Panel on mainstreaming disability in MDG processesNew York, 3 September 2009

Mainstreaming disability in the MDG process

Maria Martinho

United Nations Statistics Division

DESA, New York

Development for All: Integrating Disability into the Millennium Development Goals, New York, 11 June 2009

Outline

1. Global MDG monitoring

2. Mainstreaming disability

Development for All: Integrating Disability into the Millennium Development Goals, New York, 11 June 2009

MDGs

● The MDGs are based on the commitments made by UN Member States in the Millennium Declaration in 2000

● An Inter-agency and Expert Group (IAEG) was created to translate these commitments into operational targets and measurable indicators

● The resulting MDG framework includes 8 Goals, 21 targets and 60 indicators

Development for All: Integrating Disability into the Millennium Development Goals, New York, 11 June 2009

Global monitoring

● UNSD, in collaboration with the IAEG on MDG indicators*, is responsible for the global and regional monitoring

UNSD maintains the MDG Indicators database

and assesses trends based on regional and

global figures

The international agencies compile data for countries

worldwide and produce regional and global aggregates

Countries produce data

Countries send data to agencies

Agencies send data to UNSD

* The IAEG is now composed of over 25 international agencies, UN Regional Commissions and national statistical offices

Development for All: Integrating Disability into the Millennium Development Goals, New York, 11 June 2009

Outputs

● Annual MDG Reports, Progress Charts, MDG database and website

– The report is distributed to the General Assembly, policy makers, the media and the general public

– The regional data are also presented as part of the annual Secretary-General’s Report on the Work of the Organization

● Other outputs, focusing on special topics or regions, such as Africa and the MDGs, gender brochure, etc.

Development for All: Integrating Disability into the Millennium Development Goals, New York, 11 June 2009

MDGs & Special population groups

● To achieve the MDGs, it is essential to involve the less advantaged groups

● Like women and the refugees, persons with disabilities are often denied their rights to education, a decent employment, proper health care and accessible sanitation facilities

● Contrary to women and the refugees, persons with disabilities were not included in the Millennium Declaration

How to mainstream disabilities in the MDG monitoring process now?

Development for All: Integrating Disability into the Millennium Development Goals, New York, 11 June 2009

Mainstreaming disability into MDGs

● Challenges:

– Lack of good quality data: Sound methodology to collect data yet to be developed,

though positive steps have already been taken by WHO and the Washington Group on Disability Statistics

Lack of data for most MDG areas - although an increasing number of countries are collecting data in their censuses and surveys on education and employment of persons with disabilities

Lack of comparable data across countries: different methodologies are leading to non-comparable results

– Short time: we are already in 2009 – MDGs to be achieved by 2015!

Development for All: Integrating Disability into the Millennium Development Goals, New York, 11 June 2009

Mainstreaming disability into MDGs

Some steps to address these challenges

● Improve data

– Develop sound methodology for data collection– Support initiatives, like the Washington Group, to establish

internationally applicable methods leading to comparable data– Encourage and train countries to produce data on persons with

disabilities– Sensitize data producers to the need to collect data on persons

with disabilities

Development for All: Integrating Disability into the Millennium Development Goals, New York, 11 June 2009

Mainstream disability into MDGs

Some steps to address these challenges

● Plan for future events

– Profit from 2010 special event on MDGs, which will bring wider visibility, and require a larger number of MDG outputs Prepare event/output on persons with disabilities and the

MDGs? – Start planning for after 2015

Will the MDGs still be the common framework for development efforts? Will the goals be replaced or expanded?

The relevant parties are starting to discuss these issues now. Need to make all stakeholders aware of the importance of including persons with disabilities

Development for All: Integrating Disability into the Millennium Development Goals, New York, 11 June 2009

MDGs Global monitoring

THANK YOUTHANK YOU

Visit mdgs.un.org