in the United Nations, New York

(--> A Nordic disability meeting held in Helsinki on 9th January)

The Rapporteur is going to present his annual report in the forthcoming 51st Session of the Commission for Social Development to be held between 6 – 15^th February 2013 in New York. His presentation is expected at around 3 pm on 8^th February. He will present his activities during the last year and highlight the establishment process of the African Disability Forum including the experts consultative meeting held in the end of November 2012 that endorsed the idea of establishment. (The outcome document of the meeting will be uploaded soon). The experts meeting also concluded with recommendations to the forthcoming High-level Meeting on disability and development to be held on 23^rd September 2013. This is in line with the message of the UN Secretary General for the last few years. The inputs from Africa will be delivered to wider audience via the Rapporteur’s presentation, which is an important contribution of the Rapporteur.

After the Rapporteur’s statement in the Session of the Commission for Social Development, the Nordic countries are making a joint-statement to concretely contribute towards consensus on disability and human rights inclusive post-2015 agenda*. Nordic disability meetings have been arranged throughout the years involving both DPOs and Ministerial government officials in charge of disability and development. This year, Finland hosted this meeting on 9^th January in Helsinki. The meeting has led to this joint-statement to be presented in the forthcoming Commission. Hopefully many initiatives around the world including the position paper of IDA and IDDC as well as the oral speech of the Rapporteur will bring disability to the surface of the Commission discussion towards inclusive post-2015 agenda. 

* On 1st February, I heard from the Finnish Ministry for Foreign Affairs that the joint-statement was postponed as the governments of Nordic countries needed more time for it.