With just under three months to go to the high level plenary review of the MDGs during the 65^th General Assembly of the UN, on 20^th – 22^nd September 2010, The Leprosy Mission England, Wales, the Channel Islands and the Isle of Man (TLM) is one of many NGOs that has been intensifying its lobbying to urge parliamentarians in the UK to keep to the promises they made at the start of the new millennium. Without reinvigorating efforts globally, and without including people affected by disability, it is already clear that the world will fail to meet many of the MDGs, which are the most significant goals ever set to reduce global poverty and inequality.

Disability was not mentioned when the Millennium Development Goals were launched in 2000. Since one in five of the world’s poor is affected by disabilities, their exclusion threatens achievement of the MDGs.

TLM is concerned to ensure that the needs and rights of persons affected by neglected tropical diseases, such as leprosy, and those affected by disability are included in a document that will be produced during that plenary review. An early draft of the document, Keeping the Promise – United to Achieve the MDGs, has been circulated to governments giving them an opportunity to suggest changes. TLM drafted a Briefing Paper for Members of the UK Parliament and the Department for International Development raising awareness of TLM’s specific concerns and their importance to achieving the MDGs.

TLM asks that those who represent the UK at the plenary review this September ensure the following points are in the outcomes document:

• Mention of the one billion plus people who are still affected by chronic disabling infections of neglected tropical diseases, particularly those living in remote rural areas, urban slums or conflict zones.
• Reference to the need to ensure that civil society, including persons with disabilities and disabled people’s organisations are included in planning and implementing development policies and programmes at the international and national levels.
• Note that growth should be accessible to all, including persons with disabilities.
• Note that resources allocated at the international and national level should be made in such a way as to be beneficial to persons with disabilities.
• Need to take effective measures for social inclusion and integration what focus on the most excluded and marginalised groups, including persons with disabilities.
• Governance should encompass persons with disabilities.
• Monitoring and data related to the MDGs should include persons with disabilities.

In addition, TLM is urging UK parliamentarians ensure the following points are incorporated into the outcomes document:

MDG One: Eradicate Extreme Poverty and Hunger

- Access to decent and productive employment should include persons with disabilities.

- Identification of barriers that prevent access for, and inclusion of, persons with disabilities and their removal.

MDG Two: Achieve Universal Primary Education

- Removal of barriers to educational systems on the basis of gender, disability, health or language can receive an education and have learning opportunities.

- Provision of information to families affected by disabilities about the right to access primary education.

- Highlighting of issues of accessibility, for example making school environments and curricula accessible.

- Addressing root causes of disparities, exclusion and discrimination against children not in school, including children with disabilities.

- Strengthening efforts aimed at ensuring that aid supports education systems that are inclusive of and accessible to persons with disabilities.

MDG Three: Promote Gender Equality and Empower Women

- Increasing accessibility to, and inclusion of girls with disability, in education systems.

- Ensuring that national health systems have the capacity to deliver equitable health services, especially to persons with disabilities, and reduce barriers that prevent uptake of health services.

- Comprehensive community based primary health care services should be accessible and inclusive for all.

MDG Four: Reduce Child Mortality

- Ensuring early identification of children with impairments and referral of children to appropriate medical and rehabilitation services where required.

MDG Five: Improve Maternal Health

- Ensuring that action at all levels addressing the interlinked root causes of maternal mortality and morbidity pays particular attention to women and girls with disabilities.

- Supporting women and girls with disabilities in accessing maternal health services. 

MDG Six: Combat HIV/AIDS, Malaria and Other Diseases

- Scaling up of prevention efforts, as also the biomedical, behavioural and social and structural interventions, such as empowerment of women and persons with disabilities, stigma reduction and protection of human rights, should include persons with disabilities.

- Renewal of efforts to prevent and treat neglected tropical diseases to address issues of stigma and social inclusion, including collection of data on prevalence and those treated.

MDG Seven: Ensure Environmental Sustainability

- Continuing to increase sustainable access to water should include older persons and persons with disabilities and take account of their specific access needs.

- Supporting the involvement of persons with disabilities in designing safe water and sanitation facilities.

MDG Eight: Develop a Global Partnership for Development

- Enhancement of international co-operation ensuing access to affordable, high quality and effective medicines for all, including persons with disabilities.

- Ensure continued and co-ordinated support for drug administration and stigma reduction programmes for neglected tropical diseases.

Mrs Siân Arulanantham, TLM’s Head of Programmes Co-ordination, gave a copy of this Briefing Paper to Stephen O’Brien, Under Secretary for International Development and to Douglas Alexander, Shadow Secretary for International Development, at the House of Commons at the end of June

Another campaigning measure TLM has taken is to sign A Last Chance to Keep our Promises, a joint statement, co-ordinated by BOND, a UK membership body for civil society organisations working in international development. This statement asks the UK government to show international leadership and to take action on certain priorities.  

 

For more information contact:
Siân Arulanantham (Mrs), Head of Programmes Co-ordination, TLMEW,  siana@tlmew.org.uk

Link: Briefing Paper

 

Of Interest:

A Last Chance to Keep our Promises:
http://www.bond.org.uk/data/files/mdg_statement_final_for_june_10.pdf

Millennium Development Goals Report 2010 (issued 23^rd June):
http://www.un.org/millenniumgoals/pdf/MDG%20Report%202010%20En%20r15%20-low%20res%2020100615%20-.pdf 

Categories: International Collaboration, Members